Chapter 535
535:
Though Ethan and Jayceon were close friends, they had clashed before, even physically, in their younger days. As adults, they had grown more level-headed, avoiding fights for years.
Jayceon stood his ground. “Those kidnappers were after Brenna. They knew Patrick mattered to her. Brenna is so well-protected, with military-grade security. They couldn’t touch her, so they targeted Patrick to get to her. Can you honestly say this has nothing to do with her?”
Ethan scoffed, visibly irritated. “Jayceon, you’re Patrick’s father. You’re always too caught up in your business deals. When have you ever truly looked after your son? At your grandmother’s birthday, you left him there alone, letting your family bully him. And you call yourself a responsible father? You’ve got wealth and influence. Couldn’t you have at least hired a bodyguard for him? But you didn’t. And now, when something goes wrong, you’re quick to blame others? Where’s your accountability?”
Brenna glanced at Ethan, who was defending her with such conviction, and a subtle, appreciative smile crossed her lips. Every point he made echoed what she had been thinking.
“Exactly. And I’m the one who taught Patrick how to survive at sea,” she said.
Displeased with Jayceon’s attempt to dodge responsibility, Ethan shook his head. “Honestly, it’s no surprise Ellie wants nothing to do with you. And now that I think about it, I’m done with you, too.”
“You’re not the same person I used to know.” Jayceon’s eyes blazed with frustration as he swung his fist at the wall. He pointed at Ethan, his voice sharp and accusing. “Have you completely lost your sense of what’s right and wrong? Tell me—am I wrong to say that Patrick got dragged into this mess because of her?”
The air thickened with Jayceon’s disappointment, his eyes reflecting a storm of betrayal. It seemed to him that ever since Ethan had fallen head over heels for Brenna, he had been blinded, unable to see the truth right in front of him. He believed Ethan was blindly defending Brenna.
As Jayceon seethed, a cold realization dawned on Ethan. He finally saw Jayceon for what he truly was—a man who dodged accountability and found it easier to pin the blame on a woman than face his own faults.
𝖗𝖊𝖋𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖉: gⲁⳑ𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗈𝗺
After two decades of friendship, Ethan and Jayceon now stood on opposite sides of a rift.
Ethan’s response was frosty, his words slicing through the tension. “You’re absolutely wrong, Jayceon. If Patrick had been with Brenna at the time, then sure, she’d share the blame. But he was in the restroom alone at that time. No one was watching over him. We’re all shaken over what happened; no one wanted this, least of all Brenna. So why are you so dead set on blaming her? Do you honestly think she wanted Patrick to get hurt?”
He took a breath, disappointment tightening his jaw. “I can’t believe this is who you are now. I don’t even recognize you. Come on, Brenna. Let’s go.”
Without looking back, Ethan stepped out of the hospital with Brenna, and together, they found a cozy spot down the street to grab a quick meal.
“Don’t worry about Jayceon,” Ethan said, his voice tinged with finality. “He has shown his true colors. I won’t associate with someone like him anymore.”
He had already made up his mind; the paths he and Jayceon were on had diverged irreparably. It was time for them to part ways.
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