Chapter 266 - 265: Protecting You
Hearing this, Molly gasped for air.
She had decided to cancel her engagement with Jeremy Norman, but she hadn’t thought of doing it in this way.
She struggled to break free, but the man’s hand around her waist was like iron, gripping her tightly and preventing her from moving.
Jeremy’s mother opened her mouth slightly.
She hadn’t expected things to develop like this.
Jeremy’s face went pale, his eyes filled with anger.
This Zachary Jenkins provoked him time and time again, obviously on purpose!
“Ivy, let’s talk about this when we get home.”
He walked to Molly’s side and reached out his hand to her.
In the previous encounters, Molly had followed him, but would she this time? Jeremy was unsure.
Zachary Jenkins was worthless in Molly’s eyes, but Michael Gallagher was different – he was the father of her child, her ex-husband.
Would she still stand by his side after knowing that Zachary Jenkins was actually Michael Gallagher?
Under Molly’s silent gaze, Jeremy’s heart sank heavily.
Molly looked deeply at him: “I’m sorry, Jeremy, I can’t continue to harm you.”
She had asked Jeremy to help her by pretending to be engaged to her, to force Michael Gallagher out of hiding, but she hadn’t thought of the difficulties Jeremy would face.
If they really got engaged, it would hurt him even more.
Jeremy gave a bitter smile and shook his head, his voice hoarse: “You don’t need to apologize, it’s me who’s been too selfish.”
She had told him that their engagement was a cooperative scheme and to make his family understand this.
But for his selfish reasons, he hadn’t explained the situation to his family.
It was his greediness for wanting to turn pretense into reality that had ruined everything.
Molly pursed her lips, wanting to speak but hesitating.
The burning hand around her waist loosened slightly, giving her the opportunity to break free.
Michael Gallagher’s eyes were deep, under the dark mask, the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted slightly.
Jeremy’s mother remained silent, sensing something unusual in the atmosphere around them.
Could there be some hidden agenda behind her son’s marriage to Ivy Thompson?
She looked at Jeremy and asked softly, “What is really going on?”
Jeremy’s heart clenched as he spoke to his mother, “Mom, let’s go home. I will explain everything about Ivy and me to you.”
“Alright.” Jeremy’s mother sighed and glanced at Zachary Jenkins again, her face somewhat awkward.
The Jenkins family’s status in Capital City was not low. If they were to really clash, no one would benefit.
After Jeremy and his family left, Molly immediately put some distance between her and Michael Gallagher.
However, it seemed Michael Gallagher was deliberately opposing her – when she took one step back, he moved one step closer.
His face gradually approached her, taking in her shortening breaths, his gaze deep like a hunter’s, watching her face turn red and flushed, becoming more shy and captivating.
“Your engagement with Jeremy Norman is fake.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
Molly’s breath hitched, feeling sudden pressure on her heart.
Michael Gallagher smiled at the woman in front of him, the laughter reaching his eyes.
He reached out his hand and patted her back reassuringly, “Ivy Thompson, I will marry you.”
Molly abruptly looked up and saw a man’s eyes filled with galaxies, along with obsession and affection.
“Marry me?” She raised a cold smile, her beautiful eyes showing her resolve. For a moment, the ice in her eyes wavered before returning to tranquility. “Under the name Michael Gallagher or Zachary Jenkins?”
In an instant, the atmosphere grew oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
Michael Gallagher’s pupils deepened, and he remained silent for a long time.
The subtle emotions flowed between the two of them.
After a while, Michael Gallagher finally spoke up, his voice gentle and indifferent: “Zachary Jenkins.”
Michael Gallagher had already “died”, leaving only the identity of Zachary Jenkins as the most appropriate.
Since she had already recognized him, there was no need for him to continue wearing the mask.
Michael Gallagher raised an eyebrow, his hand moving to touch the mask, burning hot underneath.He had always thought that he hid himself well, never realizing that Molly had recognized him long ago. Thinking about his actions before, his cheeks reddened with embarrassment.
“When did you recognize me?” His voice was low and deep.
“A long time ago.” So early that she had recognized him when he first appeared as Zachary Jenkins, but she just wasn’t sure.
