The Scorned Heiress: No More Mercy novel Chapter 380

"Tara, I swear I'm not trying to trick you!" Jake insists, practically vibrating with desperation. He looks ready to beat his chest to prove his loyalty. "I seriously want to team up. I want to ruin her just as much as you do!"

Tara snaps her laptop shut, her expression freezing over. With effortless agility, she drops down from the heavy oak branch, landing silently on the grass.

"I have zero interest in working with you," she says, brushing off her clothes without looking at him. "Go partner up with your beloved brothers."

His apology is years too late. After Cian's death, watching them continuously defend Jade at her expense permanently severed whatever familial ties she felt. If the Dennis family bloodline could be surgically removed, she would have done it already. Her only tethers to this estate are the memory of her grandfather and the safety of Eleanor and Kellen. Because of Cian's unwavering belief in her and her Mentor's rigorous training, she evolved into who she is today. For their sake, she will ruthlessly protect the Dennis Group from outsiders.

But as for her parents and brothers? They are dead to her. They will only ever exist as enemies or total strangers. There is no middle ground.

Faced with her merciless rejection, humiliation burns through Jake's veins. He genuinely believed that offering to destroy Jade would earn him instant forgiveness. To be discarded so casually shatters his pride. He has never been looked at with such raw disgust.

As Tara walks away, panic and a deep, pathetic refusal to accept defeat grip his chest. Swallowing the last shreds of his dignity, Jake hurries after her, desperate to keep the conversation going. He refuses to believe that their blood connection means absolutely nothing to her.