Leona Grant greedily drank in her scent, pleading pitifully, "Annabelle Linton, don’t go. I know I was wrong. Please, just give me one more chance, okay? I can’t live without you. I really, really can’t."

Hearing this, Annabelle Linton’s expression faltered, and a faint, dazed look flickered in her eyes.

’Once, she too had thought she couldn’t live without Leona Grant. But in reality, no one in this world is truly indispensable to anyone else.’

’The feeling of not being able to leave someone only meant that you were still holding onto a sliver of wishful thinking. And that wishful thinking was the last lingering ember of hope.’

’Leona Grant refused to let her go because he thought there was still hope. Therefore, she had to shatter that little bit of hope for him.’

’If they couldn’t be together, they needed to make a clean break. It was better for everyone that way.’

Annabelle Linton said in a low, emotionless voice, "Let go."

"I won’t."

Leona Grant held her tighter, pressing his face into her hair and saying in a muffled voice, "I won’t let go. If I let go, you’ll leave, and I don’t want you to leave."

"Leona Grant, what’s the point of this?"

Annabelle Linton frowned and tried to pry his fingers off her, but she couldn’t.

’This man is seriously sick in the head.’

’Didn’t he just tell her to get lost? What’s with this drama now?’

She struggled fiercely, her tone sharp. "Are you going to stop being so annoying? I’ve already made myself perfectly clear, so what the hell do you want? Is there any point in deceiving yourself? Aren’t you being ridiculous?"

"I won’t let you leave."

Leona Grant hugged her even tighter, pressing her back more forcefully against his chest.

He said stubbornly, "You still love me, don’t you? I don’t believe you don’t love me even a little bit anymore. Annabelle Linton, you’re just disappointed in me. You’re afraid you’ll fall in love with me again, afraid of making the same mistake, so you’re trying desperately to escape. Isn’t that right?

"I won’t let you go. You held on even when I didn’t love you before. Now that I love you, how could you possibly not love me? Annabelle Linton, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe you’d just stop loving me like this. I’m going to make you fall in love with me all over again!"

’Yes.’

’In the past, a little heartache or something similar truly wouldn’t have been enough to make her give up on this relationship.’

’But she had died at his hands. Her child had died at his hands, too. How could she possibly love him?’

Annabelle Linton deliberately ignored his words, swatting at his hands as she said impatiently, "That’s ridiculous. I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting. Let go!"

Leona Grant refused to believe it. "I don’t believe that you don’t love me!"

"Believe what you want! Just let me go!"

Leona Grant paid her no mind. He spun her around and held her face domineeringly, saying, "Look me in the eyes and tell me. Do you still love me or not?"

Not a single ripple of emotion showed in Annabelle Linton’s clear eyes as she looked at him coolly. "I don’t."

"Do you love me?"

"I don’t! And I hate you!"

A pang of pain shot through Leona Grant’s heart, but he asked stubbornly, "Then who do you love?"

"Aaron Wyatt!"

"Ha! You’re lying. You could never love anyone but me!"

Annabelle Linton slapped his hands away and started to walk out, coldly spitting out three words: "You’re being ridiculous!"

A dangerous glint flashed in Leona Grant’s eyes. He viciously dragged her back and slammed her against the wall. "Say you don’t love me one more time!"

"Could you be any more pathetic? I don’t love you means I don’t love you! How many times do I have to say it? People’s hearts change. I can’t waste my entire life waiting for someone as hopeless as you. You have no place in my future, understand?"

Leona Grant gripped her chin, his other hand grabbing her breast. He said viciously, "Then I’ll just have to clean this place up. This spot belongs to me. I’ll destroy anyone you dare to love. Do you hear me?!"

"Shut up, you psycho—MMPH!"

Before Annabelle Linton could even react, his lips crashed down on hers.

"MMPH, MMPH!"

He kissed her viciously, lifting her by the hips and carrying her to the bed before his large frame pressed down on top of her.

Annabelle Linton panicked, shoving at him with all her might, but she couldn’t push him off.

Leona Grant roughly tore at her clothes, his kisses landing on her neck.

Just then, the door was suddenly thrown open. Aaron Wyatt stood in the doorway, holding a large, beautiful bouquet of flowers, a handsome smile on his face. "Miss me, Anna—"