Chapter 311
Hadley wasn’t the kind of person who accepted someone’s help only to turn around and blame them for it. That wasn’t who she was. She shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I’m not mad. I just…”
How was she supposed to explain something she barely understood herself?
“It’s alright.” Denver caught the hesitation in her voice but didn’t push. Instead, he added softly and with rare honesty, “I won’t pretend I did it just for you. I had my own reasons, too.”
Hadley blinked, momentarily thrown by his candor.
“Denver…” Her voice softened, almost hesitant. “I told you before… we’re not right for each other.”
“I remember you said that.” He spoke with a small smile, but there was curiosity in his eyes. “What I don’t understand is—why, exactly, are we not right for each other?” Wasn’t it obvious?
Hadley knew the answer all too well. Her tangled past. The weight of her mistakes. A failed marriage that still cast shadows. No powerful last name to protect her…
She looked away, but Denver had already read the thoughts flickering across her face. “Hadley, have you ever heard of Marcus Jordan?” The name snapped her back to reality. Marcus Jordan.
Of course, she had. The son of basketball legend Michael Jordan—his name alone carried weight.
And in an instant, she understood exactly why Denver had brought him up. Because Marcus had fallen for Larsa Pippen. His father’s friend’s ex-wife. A woman sixteen years older, divorced, and a mother of four.
Their relationship had been a media wildfire when it surfaced—tabloids, speculation, endless chatter. Even now, people still whispered about them, as if love needed permission.
Denver’s smile was easy, unshaken. “Look at Marcus and Larsa. They didn’t let the idea of being a ‘perfect match’ dictate their choices. So why should we?”
Hadley opened her mouth, but the words tangled before they could form.
“Hadley,” Denver continued, his voice steady yet warm. “Whether two people ‘fit’ isn’t what determines if they should be together. What really matters is whether they love each other.”
She barely had time to process that before he pressed on. “I know this is one-sided right now. You don’t feel the same way, and that’s fine.” His tone was calm, free of expectation or demand. “But just so you know—I helped you tonight because I wanted to. Not because I expect anything in return. I’d never twist it into some kind of bargaining chip.”
Because if he did… wouldn’t that make him no different from Eric?
Denver let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn’t usually one for long speeches, but this one? He meant every word.
“You need my help, Hadley, and I’m happy to help you. Don’t push it away just because of my feelings for you.”
Hadley hesitated. He was so frustratingly clear-headed, so reckless in his sincerity.
But she had to make him understand.
“I know this makes me sound cruel, but I’m not Larsa. And this?” Her voice was quieter now, more measured. “This isn’t some grand, romantic story. Any effort you put into me will go nowhere.”