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Seeing the affectionate scene between the two in front of her, my aunt’s face was filled with satisfaction. After dinner, she and William retired to the study. t was half an hour later that he finally emerged, bidding me farewell as he left for home. I quickly got up to see him out. Even though it was our first meeting, I felt a pang of reluctance. But I hesitated to speak, afraid that William might think I was one of those girls who
lacked restraint.
William noticed my hesitation. He chuckled softly, pulling me into his embrace and gently rubbing my hand.
“See you tomorrow.”
My eyes lit up, and I looked up at him in surprise. The amusement in his gaze was even more pronounced as he hugged me again before bending down to get into his car. It wasn’t until his vehicle was completely shut off by the heavy gates that I reluctantly turned back to the villa.
Outside the estate, William spotted the black Maybach tucked away in the corner. The tinted windows obscured the occupants, but he didn’t care. He calmly rotated the prayer beads on his wrist.
“It’s best not to be too idle.”
Over the next month, William and I grew closer. Meanwhile, Julian, summoned back to the States by a flurry of urgent calls, was overwhelmed with problems. Even though Olivia was already in prison, the Reed family still made frequent visits to stir up trouble at the Parker household. Having always lived a life of luxury, Julian’s mother was unprepared for such chaos and was driven to the hospital by the stress caused by the Reed
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family. Julian’s father, on his way to work, was also ambushed by the Wen family, resulting in a car crash that landed him in
the ICU.
With all these major events unfolding, the Parker family’s stock began to plummet. One problem after another left Julian overwhelmed, and by the time he finally returned to England after sorting everything out, he was hit with another shocking revelation. I was engaged!
The exquisitely decorated engagement invitation was gripped tightly in Julian’s large hand, crumpling the paper instantly. The crystals adorning the invite fell away, the sharp edges cutting into his palm, blood seeping out and staining the pristine invitation. But he seemed oblivious to the pain, crumpling the invitation into a ball.
Impossible!
I had loved him fiercely, declaring I would marry no one but
him. How could I be engaged to someone else?
It was as if a cherished possession had been stolen. Anger and anguish warred within him. He closed his eyes, and after a long pause, instructed the driver to turn around and head to my
engagement venue.
The grand estate was divided into two levels. The upper level
hosted the closest relatives of both families, while the lower level catered to their business partners. Ironically, Julian
couldn’t even access the lower level.
The imposing aura of the man made the attendant tremble, but he stood his ground.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Parker, the hosts explicitly stated you weren’t to
be admitted.”
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Julian stared at him, a self–deprecating smile playing on his
lips.
“Ha.”
In the midst of the heavy snowfall, Julian stood there in his thin coat, looking up at the grand floor–to–ceiling windows on the second floor. Under the glittering lights, I, in a white gown, danced with William. My light steps revealed my joyful heart. As the dance concluded, we shared a passionate kiss beneath a sky full of fireworks.
The scene pierced Julian’s heart. Even though I’d repeatedly said I no longer loved him, he refused to believe it. Since he’d taken me in at six years old, my eyes had only been on him. He knew this, but in his heart, he only had Olivia, so he never took my feelings seriously.
Now, his indifference had driven me to accept another man’s proposal. Only now did he realize he was in love with me.
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