Blayne looked down at Terri with a threatening gaze, towering over her.
Because of her movements, it now felt like he was holding her soft, delicate body in his arms.
With such a fragrant, tender warmth so close, Blayne suddenly realized his body was reacting on its own.
His grip tensed for a moment. Terri, feeling the discomfort, took the chance to turn her head and pry his hand away.
As her warmth left him, Blayne was momentarily, instinctively reluctant to let go.
But this wasn’t concern nor was it love. The possessiveness in his words was nothing more than a matter of pride and control.
She didn’t know if he had come to confront her because of some baseless rumors or if Valerie had told him something.
Her eyes were slightly red, but she forced herself to swallow the pain cutting through her chest and replied indifferently, “You’re overthinking it.”
The place where Terri lived was remote, so there was no way Blayne had come all this way just to exchange a few harsh words with her.
Of course, she wouldn’t be conceited enough to think it was because of her, either.
Sure enough, Blayne took another look at her face—one that bore some resemblance to Valerie.
He let out a cold chuckle before turning to leave.
Terri’s throat tightened as she remembered what was hidden under her blanket.
“Tomorrow, your Grandma is sending someone to examine my purity. What am I supposed to say then?”
Before leaving, the old lady had given Terri a cold warning.
“Don’t try to fool me with any tricks. I despise liars the most.”
Blayne paused. He had almost forgotten about that.
Demetria, his grandmother, was born into a prestigious Victorian-era aristocratic family and continued to uphold the feudal rules of the past.
It had been three days since the engagement. Though they weren’t married yet, Terri was already expected to fulfill wife’s duties. Tomorrow, they will come to collect the Cathedral-length wedding veil.
But Blayne didn’t care for her, much less wanted to touch her. From the moment their engagement party ended, he had completely disappeared.
She couldn’t afford to offend the old lady. Terri had no choice but to find a way to deal with it herself.
Blayne didn’t respond. Instead, he suddenly turned back and scooped her up in his arms.
The abrupt sensation of weightlessness made her chest tighten, her heart pounding wildly. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Because of her background, Terri had never truly belonged—neither in the Dartons nor in the Holzmans.
And Blayne was her only possible refuge.
At that moment, a tiny, foolish hope quietly rose in her chest.
If he was willing to touch her, did it mean she held even the slightest place in his heart?
She clutched his collar tightly and caught a faint whiff of roses.
It was the same scent her sister always wore.
A sharp, trembling pain rippled through her heart, but her face remained expressionless.
She was used to it.
Blayne placed her onto the bed and reached up to unbutton his suit.
Terri clutched the blanket tightly, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes.
Sensing her gaze, Blayne glanced up, revealing his strikingly handsome face.
But there was only mockery in his expression.
“Come on, Terri, don’t get delusional.”
Meeting her startled eyes, he reached for the scissors on the table.
Grabbing the white silk cloth from beneath the blanket, he made a swift cut across his arm.
The wound was on his forearm—somewhere discreet, unlikely to raise suspicion.
Blayne put his clothes back on and left without looking back, his expression calm, distant, and laced with unmistakable disgust.
“It’s done. Make sure it looks convincing. Don’t cause trouble for me and Vee.”
Terri listened in silence.
At the doorway, he paused for a moment.
“You’ll be attending the party tomorrow. Don’t forget. In front of others, act properly. Do what you’re supposed to do.”
Terri stood still for a long while before stepping barefoot into the bathroom.
She took out everything she had bought from the family planning store, shredded them into pieces, and tossed them into the trash.
