“Jenkins… did you ever actually love me?”
Peter's voice trembled slightly, and Jenkins blinked, surprised he'd ask such a question at this moment. Then, a flicker of memory—she recalled how, at the Horton's gathering, Gavin had asked something similar to Selena. Were men really boys at heart, clinging to hopes until the end?
Jenkins' lips curved into a small, pained smile. “Every step of me meeting you was all planned. I can't deny that. As for love… I don't want to lie to you.”
After those words, she fell silent. But everyone there—Peter, Keira, Erin—could easily infer the words left unsaid: I don't want to lie to you. I don't love you.
After all, if she did love him, there would've been no need for lies.
Peter let out a dry, bitter laugh. “You don't even love me. So, what choice is there to make?”
He turned to Keira and spoke firmly, “And remember, the Olsen family rule: siblings do not betray one another. We've said this countless times, but it seems that some South women just don't get it, do they?”
He walked over to stand beside Keira. “Jenkins, even if you had loved me, even if I'd loved you to the point of madness, I wouldn't betray my family for you.”
He spoke with conviction, his voice unwavering. “The Olsen family raised me. They gave me the freedom I have now. The support you wanted from me—it's only there because of my family. To me, the Olsens aren't just about a business or wealth. They're about people, every one of them. I could never betray any of them.”
Jenkins nodded. “I understand.”
Her face was unreadable as she looked at him. Then she turned to Keira. “Are you here to arrest me, or what? What's the plan? How are you going to punish me?”
She raised her hands. “Let me just say, I'm not some skilled fighter; I'm pretty useless at this sort of thing. And I was frisked on the way in, so I don't have any weapons. Even if you decided to kill me right here, I wouldn't be able to put up a fight.”
There was a strange calmness in her voice, like a weight had lifted now that her secrets were laid bare. For the first time, she stood tall, no longer cowering or hesitating.
Keira looked over at Peter. “So… what do you say, Peter?”
Peter turned to her, a faint smile on his lips. “Could we… let her go?”
Keira frowned. “Why?”
Peter gave a small, sad chuckle, his voice raw with emotion. “We spent a lot of time together. To say I don't feel anything for her—that would be a lie… How could I not feel something?”
He looked away, a hint of tears glistening in his eyes as he took a steadying breath.
Softly, he added, “We slept together, too. She's a woman, so in the end, she's the one who got hurt. I prepared a gift for her, but she's not going to need it. Nothing can really make up for this…”
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