That same night, Maynard dragged himself to a high-end nightclub to drink his sorrow away. shy as always, he rented the entire ce all for himself.


    Maynard was sitting on the bar counter pouring himself some whiskey when someone sat down on the stool beside him. Conrad nced at the empty bottles on the counter and then shifted his eyes to Maynard.


    "You came," Maynard spoke, putting down the bottle near Conrad''s. "I drank a little bit. So, I can''t pour you some."


    Conrad kept his stern expression as he assessed Maynard. Without a word, he reached for the empty ss nearby. There was no bartender to serve them drinks. Actually, there was no one around aside from the two of them.


    As Conrad poured himself a ss, he stopped at what Maynard suddenly said.


    "Can you be raped when you''re a man?"


    Conrad slowly turned his head to Conrad, only to see Maynard smirk. Thetter then chugged the whiskey and hissed in satisfaction.


    "Did anything happen?" Conrad didn''t beat around the bush as always. His rtionship with Maynard had been strained because of how Maynard handled things recently, but Conrad couldn''t just throw away the years they were together.


    "Did anything happen?" Maynard let out a dryugh, casting Conrad a quick look. "There''s never a single day that nothing happens in the Quinn. We like drama, after all."


    Conrad opened his lips but decided to shut them again. He then continued to pour himself a ss. Whatever family drama Maynard had, Conrad believed he had no right to pry. If Maynard wanted to tell him, he would''ve started talking the moment Conrad arrived.


    "Why did you ask?" Conrad inquired, guiding the ss to his lips, eyes on the corner. "Rape can happen to everyone — even to animals."


    "Nothing." Maynard shrugged. "It''s just this movie I watched, you know. This guy was drugged by this vicious woman, and then that same woman forced herself on him."


    Maynard paused as he reached for the bottle to refill his ss. "She got pregnant, by the way. She had things her way and tied him in a marriage."


    "I see…"


    "But damn…" Maynard let out a ridiculing chuckle as pain ovepped with his smile. "That movie is so fucked up. I was so fucking bored I watched something like that."


    "I mean, this guy, you see, is born into a wealthy family. Yes, he was arrogant and spoiled, growing up. But he changed because of this girl. He thought he could give up anything for her, but his family just wouldn''t leave him alone or stop harassing him. So he decided to return to his family and leave his woman," he continued, summarizing this sick ''movie'' he was talking about. "He asked her to wait for one year. He didn''t want to give any promises because he didn''t want to hurt her. One year is all he asked."


    "If he seeded in gaining control of his family in one year, he would go back to her and fulfill his promises. But if he didn''t, then that means he only has to ept that he doesn''t deserve her, right?" he added, facing Conrad squarely. "But you know, this woman… she couldn''t wait to rece him. Only four months since they broke up, she got pregnant by someone else. Can you believe that?"


    Conrad swallowed down the whiskey, but his expression didn''t change.


    "He left," said Conrad calmly, setting his eyes back to Maynard. "Since he left and broke up with her, he no longer had any right to meddle with her life. Whether she waited for him or weed another man in her life, that''s no longer your business."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "But —"


    "You were weak, Maynard, and I''ve said this many times." Conrad cut him off sternly. "Even back when we were in high school. I told you to start gaining support and influence, but you didn''t listen. You know the life you''re about to take, but you disregarded it. This is the consequence of your past actions."


    "Life… doesn''t always go our way. People would still function with or without you, and this world would continue to revolve with or without your permission," Conrad added. "Let her go and let her be happy without you. Holding on to her is not only selfish, but you''re hurting not just yourself but the people around you as well."


    Maynard let out a shortugh, in disbelief at Conrad''s bluntness. However, he couldn''t refute that because Conrad may be harsh, but he never said a lie.


    Let her go.


    Just how easy for Conrad to say that.


    "Do you think…" Maynard peeled his eyes away from Conrad, gazing at the ss before him. "... it''s that easy?"


    "I never said it was."


    "I can''t."


    "She''s pregnant, and that means she''s started building a family." Conrad stuck to his argument coldly. "Holding on to someone who had clearly moved on will just destroy you."


    "I can''t." Maynard shook his head, only to hear another stern reply from Conrad.


    "You should."


    Of course, Maynard knew he should let her go, but he just couldn''t. He had kept silent all this time, over-working himself just to gain more and more power over the Quinn Family so he coulde back to Ste. Just the thought that that goal had gone down the drain tore his heart into many pieces.


    What would be his goal now?


    To live just the way it was? With his rapist? That woman who took advantage of him while he was in his most vulnerable state?


    "Don''t bother Ro with this." Conrad rubbed his index on the ss before drinking it. "He is busy and knowing him, he would drop everything to help in any way he could."


    Maynard couldn''t help but chuckle at Conrad''s remarks. "Don''t worry. I don''t n on telling him anything." — Ro already knew, after all.


    Until now, Maynard was unsure why he didn''t tell Conrad about the person who got Ste pregnant. Maynard only realized the reason when the pain that didn''t heal drove him to madness, ruining everyone''s life just to quench it.