“I didn’t expect you to fake your death, let alone come back to life.” Thinking of his fake death, the anger in Molly’s heart flared up.
She had been heartbroken for him, crying her eyes out, and even fasting for a few days, nearly dying.
If it weren’t for the baby inside her, she might have lost her life from excessive grief.
As it turned out, he staged a fake death, and watched her make a fool of herself.
“Michael Gallagher, watching others suffer must be very enjoyable, right?”Molly’s voice was icy cold, and her tone was light and aloof. Her red lips curled into a mocking, beautiful smile.
Michael’s eyes darkened, his lips tightening. His voice, rarely ingratiating, implored her somewhat: “I had no choice. I didn’t intentionally deceive you.”
“Oh ” Molly nodded, the corners of her lips still curled in derision.
It wasn’t intentional, yet he wore a mask in front of her, and flirted with her under Zachary Jenkins’ identity, ruining her reputation.
What a great necessity it was.
“I’ve said all I have to say. Although I won’t marry Jeremy Norman, I won’t marry you either.”
She had had enough of the bitterness of marriage, and finally having broken free from her cage, she didn’t want to enter another marriage, especially one with Michael Gallagher.
As she turned to leave, Michael moved swiftly, blocking her path.
His chest was like a solid wall, and as her forehead collided with it, the softness was tempered by a hint of firmness; she had crashed directly into his chest muscles.
Molly froze.
Michael’s gentle voice rang out: “It was my fault before.”
“What about my grandmother?”
Molly looked up, her gaze piercing as she questioned: “When you protected Isabelle Richardson and hurt me, did you ever consider how I felt? My grandmother died, but you still protected her ”
Michael pressed his lips tight, his eyes darkening. “On the one hand, I did protect Isabelle Richardson for the sake of Noah Jenkins, but on the other hand, I did it to protect you. At that time, you had no one in your corner, and Samuel Richardson already harbored a murderous intent toward you.”
“I could protect you openly, but privately, with Samuel Richardson’s methods, it’s difficult to guard against.”
Molly’s breath hitched as she recalled how Samuel Richardson had kidnapped her.
If Isabelle hadn’t let her go in a moment of heated recklessness, she might have already lost her life.
At that time, she really had no one to rely on; she could even be seen as someone at the end of their resources. If she had died, not even her family would have sought justice from Samuel Richardson.
“You mean you were trying to protect me back then?” Molly’s emotions were swirling heavily.
Samuel Richardson was indeed a snob, and if it weren’t for her ties to the “W” organization and as the fourth daughter of the Thompson family, Samuel Richardson would never have given her the time of day.
Samuel Richardson had underworld connections, and his power in that realm was indeed nothing to scoff at.
Considering all the lives that Isabelle Richardson had reaped through Samuel Richardson, it would be easy for him to silence anyone he wanted dead.
What Michael said might very well be true.
Although she wasn’t afraid of Samuel Richardson given her status, at the time, in Michael’s eyes, she too had been a high-risk target without any resources.
“When our marriage was in trouble and my position in the Gallagher Group was precarious, you told me you were in love with someone else. I had no choice but to let go, thinking I could protect you for the rest of my life under the guise of family. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even see through my own feelings back then.” His voice trailed off, carrying a hint of casual disdain, and his velvety, seductive tones enraptured her, causing an itch in her eardrums and a warmth to her ear tips.
Molly’s heart raced, unable to be subdued.
“Even so I won’t forgive you.” She lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion, “My grandmother is dead, and she can’t come back.”
If it hadn’t been for him, her grandmother might not have died so soon.
“I’m sorry.” Michael bowed down, his voice full of pain. He took off his mask, revealing the familiar, handsome face.
Seeing this face, all the pent-up resentment and anxiety that Molly had borne for days instantly transformed into tears, streaming down her face.
Grief and sorrow swelled within her, her tears unstoppable as they slid down her cheeks like a merciless machine.
How could she not be grieved? She had thought he was dead.
But he was alive, which made her both happy and furious.
She was elated that he was still alive and enraged that he had deceived her once again, treating her like a fool.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Seeing her cry so desperately, Michael’s bloodshot eyes filled with panic as he softly caressed her face.
Witnessing her in such a state, his heart ached like it was being torn apart.
He had made a terrible mistake.