Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Evelyn pulled on a shawl and pushed open the door.
Take me to him.”
At the steps of the Langford estate, Adrian Whitmore stood waiting.
His white shirt was soaked with blood and dirt. The man once so cold and composed now looked disheveled, his eyes hollow with fatigue
When he saw me, something flickered in his gaze.
Then he stepped forward–and dropped to one knee.
“I beg you,” he said, voice hoarse. “Give the capsule to Lillian.”
I looked down at him, my tone calm. “That’s the only emergency medication I have. If I give it to her… what happens when I need it?”
Adrian looked up, his voice trembling. “I’ll protect you. From now on, whatever happens–I’ll be there.”
I laughed. Quiet. Cold.“Like how you protected me a few days ago?”
His face twitched. “That day… she fell. I couldn’t just leave her there…”
I cut him off. “I’ll give you the pill. But under three conditions.”
“Name them.”
“One: you kneel here. All night.”
He hesitated–but said nothing.
“Two: you must attend my wedding. Be present when I announce who I’m marrying. No excuses.”
He nodded tightly.
“And three…”
“When you’ve done the first two, I’ll tell you the last.”
I turned and walked away, never looking back.
I didn’t think he’d actually do it. Adrian Whitmore, proud and aloof, kneeling at the Langford gates through the night, in full view of the family and the press? Unthinkable.
But then–thud.
I turned.
He was kneeling.
Back straight, face blank, snow beginning to fall around him.
My chest clenched.
So this was how far he’d go–for Lillian?
One day, when he finds out who really made his heart flutter… it’ll be too late.
That night, snow fell thick and silent.
And he knelt there. The entire night.,
When I opened the window at dawn, it was still snowing. His shoulders were covered in white.
Faked His Death. Married His Enemy. Now He’s Begging
Chapter
His face was pale. Lips neatly colorless.
I tossed him the Langford emergency capsule—the only one in the world,
“On the day of the wedding.” he paused and whispered, “I’ll be there.”
I was slightly stunned, and then I realized his misunderstanding. He thought I had asked him to be there to marry me?
How ridiculous.
He didn’t know… I wanted him there so he could watch me marry someone else.
After Adrian left, Amy told me Lillian had survived.
Adrian never left her side for a full 24 hours.
I felt nothing.
スライド
The night before the wedding, I was trying on my dress when a soft noise came from the window.
“Who’s there?”
A figure climbed through–it was Blake Hawthorne.
He held an old denim satchel and grinned like a rogue.
“Wedding gift.”
“You’re giving it now?” I raised an eyebrow. “The ceremony’s tomorrow.”
He shrugged. “Might not be there. Plans change.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You wouldn’t dare miss it.”
He stepped closer, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.
”
“You really want me there? Just so I can watch you marry someone else?”
I blinked.
But before I could speak, he stepped back, smirk back in place.
“Of course, if you don’t mind me turning the wedding into a disaster, I could show up.”
Then he vaulted back out the window and disappeared into the night.
I opened the bag.
Inside was a tiny glass jar filled with smooth stones and an old photo.
We were just teenagers–me sitting on a seaside rock, Blake pretending to stare at the sky while sneakily watching me.
A note stuck to the jar:
[Santa Barbara shoreline. You loved the quiet there. I remember.]
I did love the sea.
But because Adrian hated the damp ocean air, I hadn’t gone back in years.
Turns out, someone else remembered. Always had.
He’s Rogging
Chapter 7
The wedding day arrived.
Camera crews. Dignitaries. Billionaires. Social elites.
The red carpet was packed. Murmurs buzzed:
“Of course she’s marrying Adrian Whitmore. She’s followed him since childhood.”
“Right? Who else could it be? Everyone knows she’s loved him forever.”
The Langford chairman stood proudly onstage, his expression unreadable.
Adrian. Blake. Zone. Julian. All stood in the audience.
I stepped up to the stage, took the mic from my father, and said: “I’d like to read this myself.”
My gaze swept the crowd.
Zone and Julian looked relaxed–they clearly knew they were never contenders.
Lillian stood in the crowd, eyes bloodshot, glaring daggers at me.
Adrian bowed his head, fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white.
And Blake…
He leaned against a pillar at the back, arms crossed, smirk half in place–but his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.
I unfolded the document and read, voice steady and clear:
“By joint decision of the Langford Board and myself, I now formally announce-
I, Evelyn Langford, will enter a marriage contract with Blake Hawthorne. The ceremony begins now.”
The room exploded.
Gasps. Whispers. Chaos.
Adrian snapped his head up, stunned, shocked, shattered.
His eyes locked on mine, disbelief written across every inch of his face.
Blake’s smile froze. The wine glass in his hand slipped-
Crash.
I looked at him–speechless, dazed–and I smiled.
“Come to me, Blake,” I said softly.
“My groom.”
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