Chapter 266 From Beginning to End, It Was All Because of Her

Chapter 266 From Beginning to End, It Was All Because of Her

Andrew paused, then let out a soft laugh.

"But speaking of which, the real question is—wasn't it Jennifer's own choice to act?"

Edward's jaw muscle twitched violently.

"She couldn't let you go." Andrew's gaze was like a dull blade, slowly scraping across his face.

"That's why she hated Jenna to the bone. I merely opened a door for her—she was the one who charged through it with a knife. At the end of the day, I just provided the spark. Putting all the blame on me—isn't that a bit unfair?"

Edward turned his head away, as if even looking at him felt filthy.

Andrew seemed even more amused by his reaction.

He picked up his wine glass again, took a leisurely sip, then let out a long sigh, his tone suddenly tinged with nostalgia.

"Come to think of it, I actually envy you, Mr. Russell."

Edward didn't turn around, but his shoulders stiffened for an instant.

"When Jennifer was in my hands, she was hysterical. Locked up for so long, tormented like that—even when she passed out, she'd talk in her sleep. And in those dreams, she'd call your name, begging you to save her."

"I kept thinking—Edward, what kind of man must you be? To drive a woman that insane, yet have her still pining for you?"

Edward whipped around abruptly, growling, "Stop it."

"What? Don't like hearing it?" Andrew raised an eyebrow. "But she was calling for you in her sleep, wasn't she?"

"Don't say such disgusting things!" Edward cut him off sharply.

"She never loved me as a person! She loved my money, my status, everything I could give her! She was using me from start to finish!"

"So what?" Andrew smiled faintly.

"At least, in some moment, she genuinely relied on you."

Edward froze in place.

Andrew raised his glass toward the fireplace, as if toasting someone who wasn't there.

"I was curious too—curious about what kind of man could earn Jennifer's trust. That's why I let her return home."

He turned his head, looking at Edward, his light blue eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Of course, watching that whole drama unfold later—it didn't disappoint."

Edward's fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white. His chest felt like someone had shoved a burning coal inside—scorching and suffocating, yet impossible to expel.

He hadn't come here today to listen to this. But Andrew clearly had no intention of letting him off easy.

Andrew leaned back against the sofa, legs crossed, wine glass turning lazily between his fingers, as if savoring some aged memory with relish.

"Mr. Russell." He suddenly spoke again. "Actually, the way things turned out between you and Jenna—you really shouldn't blame me. The one you should blame is her, Jennifer, for her greed."

His lips slowly parted into a meaningful smile.

"Speaking of which, you probably know some of my history with her. But there are certain details you might not be aware of."

Edward didn't respond.

But Andrew didn't care whether he reacted or not. He continued on his own.

"The first time I saw her was at a charity gala in Emerald City. You should remember that event—you were there too. Back then, she was still your girlfriend, wearing a silver-gray mermaid gown, standing beside you with a champagne flute, smiling gracefully and properly, like a well-bred lady should. I noticed her immediately in the crowd—not because she was particularly beautiful, but because of her eyes. Those eyes kept darting around the ballroom, looking at jewelry, at the grandeur, at the shoes and handbags of women who stood higher than her. They were full of ambition and greed."

He took a sip of wine and smiled.

"That kind of woman—I know them all too well. Too easy to manipulate."

"I found an opportunity to 'accidentally' run into her on the terrace. At first, she was quite guarded—after all, she had you, the Russell family, everything within reach. But so what?" Andrew shrugged.

"In the world of the wealthy, she'd seen what her own family had, what you had—and she wanted more. I said a few words to her, complimented her dress, her eyes, then casually mentioned my holdings in Majestic City. Her expression changed instantly. That was the greed from deep within her soul—impossible to hide."

He set his wine glass on the coffee table, stood up, and walked to the fireplace, reaching out to stoke the flames.

"Later, I asked her out a few more times. Each time, I chose the finest restaurants, sent the most expensive flowers, opened the priciest wines. Let her think it was all my sincerity. She didn't know I was just testing her—seeing just how greedy she really was."

He turned around, leaning against the fireplace, looking at Edward.

"She didn't disappoint me. I merely flashed a few cards in front of her, said a few sweet words, made a few promises, and she willingly followed me. The night she left, she didn't even hesitate. You think she loved you? She only ever loved what you could give her. When she realized I could give her more, you became worthless."

He paused for a moment, observing Edward's expression.

"But after we got to Eldoria, things became even more interesting." Andrew suddenly laughed.

"She discovered I wasn't as gentle as I'd been when pursuing her. I have a bad temper—you know that. But she'd already boarded my ship. Getting off? Not so easy. You know what she did?"

Edward's nails dug into his palms.

"She didn't run. She started pleasing me, pleasing me in bed. She learned quickly—whatever I told her to do, she did it. She was afraid I'd get angry, afraid I'd abandon her, afraid I'd throw her out and leave her with nothing. So she'd do anything. Those games... want to hear the details?"

He tilted his head, watching the veins bulging at Edward's temples, as if witnessing something utterly fascinating.

"Never mind." He waved his hand dismissively, picking up his wine glass and settling back into the sofa. "Anyway, you know now—when you married Jenna, you thought you'd wronged Jennifer, thought she went crazy because of you. But in reality? While she was in my bed pleasing me, she was still muttering your name. Not out of love—out of hatred. She hated that you didn't come save her sooner, hated that you let her fall to such depths. But she hated Jenna more—because Jenna got you, lived better than she did."

He raised his glass to eye level, looking at Edward through the deep red liquid.

"So you see, Mr. Russell. All of this, from beginning to end—what does it have to do with me? I merely handed over a knife. She was the one who gripped it, you were the one she hated, Jenna was the one she despised. I was just a spectator enjoying the show."