Chapter 293
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Chapter 293:
Justin rose slowly, lowered his empty arms, and cleared his throat with the faint air of a man who had been outmaneuvered by a six-year-old. The warmth in his eyes as he watched Carmen hold his son, however, was unmistakable.
Gaston leaned close to his brother’s ear. “Your ranking in this family is dropping by the minute,” he said quietly.
Justin adjusted his glasses. “At least I am not carrying a pink neon sign in a garbage bag p>
The group made their way to the curb, where two black luxury cars waited. They were heading to a private celebration dinner at a three-star Michelin restaurant in Midtown.
Twenty minutes later, the cars pulled up to the discreet, elegant entrance. A red carpet led to heavy oak doors, where the maître d’ and two waiters stood ready to receive the Collins family.
Gaston stepped out of the Maybach first and turned to offer Jocelyn his hand.
She placed her hand in his and stepped onto the curb. The night wind was sharp and biting.
𝖲𝘩𝖺𝘳𝖾 𝘆𝗈ur 𝖿a𝘷𝗼𝘳і𝘁𝘦𝗌 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝗆
Without warning, a dark blur launched itself from the shadows of the narrow alleyway beside the restaurant. The smell of stale alcohol and unwashed clothes hit the air.
“Jocelyn p>
Gaston’s bodyguards reacted instantly. Two men in black suits intercepted the figure, grabbed him by the shoulders, and drove him face-first into the brick wall. The impact made a sickening thud.
Jocelyn gasped and stepped behind Gaston.
Under the glow of the streetlamp, the man turned his head. It was Kieran.
He was unrecognizable. His designer suit was stained and wrinkled, his face unshaven, his eyes wild, red, and completely unhinged. He had lost his CEO title, his power, and his dignity — and he wore all of it on his face.
“Jocelyn, listen to me!” Kieran screamed, struggling uselessly against the bodyguards pinning him to the bricks. “I canceled the wedding! I threw Aspen out! I gave up my entire company for you! I have nothing left p>
He was crying now, tears cutting pale tracks through the grime on his face — using his own destruction as a weapon, a moral kidnapping designed to force her pity.
Jocelyn stepped out from behind Gaston. She didn’t look frightened. She looked at Kieran the way one looks at litter on the pavement.
“You lost your company because you are arrogant and stupid,” she said, her voice flat and devoid of feeling. “You protected an abuser for years. Your downfall has absolutely nothing to do with me p>
Kieran froze. The tears stopped. He stared at her, searching for anger, for sadness, for anything. There was only cold indifference.
“Your pity party is for yourself, Kieran,” Jocelyn said, her words cutting clean through the night air. “Your late affection isn’t just worthless. It’s an insult p>
Kieran shook his head violently. His crazed eyes jumped past her to Gaston.
“You would rather be with a gay man?” Kieran spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You are going to live a fake life just to punish me p>
Gaston had been standing in silence, letting Jocelyn handle her past. At those words, the air around him turned lethal.