Chapter 72 Confrontation

Chapter 72 Confrontation
This bizarre, emotionally charged confrontation made my body tremble; what exactly did they think of me? It was clear they cared deeply for one another, so what role did I play here?

I began to feel uneasy; I knew something wasn't right. These two men—they had such peculiar personalities—and I felt trapped, unable to escape.

"Jake, you know you’re going to regret saying that, don't you?" Henry glared sharply at Jake, who remained outwardly calm. Jake pulled my hand and held it tightly. It was strange; despite his composed gaze and expression, his hand was shaking. He was displaying two conflicting reactions, as if he possessed two souls. Or was he simply feigning calm?

"There are already so many things I’ve regretted, Henry! But just this once, let me have this—not to live in your shadow, but because it’s what I want." He spoke with conviction. I looked at Jake, standing beside me, hardly able to believe what I’d just heard. He wanted to have me? Did that mean he was in love with me, too?

No, that was impossible. Jake couldn't possibly be in love with me. He was too obsessed with Henry, and his being with me certainly wasn't born of romantic feelings or anything of the sort; rather, it was simply because I had managed to find a small space in his life.

Henry glared at me, looking annoyed—as if he believed I had committed some grave error that caused Jake to act this way. Was he trying to pin the blame on me now, after he was the one who started all of this?

"Nina, come here!" Henry said, extending his hand and beckoning me to take it.

I was torn, Jake was still gripping my hand tightly, and I couldn't pull away. Jake had summoned the courage to say something he knew would enrage Henry, yet he had done it anyway.

"Jake?" I said, looking at him. Fear began to set in as Henry demanded I come closer.

"Nina, didn't you say earlier that you were in love with me?"

"J-Jake, you-"

"So what? You want to be with me too, don't you? How about we just let Henry know what we both really want!"

My body trembled, I was completely unprepared for this situation. Henry hadn't said a word yet, but that silence only made me more terrified. What was I supposed to do now?

"Jake, I know you have a fever right now, which is why you're saying things you shouldn't. I'll just assume you're delirious. I'll let it slide this time!" Henry was struggling to keep his temper in check. He walked toward the door, looking as though he was about to leave. I felt a mix of relief and anxiety; Henry might have lost faith in me, and I felt our relationship was hanging by a thread.

"I'll take that as you agreeing to my request!" Jake said, causing Henry to stop dead in his tracks right in front of the door.

"Go ahead and do it if that’s what you really want. But don’t forget—I’ll do exactly what I want, too!" Henry said, just before opening the door and walking out.

My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. The pressure was so intense; I felt completely trapped between the two of them.

"Have you lost your mind? What exactly are you saying?" I cried out hysterically. He was acting completely differently from what he’d said before.

"I’m just validating your feelings for me." He said it so calmly, as if it weren't even up for debate.

"Which feelings of mine do you need to validate? The time I said I was in love with you? Jake, I only said that because we were making love, it wasn't a—"

"Really? So you were lying when you said it?"

"You didn't believe it either, right?"

"I believe it!"

"What?"

Jake yanked my arm hard and pulled me into his embrace. He stared deep into my eyes, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Just try saying it was a lie! Say that none of what you said earlier was true. If you say it, I’ll take back what I said!"

"Jake, I really don't understand what you actually think of me! Don't you hate me? Didn't you want me to stay away from Henry? Isn't that what you truly wanted?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I wanted! But unfortunately, Henry doesn't want that! Henry still wants you, and there’s nothing I can do about it. To him, I’m just a slave he can exploit, and you are the means he needs to achieve his ambitions!"

"What ambitions? What exactly does Henry want from me?"

His words left me even more frustrated; what did they actually want from me? Why did they treat me like an inanimate object they could borrow and use however they pleased?

Jake stepped closer, bringing his face right up to my ear. I felt goosebumps rise on my skin, even though he hadn't said a word yet.

"He knows that a few years ago, you slept with the shareholders of this company. Your mother asked them to give you a chance to work here because you wanted it so badly. Henry knows that the company's top executives would have granted you privileges as their special partner, and he wants to use you to smooth his own path!"