Chapter 16 Sophia stared at the blue velvet jewelry box on the coffee table , her face twisted with rage . ] Inside lay a diamond necklace sparkling coldly under the lights . This was Jaxon's birthday gift to her . [ ] " That's IT ? " She looked up in disbelief , screaming , " Last year you threw me a yacht party with a huge fireworks show , and this year it's just a necklace ?! " ] Jaxon lounged on the couch , responding carelessly : " I've been swamped with school lately . Didn't have time to plan all that stuff . " " Swamped ? " Sophia laughed bitterly , " Swamped thinking about Riley , you mean ? " ] Jaxon's face instantly darkened . For the past two weeks , Sophia had been throwing bigger and bigger tantrums , and every fight somehow dragged Riley into it . ] He stood up , clearly annoyed : " Gift's delivered . I've got stuff to do . " ] " DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ! " Sophia grabbed the jewelry box and hurled it at the wall . The diamond necklace crashed to the floor . " Are you having second thoughts ? Regretting dumping that bookworm ? " Jaxon stopped in his tracks . ] " Let me tell you something - she's doing just FINE with that Harvard nerd now ! " Sophia whipped out her phone , showing him photos that were trending on Harvard's forum , " Look at them all lovey - dovey ! She's completely forgotten about you ! " ] " ENOUGH ! " Jaxon snatched the phone and smashed it to the ground , the screen shattering instantly , " Sophia , we're DONE . " |] ] He turned and walked out , leaving behind Sophia's hysterical screaming and the sound of breaking china . ] ] At the bar , Derek poured Jaxon a drink : " Finally dumped her ? " [ ] Jaxon downed it in one gulp without answering . ] " About time . I'm exhausted just watching you deal with her drama , " Derek shook his head , " Sophia used to be pretty sweet , but damn … what happened to her ? " He sighed and continued : " Remember Riley's birthday last year ? You just gave her a box of chocolates , and she was over the moon - posted about it three times on Instagram . " Jaxon froze , his heart going cold . [ ] Of course he remembered … ]] Riley had worn that silly birthday hat , clutching those cheap chocolates and grinning from ear to ear , even sneakily feeding him the first piece . ] Bed Warner ? Harvard Goddess ! His Pleasure My Payback ! Chapter 16 " She never asked for gifts, " Derek said thoughtfully , " Remember that time you tried to give her a necklace ? She refused to take it no matter what . You had to basically force it on her . " [ ] The glass in Jaxon's hand made an ominous cracking sound . [ ] He suddenly realized - Riley had never demanded anything from him , but the more he gave Sophia , the greedier she became . ] " Why do you think … " Jaxon's voice was hoarse , " she didn't want it ? " [ ] Derek shrugged : " Probably thought she wasn't worth it . Girls like her always think they're not good enough . " [ ] Those words hit Jaxon like a dull blade straight to the heart . [ ] He thought about Riley's constant careful behavior , her resigned expression when bullied , her silent preparation of late - night snacks even after he'd ignored her … ] Jaxon didn't say another word . He just silently covered his face and let out a deep sigh . [ ] Meanwhile , Riley was in the library cramming when she opened her phone to see over a dozen missed calls from her dad . ] ] Her hands trembled slightly as she called back . Her father's voice was choked with tears : " Your mom's condition flared up again … it's pretty bad this time … " [] " You okay ? " A tissue appeared in front of her . Riley looked up to see Ethan's concerned gaze . A Only then did she realize tears were streaming down her face . ] " My mom's in the hospital , " she said through her sobs , " I need to go back . " [ ] Ethan didn't ask any questions , just nodded gently : " I'll come with you . "