Finally home, Bruno sat in his car.
He flexed his fingers, still aching from the fierce punches he'd landed on Stephen's face just before leaving the event.
The fool had been shocked that Bruno Hathaway had an issue with him, so he didn't dare go forward with the charges.
What Stephen didn't realize was that Bruno was Beauty's date to the reunion. However, everything became clear when Bruno demanded that the video of Beauty be deleted from Stephen's phone. There was nothing Stephen could do about it anyway—he had to do whatever it took to avoid jail.
Bruno leaned his head back and swallowed hard. Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
That would be Jessie. For the past hour, he'd been receiving calls and messages. He expected it, so he hadn't bothered to check them until now.
Slowly, he picked up his phone and stared at the screen.
Jessie's angry messages filled it, demanding an explanation and giving him countless reasons why Beauty could never love again because of him.
He hadn't even opened them all, but the previews were enough. Her hurt, confusion, and anger were all wrapped into long paragraphs.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair, drained from everything that had happened.
His phone buzzed again.
Jessie was still calling.
Bruno knew there was no need to answer. He wanted to explain things to Beauty, not Jessie. He couldn't trust anyone with Beauty's painful past. He wanted to keep it a secret—who knew what might happen in the future? He'd heard stories of friends' betrayals.
He had the video on his phone as evidence for Beauty, but he couldn't bear to look at it again.
Finally, he decided to reply to Jessie.
"You're right. I'm an idiot."
With another sigh, he tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and leaned back for a moment, closing his eyes before deciding it was time to head inside the house.
As he stepped out of the car and made his way into the house, the servants greeted him politely, but he barely acknowledged them.
That was very unlike him.
They exchanged confused glances.
As soon as Bruno stepped into the room, his father's dark and furious eyes stabbed into him like daggers.
"Where the hell are you coming from?" Mr. Hathaway barked, his voice echoing through the room.
Bruno's jaw clenched.
He had been expecting this confrontation, but that didn't make it any easier to face.
His father, Mr. Hathaway, was seated in the living room with his bodyguards standing behind him. His mother sat beside him, and his sister Abigail was on the couch, busy with her laptop.
They were all seated there as if they had been discussing him before his arrival.
---
Jessie was at Beauty's place, waiting impatiently for Bruno's reply.
Nia had fallen asleep beside Beauty, completely exhausted and drained from the event, but Jessie couldn't relax.
She still found it unbelievable that Bruno could hurt Beauty that way. Her restless energy had been building ever since she arrived at Beauty's, unable to get the situation out of her head.
He was in love with Beauty. How could he let this happen?
"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have forced Beauty to go to that stupid reunion anyway. This day will continue to hurt her," she thought.
She had spent the past few hours bombarding Bruno with messages, venting her frustration without a second thought about what he might do in response.
But deep down, she knew she was treading a fine line. A big risk!
Bruno Hathaway wasn't just anyone. With a single move, he could ruin her career if he wanted to. His power and influence were unmatched, and yet, in her anger, Jessie didn't care.
She needed answers, needed to know why he'd done what he did. How could he make Beauty believe he was different only to shatter her heart in the cruelest way?
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. That was unexpected and made her heart skip. She glanced at the screen—it was from Bruno!
Her fingers trembled as she opened the message.
"You're right. I am an idiot."
Jessie's eyes widened as she read it.
For a second, she wasn't sure if she'd read it correctly. She blinked, then read it again, her jaw tightening with anger and disbelief.
"I am an idiot?" That's it? That was all he had to say after everything she'd just told him?
Her rage exploded.
Did he just admit to it? Did he think a simple confession would make up for the mess he'd created? Jessie couldn't believe it. After all the long paragraphs she'd sent him, outlining Beauty's pain and the damage his actions had caused, this was all he could muster?
A half-hearted, two-line response?
This wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. She had expected more—some sort of explanation, at least!
How could he be this...this... cold-hearted?
She had expected him to be at the door, begging to see Beauty, but he just replied with this?