My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: The guilt and regret

Dylan wanted to hear this, but he was still skeptical. “Why would I trust you? You and Gianna are pathetic, scheming liars.”

Whenever he thought Gianna had been lying to him and misusing his trust in her, his heart twisted with an uncontrollable rage.

“What is the guarantee that you’re not just trying to fool me now?” he hissed. “This can be your plan to escape. But I won’t give you the chance. I’ll beat you to death.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Dylan drove his fist into Brian’s stomach with brutal force.

Brian’s breathing hitched, his body folding in agony as his eyes rolled back. He again lost the air in his lungs and couldn’t breathe.

Dylan shoved him aside with disdain, straightening as he gestured to the guards by the door. “Beat him until he passed out,” he commanded. “Then wake him and start again. But don’t let him die. I’m not finished with him yet.”

The guards nodded grimly and approached Brian, their faces set and expressionless. Brian’s heart raced as terror gripped him, cold and paralyzing. Struggling to catch his breath, he dragged himself forward, grasping Dylan’s leg in a feeble attempt for mercy.

“Please,” he choked out. “Don’t… hurt me. I’ll tell you everything. I’ll tell you all about her plan.”

Dylan held up his hand and stopped the guards, making them retreat. His gaze remained as hard as stone, the slightest flicker of disdain crossing his face as he looked down at Brian.

“This is your last chance,” Dylan warned. “If you don’t convince me, I won’t spare you.”

Brian’s shoulders sagged slightly in relief, a faint glimmer of hope surfacing. He knew this was his only shot, and his loyalty to Gianna was nothing compared to his need for survival. He had helped her many times and kept her secrets all those days, but no more.

“I’ll tell you everything about Gianna and her conspiracy.” His voice wavered as he began, laying everything bare.

“Gianna wanted revenge on Ava,” he admitted, “for humiliating her, slapping her in front of others. She was furious and determined to destroy Ava’s reputation.” He took a shaky breath as he continued, “She asked me to help and arrange some goons. I put her in contact with a local gang. Since then, she has been in contact with that gang.”

Brian’s gaze faltered as he forced himself to continue. “She… she faked her kidnapping and assault.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “She was with me at a hotel that night. We planned it all—how to pin it on Ava and make her look like a villain. I… I hit her a few times. We had rough sex, enough to leave bruises, to make it look like she was raped.”

The revelation was more than shocking for Dylan. Every word twisted the image of Gianna he had held for so long, shattering his belief in her. He couldn’t reconcile this conniving side of Gianna with the innocent and vulnerable girl he once knew.

When did she become so menacing? Why did he not notice it sooner?

His fists curled tightly in his pockets. The revelation cut deep, sending a wave of anger and regret through him. He was angry at Gianna’s betrayal, and at the same time, he regretted that he hadn’t seen through her deceit sooner.

Only if he had paid a little more attention to the people around him, he would have known about all this. But to ignore Ava, he had buried himself in work. He had been so focused on climbing the corporate ladder, on pushing his business to new heights, that he had ignored the whispers of doubt about Gianna, dismissing them as unworthy distractions. Ava had paid the price for his neglect.

He had indeed hated Thomas and wanted to make him pay, but he wouldn’t tolerate anyone messing with Ava. His jaw clenched as the guilt settled over him. His negligence had emboldened Gianna to go to such horrifying lengths to hurt Ava. But not anymore.

“Beat him.” With that cold command, he strode out.

Brian’s desperate pleas echoed after him. “Dylan, you promised to let me go! Have mercy!”

Dylan walked out of that abandoned factory with purpose in his steps, the sound of Brian’s cries fading into the background.

Justin’s footsteps quickened to catch up with Dylan. “We have enough evidence to lock them up for good. Shall I inform the cops?”

Dylan slowed to a stop, an unfamiliar heaviness clouding his gaze as he looked into the distance. He thought of all the times he had doubted Ava, all the careless accusations he had thrown her way. His jaw tightened with regret.

He had hurt her so much that she hated him. And she was not going to forgive him even if he punished Gianna.

“No,” he mumbled. “Send all the evidence to Ava anonymously. Let her decide how to punish Gianna.”

Sending Gianna to jail would serve justice, but Ava deserved the choice.

Justin understood his emotions, but he couldn’t understand why Dylan didn’t want to reveal that he had collected the evidence.

“Why do you want to keep it a secret?” he asked, confused. “If you tell her, she’ll see what you’ve done for her.”

Dylan sighed, shaking his head. He had ruined the relationship on his own, breaking her heart. “She won’t see it that way,” he murmured. “She will think I am pretending. I hurt her, Justin… I broke her trust, and what I’m doing now can’t erase that.”

With a final glance, he turned toward his car. Justin, however, wasn’t ready to let him walk away. “But you can at least try,” he insisted. “She deserves to know the truth—”

Dylan whirled and snapped, “I’ve said what I have to say. Are you questioning me now?”

His words left Justin speechless. Reluctantly, he nodded, falling back with a sense of resignation. “I’m not…sorry to make you upset.” He hung his head down. “I’ll send the evidence to Ava Madam.”

With that, Justin turned around and walked back into the dilapidated factory.

Dylan stood there, his shoulders sagging. It had all started with his revenge plan on Thomas. In that whole year, Ava suffered a lot, and he let it happen knowingly and unknowingly. Not only Gianna and Erica, but he had also made her life miserable that whole year. His disappointment and anger toward Thomas were still there, but he didn’t have the courage to face Ava again.

Staring into the dimming sky, he mumbled, “I hope you will be able to forgive me someday.”