Chapter 1171

Chapter 1171:

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Henley's departure from the center that day was a silent admission of defeat. He was always one to weigh the pros and cons. Clearly, he felt Raegan was not worth the risk to her life.

In her words, Henley momentarily lost his composure before regaining it. “Raegan, is risking your life the only way to show love?”

Looking directly at her, he asked, "If I hadn't left that night, if I had been willing to face life and death at your side, would you have fallen in love with me?"

“I wouldn't,” Raegan said firmly.

Henley scoffed. “See, that’s why I hesitated then.”

“And that's why I could never love you,” Raegan replied. “Everything you do is calculated. Family, friendships, and love… You use them all as pawns. That’s why you end up alone.”

As she spoke, Henley's face darkened. Raegan's words hit the nail on the head.

Those who had once supported him abandoned him when they saw his true self. Alexis was behind bars and her ex-fiancée had lost her mind when she found out she had been manipulated.

Henley gave Raegan a mocking laugh. “You seem to be quite worried about me.”

Raegan shook her head dismissively. “I don't need to keep an eye on you. “Everything about you is splashed across the legal news.”

In fact, it was a foregone conclusion that those who followed Henley would eventually leave. Their connections were mere conveniences, fragile and easily broken. The only person who might have truly cared about Henley, Alexis, found herself back behind bars.

It was not known for certain whether Alexis had acted out of a sense of duty as a father, or whether he had simply decided not to betray Henley for other reasons.

Alexis's actions were certainly not driven by love. They seemed more like a last resort.

Knowing that going to prison would be disastrous for both him and Henley, Alexis took all the blame, allowing Henley to walk free with a chance to salvage his own situation.

Like Henley, Alexis had weighed the benefits and consequences before deciding to shoulder the burden alone. But to say that he didn't love Henley at all would be incorrect. His love, however, was conditional, laden with strings attached and calculated moves.

Raegan's deepest regret concerned Henley's former fiancée, Matilda.

She was a twenty-year-old heiress, manipulated by Henley with a spiked drink, and left vulnerable to a man in his fifties who exploited her relentlessly.

By the time Matilda awoke, Henley had crafted an alibi that not only exonerated him, but incriminated the older man as well, allowing him to take over the projects he had set his sights on.

Henley coldly informed Matilda that in order to be with him, she had to accept these "accidents" as part of their relationship. This rape was not an isolated incident, but the beginning of many.

Despite everything, Matilda's love for Henley led her to tolerate this order, choosing not to press the matter. However, hearing the man she loved speak so cruelly drove her to the brink of madness. Her treasured first experience was married, and her fiancé brazenly told her to expect more such brutal encounters.

Matilda fell into complete madness, her speech fragmented and meaningless. Her parents, although they deeply despised Henley, could not bring themselves to harm her. With no other option, they committed their daughter to a sanatorium for treatment.

Henley sneered disdainfully. “You think those Secret Service guys can take me down? Raegan, even if they lock me up now, I’ll be out in twenty-four hours.”

Raegan had no reason to doubt Henley's trustworthiness. She and Mitchel had done their research. The financial crimes Henley was involved in were riddled with loopholes.

With a top-notch lawyer, escaping the charges would be a piece of cake, and the high legal fees were trivial to Henley at this point.

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