Chapter 17
Chapter 17
The man looked at her steadily.
“Yes, it’s all your fault. If it weren’t for you. Aaliyah never would have left me.”
Hearing his absolutely certain tone, Caroline couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She laughed while tears streamed down her face, until finally it turned into pure hatred as she glared at him.
“It’s not my fault-it’s yours! Claude, you know damn well that if Aaliyah still loved you, she never would have left! You’re just making excuses for yourself because you don’t want to admit that you’re the one who hurt her!”
“Claude, you’re the one who drove Aaliyah away-you, not me! If Aaliyah really loved you, she wouldn’t have gone. She’d already been thinking about leaving for a long time!”
Tathetic fucking loser, sitting there waiting for her to come begging back! But you played yourself, actually went through with the divorce, and now you can’t find her so you’re losing your shit. Claude, you drove her away your damn self!”
Caroline didn’t hold back, spilling everything.
Claude looked at her with a dark expression, his face like ice, as if he was looking at garbage.
He coldly spat out two words: “Shut up.”
Caroline didn’t listen-instead, she got even louder.
You still won’t admit it? Well let me tell you, no fucking person could handle you filing for divorce 99 times! Aaliyah left only because you drove her away!”
I said shut up, Caroline!”
‘Claude, Aaliyah left because of you-because of YOU!”
Claude suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Caroline by the throat with such force that she immediately started retching and rolling her eyes back.
‘Maniac… Claude, you’re just a maniac…”
No wonder… Aaliyah left you…”
She struggled to speak, feeling the air slowly disappearing, until she was nearly suffocating.
“Mr. Preston.” His assistant spoke up just in time, snapping Claude back to reality.
He released his grip, and Caroline’s limp body slid to the floor.
Claude’s expression was dark as he turned and left, no longer caring whether Caroline lived or died.
He returned to Aaliyah’s room, and looking around, the suffocating feeling in his chest grew heavier. He wanted to find something to destroy, to vent his rage.
He couldn’t bear to think about Caroline’s words. How could he have driven Aaliyah away? How could it be him!
He grabbed his jacket and headed straight for the bar.
Only alcohol could calm the turmoil in his heart now.
Claude didn’t tell anyone-he just sat alone and drank, bottle after bottle, until he was nearly blackout drunk. That’s when he saw someone walk past, talking on the phone.
“You actually spotted Aaliyah? Relax, she’s divorced Claude now. It’s fucking hilarious-that spoiled rich boy really thought someone could put up with his shit games forever. Aaliyah making it through 99 rounds was honestly impressive.”
He didn’t catch the rest, just the name “Aaliyah.”
Those three syllables were like magic, jolting him back to consciousness. Claude stared at the person and stumbled over.
“What did you say? Do you know Aaliyah? Where is she? Do you know where she is now?!”
Its sudden appearance startled the guy, who quickly hung up his phone and put on a fake smile.
Claude, what are you talking about? You must’ve heard wrong, man.”
Claude squinted, recognizing him as one of his friends.
“Who the fuck were you just talking to? I heard you-you said Aaliyah’s name! If you don’t tell me right now, you’re not walking out of here tonight
Days of pent up rage left him with zero patience. Claude smashed his bottle on the floor, his face full of menace.
The guy had never seen Claude like this before. He was scared, knowing that with the Preston family’s power, Claude really could keep him from leaving, He had no choice but to reluctantly explain.
“Look, Claude, don’t flip out on me, but… I think you really messed up. Everyone could see how much Aaliyah loved you, but you kept… you kept doing that shit to her-of course she was gonna bail! I got this friend who… who says he saw Aaliyah overseas, He’s into her, wants to ask her out, so he hit me up asking if you two were really done. I just… I didn’t think you needed to know, you know? otherwise…”
Claude couldn’t hear the rest.
Aaliyah was abroad-she was abroad! He’d found her!
Instantly, he sobered up. He grabbed the guy by the collar, demanding to know Aaliyah’s exact location.
He learned she was in Paris.
She went to Paris!
Hope ignited in him, and he couldn’t wait another second. He had to win Aaliyah back. He would change his old habits, never test her love again, never hurt
ier again!
