On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 178

Her words were like a knife twisting in Lance’s heart. For as long as he could remember, Jessica had always chosen him, always taken his side without hesitation, even against her own cousins. After they married, she had never so much as looked at another man. But now, before their divorce was even final, she was defending another man—a stranger she’d known for mere days—right in front of him.

A storm of possessiveness churned inside him. It was like a treasured object he had carelessly left in a corner for years; he’d never given it a second thought until someone else tried to take it.

“Jessica Brown, do you hear yourself?” he demanded, his eyes blazing.

She dug her nails into the back of his hand, drawing blood. He grunted in pain and shoved George away.

To everyone’s surprise, George stumbled dramatically, collapsing against Jessica. She scrambled to catch him.

“My back,” he gasped, his voice weak. “I think the wound reopened.”

Jessica wrapped an arm around his waist to support him as he slid toward the floor. “Rebecca, help me!”

Rebecca, who had been enjoying the show, tossed her car keys to Jessica. “Get him to a hospital! Just don’t let him die in my apartment.”

As Jessica helped George out the door, Lance ran after them. “I barely touched him!”

“Yes, yes, you didn’t,” George mumbled, nodding weakly. “It was my own fault. I ran into the wall.”

Lance was speechless.

He banged on the car window as Jessica helped George into the passenger seat. “Jessica, snap out of it! Can’t you see he’s faking?”

…

At the hospital, Nathan was treating George’s wound while Jessica stood by, watching. When he removed George’s black shirt, revealing a bloody, raw back, she gasped.

“You should wait outside,” George said, as if sensing her presence. “It’s nothing. He just bumped into me.”

Jessica bit her lip until it was white. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” Tears began to fall from her downcast eyes. She had never caused someone this much trouble before, never been so deeply indebted.

George coughed lightly. “I don’t feel a thing. It doesn’t hurt. I was just trying to scare your ex-husband.”