Chapter 459:

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Confusion and helplessness pressed down on her from all sides, almost swallowing her whole.

Joslyn had always believed she was sober-minded and resilient enough to face any hardship placed before her.

Yet the moment that hardship turned into a threat against the man she loved, all her composure and strength seemed to abandon her at once.

She had no idea how long she had stayed there before the quiet was suddenly broken by the sound of the front door opening. A moment later, hurried footsteps echoed from the entryway.

Joslyn flinched. Carefully, she loosened her hold on Lexie, tucked the blanket around her, and walked out of the room.

Connor appeared at the top of the stairs with the cold night air still clinging to him. His breath came slightly uneven, making it clear he had rushed all the way back.

He strode straight to her and clasped her hands in his. “Are you all right? Did my mother make things difficult for you? What did she say?”

Tears gathered in Joslyn’s eyes, blurring his face in front of her.

She parted her lips, but before she could force out even a single word, one tear slipped free, rolled down her cheek, and fell onto their joined hands.

Connor’s heart clenched hard. He raised his hand to wipe it away, only for more tears to follow, falling faster than he could catch them.

Unable to bear it, he pulled her completely into his arms and pressed her face against the curve of his neck. “No matter what she said, do not listen to a single word of it.”

𝘜𝗉𝖽𝘢𝘵е𝗌 е𝘃e𝘳𝘺 w𝖾𝘦𝗄 on g𝘢𝘭𝗇𝗈𝘷е𝗅𝘀.со𝗆

Connor had known his mother would pressure Joslyn, but he had not expected her to use company matters to draw him away, only to corner Joslyn alone and break her down like this.

The more Connor tried to soothe her, the harder Joslyn’s emotions crashed over her.

Every word Evelyn had said had struck with brutal precision, and worse, every bit of it was true.

Joslyn could stop caring about herself, but she could never stop caring about Connor.

Her voice was thick and muffled. “Connor, promise me something. If one day, if it ever comes down to choosing between yourself and me, you have to choose yourself.”

Connor knew Joslyn too well. She wasn’t saying this to test him or fish for comfort.

She was serious. She had thought it through, and she was already trying to leave him a way out.

“What exactly did my mother say to you?” Connor asked, his voice rough. “Tell me.”

Joslyn didn’t hide anything from him.

She pulled back from his embrace and looked up at him. Her eyes were still red, but the haze in them had cleared.

“She said she owns twenty percent of Zenith Group’s shares and is the company’s biggest shareholder. If you insist on being with me, she’ll be terribly disappointed in you and decide you’re no longer fit to keep leading Zenith Group.”

Joslyn paused, struggling to force out the next part. She was afraid the words themselves would wound him.

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