No way to run.
And it was all his fault.
As he thought about it, a cold, paralyzing fear spread through him, sending a violent tremor down his spine. Without another thought, he staggered away from the wedding venue.
The guests exchanged confused glances, wondering what had happened.
Behind him, Queenie’s scream rang out, raw with desperation. “Luke! I forbid you to go! You hear me? You’re not going to find
that wretched woman! Get back here!”
Her face twisted in fury, and she spat the filthiest insults she could think of.
Luke didn’t even flinch.
He kept walking.
That was until Beatrice stepped into his path, blocking his way.
“Luke, Natalie was nothing more than a plaything. Now that she’s dead, that means you’re finally free of that stain on our
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family’s name. Be good and marry Queenie.”
She sneered. “That wretched girl threw herself at her own brother. She was a shameless little tramp, and her existence was a
waste of air.”
Then, Beatrice’s voice sharpened. “You will complete this wedding before you leave.”
At Beatrice’s words, wave of gasps swept through the room. Then, the guests erupted into whispers.
“Oh my God. Did you hear that? Natalie actually seduced Mr. Quinton? That’s disgusting. He’s her brother by law.”
“No wonder she got into that accident and ended up crippled. That’s karma right there. And to think I actually felt sorry for her.
She deserves it!”
“Exactly. Her mother was a homewrecker–of course the daughter turned out the same way. Like mother, like daughter. Good
riddance.”
Luke’s expression darkened with every word.
He turned around abruptly, his hand shooting out and wrapping around Queenie’s throat in a brutal grip.
“Queenie, I haven’t even married you yet. What the hell makes you think you have any right to control me? And no matter how bad Natalie is, she’s still part of my family. Who the hell do you think you are to insult her?”
He shoved Queenie aside, his icy gaze sweeping toward his grandmother.
“And you,” he continued, his tone even sharper. “Don’t think your age gives you the right to run your mouth. If I hear one more word against Natalie, I swear, you’ll regret it!”
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode out of the wedding hall.
He didn’t see the way Queenie’s expression twisted into something dark and malicious behind him.
Luke sped home, his hands clenched around the steering wheel.
For the first time in his life, the man who never believed in God found himself praying.
“Please. Let her be alive. Just this once-”
But when he arrived at his house, all the strength drained from his body. He collapsed onto his knees at the sight before him.
The mansion had been reduced to ashes.
Luke scrambled forward, his breath ragged. His hands clawed at the rubble, sifting through the wreckage, searching desperately.
Even when his hands bled, he didn’t stop.
But in the end, all Luke found was a ring, burned beyond recognition.
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As he stared at the ring, he finally broke down and cried in agony.
That ring…
It was the cheap two–dollar trinket he had bought from a street vendor, just to appease Natalie.
It was something so worthless, yet Natalie had cherished it like it was the most precious thing in the world.
She never took it off.
Luke’s trembling worsened.
Harvey had arrived moments after Luke, and he watched as the latter howled in anguish.
Harvey sighed softly.
If only Luke had realized earlier that things would come to this. Why did he let it get this far?
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Harvey stepped forward and pressed a memory card into Luke’s hands. “This is the security footage from the mansion. You
should take a look at it.”
And so, Luke saw everything that had happened over the past few days.
He saw how Natalie had entered his study, only to stumble out, looking shattered and broken.
He saw her with tears streaming down her face, listening to him and Queenie in the throes of passion.
And by the pool, he saw Queenie’s twisted expression as she viciously insulted and framed Natalie.
Luke stood frozen on the spot.
So it was true–he had completely misunderstood Natalie.
And the delicate, frail Queenie, who always seemed so pitiful–she was nothing but a vicious, scheming woman behind closed
doors.
Luke felt his entire world crumble around him.
Harvey watched him in silence, then sighed. “Luke, there’s something else you need to know.
“The day I wheeled Natalie into the operating room, she was shaking uncontrollably. She had bitten her tongue so hard that it
was a bloody mess.
He paused, then hesitantly continued, “I reviewed her medical report today. Turns out, she has an abnormally high sensitivity to
pain.”
Luke stiffened.
“She must have heard our conversation that day,” Harvey finished.
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Luke’s eyes were filled with despair and dread, his entire body frozen as if his blood had turned to ice.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much pain Natalie must have felt the moment she discovered the truth.
And these past few days—what kind of heartache had she endured, watching him put on his pathetic act?
Tears spilled uncontrollably down his face, and guilt and regret twisted together in his chest.
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Luke dropped to his knees, clutching his head as sobs wracked his body. “Natalie, I was wrong… I was so wrong. I love you. It’s
always been you,”
From the very first moment he laid eyes on Natalie, he had loved her deeply.
But hatred had blinded him and prevented him from facing his feelings.
Yet, in all those moments of feigned concern, had there truly been no shred of sincerity?
There had been.
But by the time Luke realized it, it was already too late.
Harvey’s expression softened with pity, and he added a few more words. “Luke, I warned you before–don’t just take Queenie’s
word for it. Whether Natalie’s mother was really a homewrecker or not, you should have asked your father.
“Even if her mother was one, you shouldn’t have taken your anger out on Natalie. She was innocent from the start.
“Sometimes, the person in the thick of it is the blindest of all. Maybe you don’t even realize just how much you love her, but I can
see it.
“You really messed up, Luke.”
With that, Harvey turned and walked away without looking back.
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