Oops! I Married His Nemesis - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Jasper's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
Griffin and Finn exchanged nervous glances, both terrified I might announce I was choosing one of them over Jasper.
Being so openly despised by the three guys I'd grown up with cut deeper than any knife. I had to get out of there before the tears started falling.
I turned to leave, but Doria grabbed my wrist.
Her eyes welled up as she dropped to her knees—again—pleading, "Please don't punish Jasper for this. The three of them were taken in by your family—they're already treated like second-class citizens here. If you're angry because they showed me Celestial Depths and want to tattle to your father, I'll apologize properly."
Then she started slamming her forehead against the floor in a sickening rhythm until her skin split, blood trickling down.
Jasper yanked her up gently before rounding on me, fury blazing in his eyes. "You say you won't marry me? Then prove it. Using this twisted power play to hurt Doria is pathetic. You're just looking for an excuse to run to Daddy and get her kicked out, aren't you?"
I met his glare with icy calm. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But rest assured—I will never choose you as my husband."
I thought that would shut him up. Instead, Jasper grabbed my wrist, his grip bruising. "If not me, then who? Finn? Griffin? Griffin wants to study art abroad. Finn craves freedom. Ruining my life isn't enough—you have to destroy theirs too?"
He took a deep breath, his voice dropping to something almost reasonable. "Look. If you promise to leave Doria alone from now on, I'll marry you. Can we just end this drama?"
His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, like I'd been torturing him for years.
I held his gaze. "Everything will work out exactly as you want."
He was terrified I'd hurt Doria—and the thought of being shackled to me made him sick.
But once I married Hextor, all of Jasper's problems would vanish.
I kept my distance from him until my birthday gala. When he finally showed up, his expression looked like he'd bitten into a lemon. Finn and Griffin lurked behind him, both coiled tight, ready for a fight.
I shot my assistant a sharp look—I'd specifically told her not to invite them. She frantically shook her head, silently mouthing, They crashed.
I sighed and decided to play it cool.
The guests, however, fell over themselves fawning over the trio.
"Jasper, my man! That deal you closed last month must've pulled in seven figures easy! No wonder Charlotte's got her heart set on you."
That was my deal. Jasper had just shown up to sign his name.
"Griffin, sure you've got a temper, but you stand up for what's right. Miss Montclair would be safe with you looking out for her."
I nearly laughed. Griffin tormented me more than anyone, staring at me like I was something he wanted to scrape off his shoe.
"Finn, quite the catch yourself! Charlotte could do worse. Just remember us little people when you're running the show."
The three of them worked the room like celebrities at their own damn event.
I was seconds from shutting this circus down when they all checked their phones in eerie unison.
Before I could blink, Griffin stormed over and slapped me—hard.
The impact sent me stumbling back, my head spinning.
The room froze. Guests suddenly found their champagne glasses fascinating.
Jasper grabbed Griffin's arm before he could strike again, teeth clenched. "We're already lined up like products at a freaking auction for you to pick from. What more do you want? Are you trying to push Doria over the edge?"
I stared at him, completely lost. Finn rolled his eyes in disgust.
"You had someone grab Doria while we weren't around to protect her. Let me make this crystal clear—you're not getting away with this."
And just like that, I knew. Doria had pulled another one of her victim stunts.
Not a single person in that room—my father's friends, his business partners—stepped in to defend me.
A cold realization settled in. They must all be betting the Montclair fortune wouldn't end up in my hands. Otherwise, why risk pissing off the future CEO?
I touched my stinging cheek, my gaze locking onto Griffin. "Apologize. Now."