Rowan had been hiding like a fugitive for over two weeks. His leg injury had grown infected, the pain slicing through him with every step.
He finally snapped. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to find
Joanna.
It was as if Joanna had known he would come all along. Joannal showed up every day at the place where they first met, quietly waiting.
Meanwhile, George had stationed men nearby, keeping a quiet but constant watch to ensure her safety.
And finally, Rowan appeared. Two weeks on the run had left Rowan al wreck–disheveled, filthy, and nothing like the man he used to be.
He no longer looked like the man who crashed her wedding with
unshakable confidence.
His clothes were filthy and mismatched, likely scavenged from dumpsters. A battered cap hung low over his eyes.
When he reached for Joanna’s hand, he caught sight of her pristine
dress and polished boots, while he reeked of sweat and grime. Shame hit him hard, and he slowly pulled his hand back.
“Anna, have you gotten it out of your system?
“I never meant to hurt you like that. I just thought maybe if they put you in holding for a few days, you’d calm down. I was scared that if something ever happened to me, you’d be the one left to face all the
Chapter 22
consequences.
“I wasn’t trying to push you away. I swear, I’ve always loved you. I could never be ashamed of you… never.
“I didn’t know what you went through in there… I swear, I arranged for you to have a private cell, just to give you space to calm down. I never imagined Hattie would send someone to hurt you. Are you still in pain?”
His voice cracked. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, raw with
emotion. The ache in his chest was unbearable.
Seeing him like that, Joanna let out a short, cold laugh.
She repeated coldly, “Get it out of my system? Which part are you talking about, Rowan?
“Was it when you tricked me into getting a fake marriage certificate? Or when you said touching my body felt like touching your own–dull,
lifeless, and boring? Or maybe when you sent Linda to work for
Hattie?”
Rowan’s pupils shrank in shock. He hadn’t realized she had heard any
of it.
He stepped forward quickly, panicked. “No, no, Anna, that’s not what I
meant. I said something careless or stupid without thinking. Your
know I didn’t mean it.
“You must’ve heard the rest too, right? I told them I loved you. That I couldn’t live without you.”
Chapter 22
The contempt in Joanna’s eyes deepened.
“Do you know why I came here today, Rowan? You really think I came all this way just to hear your pathetic excuses?
“You think after everything you did, I’d just forgive you? Pretend none of it happened and say, ‘It’s okay, I understand‘? What do you take me
for?
“12 years, Rowan. I’ve been tired for so long, chasing a shadow of the
man you used to be. I watched you shift from loving me to only caring
about yourself. And deep down, I knew you’d changed. You weren’t
the man I once knew. And still, I stayed. I waited. I hoped you’d come
back to me.
“I take responsibility for my part in this mess. I chose to stay. I chose
to wait. That’s on me. But don’t think for a second that means you get.
to walk away clean. I always repay what I owe, Rowan. Kindness and
cruelty alike.”
She cast him a cold glance, then tossed a phone toward him.
The screen lit up.
Video after video played–everything he had built, going up in smoke.
Every warehouse, every deal, every piece of infrastructure he had
created from scratch was reduced to rubble.
She wanted him to see it for himself. To watch everything they had once built together crumble into dust.
Rowan stared blankly at the video, watching as Calvin pointed out
Chapter 22
each destroyed site one by one.
His jaw tensed. Then suddenly, he let out a low, bitter laugh.
Rowan had known all along that Calvin was working for her.
What he hadn’t expected… was that she truly wouldn’t forgive him this
time.
Back then, no matter how badly he messed up, Joanna had always given him three chances. Every mistake, he always had three chances
to make it right.
Somewhere along the way, he had used them all up. He hadn’t even realized when it happened.
He hadn’t noticed when Joanna stopped hoping, stopped believing in
the man she once loved. And now… there was no future left between
them.
Tears slipped from his eyes.
He pulled off his cap and reached his hand out toward her. “Anna… if it’s you putting the cuffs on me… maybe it won’t hurt as bad.”
She looked at him with a blank expression.
A guilty conscience meant nothing now that the damage was already
done.
She didn’t say a word. She didn’t reach back.
Joanna turned and walked away without looking back.
The moment she did, officers surged in from the shadows. They weren’t going to risk another escape, not from someone like him.
They slammed him to the ground. His face pressed into the dirt, his tears sinking into the mud.
His eyes stung, but he kept them open. He just wanted one last glimpse of her.
Because deep down, he knew–after today, he would never see her
again.
