Keaton himself had once said it. He had claimed that Winona missing out on Callum was the biggest loss of her life.
He had even said that if Winona had married Callum instead of Zane, she would have been treated like an absolute princess.
The more Keaton thought about it, the tighter his chest became.
It wasn't quite a matter of betraying a friend, considering Winona and Callum had never actually dated. But he still felt a pang of guilt for falling for a woman his buddy had loved.
On top of that, Callum's reputation was infinitely better than his own playboy track record.
If the Newsom family had to choose, they would pick Callum in a heartbeat.
Who would ever choose a guy like him?
Sure, plenty of women threw themselves at him, but how many respectable women from good families would actually agree to marry him?
Anyone who did would become the laughingstock of their elite circle.
After all, he was known as a heartbreaker. A jerk.
Even if Winona had to choose for herself, she would probably go with Callum.
Callum was a director, which meant they shared the same industry and interests. More importantly, Callum had literally saved her life.
Keaton furrowed his brow, his heart sinking like a stone.
A sudden wave of regret washed over him. For the first time in his life, he truly wished he could take it all back. Why had he spent his younger years sleeping around?
Why hadn't he cared about his reputation?
He had carelessly trashed his own image.
A suffocating weight pressed down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Tarquin knew him too well and silently sighed.
Like Keaton, he had assumed Callum was dead.
Hearing the news of his survival today had initially sparked a rush of pure excitement. Having a good friend back from the dead was a miracle.
But after the initial relief wore off, Tarquin started worrying about Keaton.
This new development threw a massive wrench into Keaton's pursuit of Winona.
Tarquin tried to offer some comfort.
"Winona views Callum exactly the same way she views you. There is no romance there. It is strictly friendship."


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