The Ruthless CEO's Revenge Wife
Chapter 38: Forced Apology

Chapter 38: Forced Apology

Logan jolted awake, gasping.

The fire was still burning low. Jean was sleeping, her back to him. The forest was quiet... safe for now.

His chest heaved with each breath as he sat up, running a hand over his face slick with sweat. He looked down at his arms, now toned and lean. He wasn’t that boy anymore.

But the pain hadn’t left.

He turned his gaze to Jean. She looked peaceful. Nothing like the girl in his dream. Yet, that silent version of her from the past... still haunted him.

He clenched his fists, jaw tight. Why does she still matter so much to me?

He laid back down beside her carefully, eyes open to the dark sky above the leaves. No matter how far he’d come, that broken boy still whispered in the corners of his mind.

The sky slowly began to warm with shades of orange and rose, but Logan had been up long before the first hint of light. He hadn’t been able to sleep much after the dream. His mind wouldn’t stop replaying the past, over and over again... the sting of that day, her expression, her words.

"You? No. Never."

His heart twisted as he remembered the way Jean had looked at him then... like his very presence was offensive. As if she had to suppress a grimace.

She didn’t say it outright, but the revulsion in her eyes had spoken louder than any words. And the aftermath... the laughter in the halls, the whispers behind his back, the betrayal of hope... was a scar he had buried deep beneath ambition and transformation.

But being stranded here with her, in such close proximity, had begun to peel away all those layers.

He couldn’t breathe next to her anymore. Not when he could still feel the weight of that humiliation pressed against his ribs.

So, he left the shelter before dawn.

The low stream he’d visited before was still. His reflection stared back at him... sharper now, stronger, but still haunted. He focused his energy on catching fish. A distraction. Something useful.

By the time Jean stirred, the smell of fresh, sizzling fish filled the air.

She rubbed her eyes, blinking as she sat up. "Mmm... Is that fish?"

No reply.

She turned her head, seeing Logan crouched by the fire, poking at a makeshift flat stone grill. Two fish crackled on top, releasing mouthwatering steam.

She stood up, surprised. "You caught those? That’s impressive." She tried a small smile. "Good morning, by the way."

Still nothing.

Logan didn’t look at her. His jaw was clenched, eyes focused on the fire.

Jean’s brows furrowed. "Logan?" she said softly, stepping closer.

"Eat before it gets cold," he said without looking up, his voice even but distant.

The warmth in her chest dulled a little. Something was off. She could feel it. The easy banter from the previous nights was gone... like a wall had quietly slipped between them during the night.

She sat down beside him, slower now. "Did something happen?"

He didn’t answer right away. Just flipped the fish with a carved stick, eyes trained on the flames as if they might offer him answers.

Jean watched him quietly for a moment, then reached out to take one of the fish. Her fingers brushed his, and he flinched ever so slightly, pulling his hand back.

She blinked. "Logan?"

Still nothing.

He stood, brushing off his hands. "I’ll check the traps later."

And with that, he walked into the forest, leaving Jean with a strange ache tightening in her chest... and no idea what had changed overnight.

Jean stared into the fire, the sky darkened, reminding it is already set for the night. The silence between them is heavier than the night air. She finally dared to ask, "Why have you been avoiding me all day?"

Logan didn’t reply at first.

But Jean nudged him, "come on Kingsley, say it!"

Then, without looking at her, he said in a low voice, "I remembered something. During the University. The day I asked you out."

Jean’s chest tightened.

"I still remember the exact words. You looked at me and said, ’You disgust me. Get lost.’" Logan chuckled bitterly. "You didn’t just reject me, Jean. You made sure everyone laughed while doing it."

Jean’s eyes flickered, but she didn’t speak. She couldn’t.

Logan turned to her now. "And you know what? That thing still hasn’t changed, has it Jean? After everything we went through?"

Jean stiffened. But then she can’t hide the reality from him, "don’t get me wrong Logan, you still disgust me."

But so does every man on this earth.

"I shouldn’t have jumped after you in the ocean," he added coldly. "I wish I hadn’t."

That hurt. Deeper than she could explain. "Yes Logan, why did you? For your kind information, you could be doing me a favour by not saving me!"

Jean had never known kindness from a man except from Logan. And hearing those words from him, after everything they’d endured together, cracked something inside her.

"You think just because you saved me, I’ll fall at your feet? That I’ll finally let you have a piece of me?" Her voice trembled slightly.

Logan snapped, coming closer in a flash and grabbing her arms, firm but not painful. "You think I did this just to get in your pants?"

Jean stared at him, heart pounding. "All men do. You’re not different."

That was the last straw.

"No," Logan growled, his grip tightening just slightly. "I’m not letting this go anymore. You owe me an apology, Jean. Not because I’m desperate for it but because you humiliated me that day. Because I didn’t deserve it."

Jean’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Her eyes burned, not from anger, but from the emotions she couldn’t show from the pain she couldn’t explain.

And still, she said nothing.

Jean tried to pull away, but Logan didn’t let go. His eyes were blazing now, unrelenting.

"You’re not walking away from this, Jean," he growled. "Not this time."

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, struggling against him.

"I want to hear it," he snapped. "I want to hear the apology you owe me. For what you said. For how you treated me. For laughing at me in front of everyone."

Jean’s voice shook. "Let me go..."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.