When I finally reached home and pushed the door open, the sound of Adeline’s sobs filled the living room. She sat on the sofa, trembling as she cried in Brian’s arms.
"Brian, I don’t want to go through with the arranged marriage. I don’t want to marry that lunatic. He’s cruel and brutal. The women from previous arranged marriages … they all died! Why does it have to be me and not Lilian?"
Brian stroked her back gently. His voice was soothing and tender as he said, "Don’t worry. With me here, no one will dare force you. It doesn’t matter who has to go through with the arranged marriage. It won’t be you."
My parents immediately chimed in, their voices full of reassurance as they said, "Don’t worry, sweetheart. We would never agree to let you go. We’ll protect you."
I stood silently at the doorway. No one turned to look at me. Without a word, I walked straight to my room. The moment the door clicked shut, memories flooded my mind like a relentless tide.
I remembered the time I casually mentioned wanting to see the sunrise. That very night, Brian chartered a private jet to fly me to a remote island. He even built a special observation deck so I could watch the sunrise in comfort.
Just to make me smile, he spent hundreds of millions creating a paradise for me. He took me skiing in the Alps, chased the aurora by my side, cooked my favorite dishes again and again and traveled with me to the farthest corners of the world.
Brian documented every moment we spent together, as if each memory was a treasure. Back then, I truly believed he was my one and only. But now I understood that he barely loved me. It was because I was just a passing novelty, a distraction.
I quickly wiped my tears away while I pulled a small recorder from my pocket and took out the memory card. I placed it, along with the prison’s CCTV footage, into an envelope and sent it to my friend.
As I stared at the files on the screen, a bitter taste rose in my throat. At first, I’d only planned to record Adeline pretending to be pitiful in front of Brian and my parents. But in the end, I had also captured proof of her ordering the prisoners to beat me.
The moment the files were successfully sent, I heard familiar footsteps outside my door.
My heart tightened. The door opened quietly. Brian’s tall figure appeared in the doorway. Before I could react, he crossed the room in a few strides and pulled me tightly into his arms. The scent of cedar still clung to him, but it only made me feel suffocated now.
Brian looked at me as if he was heartbroken. He then rested his chin gently on top of my head before he weakly whispered, "Forgive me, Lilian."
I couldn’t help but be stunned in his embrace. My lips pressed together, unable to speak. But Brian didn’t seem to mind my silence.
He continued speaking softly, as though nothing had happened, "Don’t be so hard on Adeline anymore. She’s different from you. You’re the Wyatt Family’s biological daughter. You already have everything. Besides, I’ll marry you one day."
"But Adeline … she has nothing. It’s normal for her to be sensitive. You should try to understand her, to be more patient with her."
"I have everything … "
I muttered those words that tasted bitter, which made me want to vomit.
So, this was his apology. He didn’t come here to truly say sorry. Instead, he came to make excuses for Adeline and to demand that I keep indulging her.
Brian thought that a hug and a few soft words would be enough to erase everything. That no matter how deeply he hurt me, I would forgive him like always. Even if just yesterday, he had sent me home bruised, broken and covered in blood.
It seemed that Brian believed he could slap me ninety-nine times … and then hand me a single piece of bones to make me wag my tail and come crawling back.
I lifted my head and looked at his face. My heart ached so fiercely it felt as if it might shatter into pieces. Sadly, he was wrong.
