Love's Second Chance novel Chapter 10

Without a word, Jonathan swung a fist at Hayden's face. The punch made Hayden stagger back as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Zara was stunned for a moment, and her heart raced. She immediately rushed over to hold Hayden. Then, she turned to the furious Jonathan and shouted, "What do you think you're doing, Jonathan?"

But Jonathan was lost in his own world and couldn't snap out of it. The more Zara spoke, the more agitated he became.

Harper, who was standing at the doorway, watched the whole assault in shock. She didn't think that Jonathan would hit Hayden. She stood there, unsure of what she could do.

Upon seeing that Jonathan wasn't listening to her, Zara glanced at Harper, who was still standing in the doorway. She shouted, "Harper! Go get security to pull him away!"

Harper hesitated for a long moment, shaking like a leaf. Finally, she glanced at the injured Hayden before dashing out.

Jonathan felt his blood boiling. The thought that Hayden and Harper had ruined his eight-year relationship with Zara fueled his desire for revenge. His hands clenched into fists, causing his knuckles to crack menacingly.

As Jonathan closed in on them, Zara tried to shield Hayden. Hayden held Zara and took blow after blow on his back. The sound of bones breaking seemed almost audible.

From under Hayden, Zara could feel the force behind Jonathan's punches. Even though Hayden could barely bear the pain, he still protected her without letting go. Zara kept pleading with Jonathan to stop.

"If you keep hitting him, I'll never forgive you!" she cried out.

These words seemed to calm Jonathan down a bit, giving them a brief moment to communicate. Seizing this chance, Zara moved Hayden off of her and faced Jonathan.

Her words echoed in Jonathan's mind, "If you keep hitting him, I'll never forgive you!"

"I'll never forgive you!"

His face contorted in anger, and he spat out, "Zar, are you serious about refusing to forgive me because of this man?"

If Zara hadn't been afraid her words would provoke Jonathan further, she would have spoken her mind. She wanted Jonathan to see what he had become. How could he still think he had the right to judge others?

She thought that if Jonathan kept this up, his life would be ruined.

Zara said, "Jonathan, whatever issues we're having—it's all between us. They have nothing to do with Harper or Hayden. Think about it. When you were with Harper, doing things for her while abandoning me, did you ever think about how hurt I would be?

"Did you ever think about how I'd feel? I've been with you for eight whole years, and yet I'm no match for a young woman who's only been in your life for a few months."

Jonathan seemed moved by her words. His eyes no longer looked as crazed and bloodthirsty.

He started explaining himself, "Zar, Harper just happened to remind me of how you were eight years ago. I felt like I was seeing the Zara I fell for again. I must have lost my mind! Really, I thought I was with you. I thought that it was you I was spending time with."

Zara realized now that Jonathan had lost his rationality. Harper was Harper, and Zara was Zara. No matter how much they might seem alike at times, that was just an excuse on Jonathan's part. Nevertheless, she had to keep him calm until Harper returned with security.

"Jonathan, I have a question for you," she said.

Jonathan nodded frantically and looked at Zara with anticipation. "What is it, Zar? As long as you forgive me, I'll tell you anything."

Zara lowered her gaze and sneaked a glance at Hayden, who was leaning against the wall in pain but still conscious. "Why didn't you agree to marry me? I proposed to you three times. Why didn't you accept even once?"

Jonathan was silent for a long time. Then, he slowly lowered his hands. "I don't know. I just felt confused at that time. I didn't know how we would get along after marriage, nor did I know how to take care of you. And having kids… I wasn't ready for that."

Zara stared at Jonathan. "Then, why did you lie to me and say that you were a misogamist? Why didn't you tell me you weren't ready? I would have understood that. But when you said you were against marriage—it sounded like you were stringing me along all this time."

Jonathan started to panic. He grabbed Zara's hand and said earnestly, "Zar, let's start over. I can't lose you. We can get married right away. We can have kids. As long as you come back to me, I'll do anything."