Jenna's POV
Felix let out a soft chuckle, but it didn’t reach his eyes. We were parked in the middle of a quiet, dimly lit park, and the silence between us was heavy, suffocating. I didn’t know why he stopped here, or why he brought me to all. My mind was spinning with questions, with emotions I couldn’t even begin to process.
“Why me?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you bet on me, Felix? I’m Aiden’s girlfriend. I don’t love you. I never will.”
For a moment, Felix was quiet, staring straight ahead, his fingers loosely gripping the steering wheel. The tension in the car was palpable, thick like the humid air of the night.
Then, he turned to me, his expression unreadable. “It’s not about love, Jenna,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “It never was. Aiden? He doesn’t care about you. He never did.”
I flinched, his words cutting deeper than I expected. “That’s not true,” I shot back, though my voice wavered. “Aiden and I—”
“Aiden bet you, Jenna,” Felix interrupted, his tone sharp. “He didn’t fight for you. He didn’t even try. That’s all you need to know about what you mean to him.”
My heart twisted painfully at the reminder, the image of Aiden standing there with Clara burned into my mind. I had tried to justify his actions, tried to believe that there was some reason he let Felix take me, but I was starting to run out of excuses.
Felix leaned closer, his gaze intense, locking with mine. “I bet on you because I see something in you that Aiden never did. You’re worth more than he ever realized.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “And what exactly do you see in me, Felix? A prize? A possession you can claim?”
He smirked, but it was tinged with something darker, more complicated. “Maybe. But it’s more than that, Jenna. You’re strong, even if you don’t see it yet. You’re not meant to be with someone who treats you like an option.”
His words hit me like a slap. Part of me wanted to deny it, to cling to the belief that Aiden had made a mistake, that he would come back for me. But another part of me—the part that was tired of being hurt, tired of feeling second best—knew that Felix was right.
I turned away, staring out the window at the empty park. “So what now?” I asked quietly. “You think you’re saving me? Taking me away from Aiden is supposed to make everything better?”
Felix didn’t answer right away. He leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly, as if weighing his next words carefully. “I don’t care if you think I’m the bad guy, Jenna. Maybe I am. But you need to see what Aiden’s done. He gambled you away like you were nothing, and I—” he paused, his voice lowering, “I don’t see you that way.”
I clenched my fists in my lap, conflicted. Everything Felix was saying made sense, but it didn’t make the pain go away. It didn’t erase the fact that I had been betrayed by someone I loved, and now I was trapped in a situation I couldn’t control.
“Look, I’m not asking you to love me,” Felix said, his voice softer now, almost gentle. “But I am asking you to stop wasting your time on someone who doesn’t deserve you.”
I closed my eyes, taking a shaky breath. “And what if I don’t want to be with you either?”
Felix was silent for a moment. Then, he shrugged, as if he had already considered this. “You don’t have to want it right now. But I promise you this—being with me will be better than being with Aiden.”
His confidence was infuriating, but part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he was right. After all, Aiden had thrown me away, and Felix… Felix was still here, even if his methods were twisted.
I didn’t know if I could trust Felix, but I was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, Aiden wasn’t the one I should be holding on to.
Felix shifted the car into drive, pulling out of the park slowly. “We’ve got an event to attend,” he reminded me, his voice returning to its usual cool tone. “Let’s not keep our investor waiting.”
I nodded numbly, my mind still reeling from everything that had been said. I was far from okay, but for now, I had no choice but to follow along. At least until I could figure out what to do next.
As we drove off into the night, one thing was becoming painfully clear: My life with Aiden was over, and whatever came next—whether with Felix or on my own—I had to be ready for it.
But how could I prepare myself for the unknown when everything felt so uncertain?
We arrived at the venue, but before I could open the door to step out, Felix spoke, his voice cutting through the tense silence.
“Do you want revenge on Aiden?” he asked, his eyes glinting under the dim light. “Because he cheated on you.”
I blinked, taken aback by his sudden question. Revenge? My mind was still reeling from everything that had happened, but Felix’s words hit a nerve. Cheated? I hadn’t had time to process the idea. Sure, I had seen Aiden with Clara earlier, but I hadn’t let myself fully believe it.
“How?” I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart racing with confusion and anger.
Felix leaned closer, his gaze steady and piercing. “By showing him what he lost. Make him realize he threw away someone far more valuable than that girl he’s parading around. And you can do it with me.”
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning. Revenge. The word echoed in my head. Could I really do that? Could I stoop to Felix’s level and play this twisted game? And yet, the image of Aiden with Clara—happy, carefree, like I had never meant anything to him—kept flashing before my eyes, fueling the fire that was slowly burning inside me.
Felix smirked, seeing the hesitation on my face. “Think about it, Jenna. He didn’t care enough to fight for you. He gambled you away, and now he’s moved on without a second thought. Don’t you want to make him regret it?”
I clenched my fists in my lap, feeling the sting of betrayal all over again. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
He leaned back, casually placing an arm over the steering wheel. “Simple. Tonight, we’re attending this event as a couple, but not just any couple—my fiancée. You act the part, and I guarantee Aiden will be watching. Let him see you as someone untouchable, out of his reach now. Let him see what he lost.”
I stared at Felix, my heart pounding. The plan was dangerous, twisted, but I couldn’t deny the appeal. Aiden had hurt me, abandoned me when I needed him the most. Maybe Felix was right. Maybe Aiden deserved to feel what I was feeling right now—worthless, replaced.
But deep down, I knew this wasn’t just about Aiden anymore. It was about me, about reclaiming the power I had lost the moment Aiden bet me away. Maybe this was my chance to get it back.
“And what do you get out of this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at Felix, my voice more controlled now.
Felix’s smirk grew wider, but his eyes remained serious. “I get to show Aiden that I win, in more ways than one. Plus…” he trailed off, his gaze flicking over me for a second before returning to my eyes. “Let’s just say I enjoy having you by my side.”
I bit my lip, torn between the temptation to hurt Aiden and the unease that came with aligning myself with Felix. But as much as I hated the situation I was in, I couldn’t deny that Felix was giving me an opportunity—one that I could use to my advantage.
“Fine,” I said, my voice firmer than I expected. “I’ll play along. But don’t think for a second that this changes anything between us.”
Felix chuckled softly. “Whatever you say, Jenna.”
With that, I opened the car door and stepped out, my heart pounding with a mixture of anger, fear, and something else I couldn’t quite place. Tonight, I would play Felix’s game. And maybe, just maybe, I would get the revenge I never knew I wanted.
As we approached the entrance of the lavish venue, I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. If Aiden was going to see me, he would see someone who was stronger, someone who wasn’t broken by his betrayal.
For the first time since this nightmare began, I felt like I had some control. And I wasn’t going to waste it.