Edward\u2019s eyes looked like they were about to shoot fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No one had ever dared to speak to him like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick gripped his wrist and, with a slight exertion, broke free\u00a0<\/p>\n
from his grasp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He slowly adjusted his tie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou came from nothing, no family background, no\u00a0<\/p>\n
connections, yet you got Madeleine to willingly drain her\u00a0<\/p>\n
family\u2019s fortune to fund your startup and invest in you. Why?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Fiona. If I recall, she\u2019s helped you out quite a bit these past\u00a0<\/p>\n
two years, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fire in Edward\u2019s eyes blazed hotter, like a wild beast whose\u00a0<\/p>\n
tail had been stepped on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He threw off Roderick\u2019s hand as if it were something disgusting,\u00a0<\/p>\n
his voice rising with anger and insulted pride:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course they did it willingly. Madeleine was so in love with me back then, she would have done anything for me. I tried to\u00a0<\/p>\n
!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
refuse, but she was crazy, just throwing money at me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFiona\u2026 Fiona admired my skills and vision. She invested in me\u00a0<\/p>\n
because she believed in my future. What\u2019s the problem with\u00a0<\/p>\n
that?\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were willing to help me because I, Edward, am worth it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He panted heavily, his chest heaving, trying to shout down the\u00a0<\/p>\n
sliver of hollowness that Roderick\u2019s words had quietly created, a\u00a0<\/p>\n
feeling he refused to even examine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it a mistake to be outstanding?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is it a sin to attract investors and support?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, you\u2019re just jealous!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jealous of my luck, and jealous that I earned their complete\u00a0<\/p>\n
trust and support!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick watched him quietly as he frantically tried to defend\u00a0<\/p>\n
himself, the mockery in his eyes deepening, yet growing colder,\u00a0<\/p>\n
as if watching a clumsy one\u2013man show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Edward paused for a moment, Roderick finally spoke\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Help?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He repeated the two words, his tone as flat as if he were stating\u00a0<\/p>\n
an objective fact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Madeleine emptied her savings and even risked a rift\u00a0<\/p>\n
with her family, were you really one hundred percent sure that\u00a0<\/p>\n
your \u2018can\u2019t\u2013lose\u2018 project proposal was based on solid substance,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and not some\u2026 gut feeling or confidence that even you couldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
explain?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Fiona used her family\u2019s fund, going against everyone\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
advice to invest in you, did you really never once suspect that her extraordinary admiration and trust in you came a little too easily, even going against her usual shrewd investment\u00a0<\/p>\n
principles?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick took a step forward, his gaze pressing down on\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward like a physical weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the ones before that, Ellianna Dunlap, Mr. Sampson\u2026 the people who gave you chance after chance, gave you resources when you were nobody, did you really never think, why you?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why did all the \u2018good luck\u2018 land so precisely on you?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why would those powerful people, who\u2019ve seen it all, take such\u00a0<\/p>\n
an almost illogical special interest in a young man with no\u00a0<\/p>\n
connections?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s face went from a furious red to pale white, his lips\u00a0<\/p>\n
trembling slightly. He wanted to argue, but found his throat felt\u00a0<\/p>\n
as if it were blocked by something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re talking nonsense\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s voice had lost its earlier force, and even carried a\u00a0<\/p>\n
faint, imperceptible tremor. \u201cThat was all because\u2026 because\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m capable\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCapable?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick cut him off gently. The last word was so light it was\u00a0<\/p>\n
almost a sigh, yet it carried immense weight, shattering\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s final psychological defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk yourself, does it make sense that your capability earned\u00a0<\/p>\n
you all this in such a short time?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEdward, do you really think this is normal?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward stumbled back a step, his back hitting the cold marble\u00a0<\/p>\n
counter with a dull thud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t seem to feel the pain, just stared wide\u2013eyed at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick in disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No one had ever said these things to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No one had ever denied his achievements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the years, it wasn\u2019t that no one had gossiped, thinking he had climbed up by stepping on others\u2018 shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Edward had never thought there was anything wrong with\u00a0<\/p>\n
that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t being good at using resources also a sign of capability?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now, Roderick\u2019s words felt like a punch to the gut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUgh\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He let out a pained groan and couldn\u2019t hold himself up\u00a0<\/p>\n
anymore. His legs gave out, and he slid down along the counter\u00a0<\/p>\n
to the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He clutched his head, which felt like it was about to split open, his nails digging into his scalp. His body began to tremble\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 329\u00a0<\/p>\n
uncontrollably.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cold sweat instantly soaked the back of his shirt, and his\u00a0<\/p>\n
forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. His face was as\u00a0<\/p>\n
pale as paper, his lips drained of all color.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The immense shock and doubt, along with the sudden, intense\u00a0<\/p>\n
headache, were about to destroy his sanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He curled up on the cold floor, a complete mess, a far cry from\u00a0<\/p>\n
the confident and spirited man he had been in the salon just\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 329 Edward\u2019s eyes looked like they were about to shoot fire.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29626\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}