Page 181 of In Love with a Ruthless Man

“Yes—-”

“I want to believe you,” Meredith said, voice ringing with sincerity, “but you must explain to me first. Why does this man keep you at a distance when he’s had his parents and friends with him all these years? Does this mean he doesn’t love them as much as he loves you?”

“Is that what you’re saying, Fawn? That he loves you more than the friends he’s known for years? That he loves you more than his family?”

Fawn whispered, “No.”

“Then why do they get to stay in his life, and you don’t?”

“I d-don’t know.”

“Poor Fawn, unable to face the truth.” Meredith cupped Fawn’s chin. “But you need to face it. That’s how you become really strong, so let me give it to you straight.”

“Please—-”

“They matter to him. That’s the truth of it. His family, his friends, they’re the people that matter. So they’re the people worth fighting for to keep in his life. But you—-”

Meredith let go of Fawn’s face with an exclamation of disgust.

“Do you get it now? You’re a fucking brick around his neck he doesn’t want—-”

A cry escaped Fawn.

Meredith said in a singsong voice, “You know. YOU KNOW.”

In the courtroom, everyone watched as Meredith’s words succeeded where having almost half of her face carved had failed—-

Tears started to fall, mingling with blood, and the prince’s eyes began to burn.

Red mixed with white, and the right side of Fawn’s face turned into a ghastly shade of pink.

You know.

YOU KNOW.

Meredith’s voice echoed in the prince’s head like a jeering reminder of how he had practically said the same thing to Fawn—-

Why is nothing I do not enough? Just tell me—-

And he had told her—-

He had fucking told her—-

You know why, Fawn.

YOU ALREADY KNOW.

No, God, no.

It wasn’t goddamn like that.

He bent down, his head reeling at what Meredith’s words forced him to see.

Oh God, why did Fawn have to suffer for him to realize the truth?

He had pushed her away again and again, thinking that he had been doing it for her sake, but—-

In the video, Meredith was turning to Fawn with an insanely gentle look on her face.

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