Chapter 1082:

Her head snapped up. “I am not!” she shot back.

“It’s best if you aren’t.” But his next words landed like a punch to her chest. “I disabled his limbs. He’s crippled now and probably won’t make it through the year.”

The color drained from Gemma’s face. Grabbing his hand, she clutched it tightly, not caring about his hiss of pain. “Is that true?” Her voice cracked, tears welling up and spilling over. “What did you do to him?”

Corey was silent. Seeing her so distressed, he sighed. He had been right to restrain himself earlier. If he had truly gone too far and crippled Pierre, it would have shattered her completely.

“I was just teasing you,” Corey finally said, his voice soft as he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You’re going to drive me crazy, Gemma. But listen to me. Pierre got into that fight today because of his ex-girlfriend. He’s been playing with your feelings all along. I need you to understand this—whether Pierre survives or not, you have to end things with him. Promise me you’ll let him go.”

Gemma’s breath hitched. That woman was his ex-girlfriend? So, all this time, the person he was truly thinking about wasn’t her but that woman?

Her face crumpled as realization sank in, and Corey noticed the shift. A pang of heartache struck him, but he kept his voice steady. “He’s just one guy, Gemma. I can find you someone so much better.”

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But Gemma couldn’t stop her tears. Was it really that simple? Could someone she had poured her heart into be replaced so easily? Turning away from him, she curled up on the bed, her quiet sobs filling the room. “Corey, I just want to sleep now. Can you leave?”

Corey lingered by her side for a while, reluctant to leave her alone in such a fragile state. Unable to shake his concern, he decided to spend the night in the guest room. As Corey lay down, his thoughts drifted to Talia, who had caught his attention earlier that evening. There was something oddly familiar about her timid demeanor. He wondered if he had slept with her before.

For the next few days, Pierre seemed to vanish without a trace.

Gemma had no idea this was Corey’s doing. She assumed Pierre had simply taken the opportunity to escape and leave her behind. Determined to move on, she tried to harden her heart, forcing herself not to think about him. But no matter how much time passed, the weight in her chest refused to lift. Her spirits remained low, and everything felt like an uphill battle without Pierre’s care and attention.

In an effort to help, Corey began introducing Gemma to several charming and handsome men. Yet, no matter how polite or interesting they were, not a single one managed to stir her heart.

Corey groaned in exasperation, running a hand through his hair. “You tell me not to worry, but look at yourself! You barely eat more than a few bites a day. Do you have any idea how much you’re worrying me? You’re going to drive me insane!”

Gemma lowered her gaze, her voice subdued as she replied, “It’s okay, Corey. I’ll be fine soon.”

Corey stared at her, at a loss for words. She used this same excuse to brush him off every day, her situation dragging on for over half a month.noveldrama

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