thought this through more. This proposal feels too rushed-”
“Ash,” I interrupted gently, taking his hand in mine. “Let’s go register our marriage.”
The county clerk at the courthouse processed our paperwork with a mix of curiosity and
amusement.
She had probably never seen someone transition from divorce to marriage quite as seamlessly as I had.
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Chapter 26
A few times, she glanced at me with questioning eyes, as if she wanted to say something but decided against it.
When we finalized our marriage registration, Norman suddenly pulled out several gift cards and handed them to the staff.
Instantly, their curious glances turned into warm smiles and enthusiastic congratulations:
“You two are such a perfect match–both of you are so good–looking. It’s obvious you’re meant to be together forever.”
you’ll have a long,
“Exactly! You look like you were made for each other. I can already tell you happy life together.”
Norman’s usually sharp, angular features softened in the warmth of their congratulations.
He glanced at me repeatedly, the love in his gaze growing so freely that it seemed to bloom in his eyes.
On the way back to the villa, I took out the marriage certificate again, examining it closely. It still felt surreal.
Norman rested his chin on my shoulder. “Those staff members were right. We really are a perfect match.”
I lowered my gaze, taking in his thick lashes, his chiseled nose, and his perfectly defined lips.
Despite their cold curve, they felt impossibly warm and sensual during a kiss.
My cheeks flushed involuntarily.
To cover my embarrassment, I pulled out my phone and scrolled throug.. social media.
The trending topic was still about the Dancer Show.
The director and judges had faced such relentless backlash online that they were forced to issue three consecutive apology statements.
Hashtags like #AverilThePlagiarist and #AverilGetOffTheStage had quietly disappeared from trending topics.
It didn’t take much to figure out how much Julian had spent to protect Averil.
I curled my lips into a mocking smile, finding the whole thing utterly ridiculous.
Ding! A notification broke through my thoughts.
Another message from an unknown number.
“Averil has confirmed her pregnancy. I don’t trust anyone else to take care of her, so you’ll do it. You can stay in your old room.”
I stared at the texts in disbelief, a wave of nausea rising from deep within me.
2/4
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Chapter 21
Clenching Norman’s hand tightly, I turned to him. “Ash, I’m thinking about posting our marriage certificate online. Would you mind?”
He immediately straightened up, a spark of determination in his eyes. “I’ll have my assistant register a Twitter account for me right now.”
I blinked in confusion. “Huh? Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” He hooked his finger around mine with a playful grin. “To back up my
wife, of course.”
A surge of warmth flooded my chest, making the entire world feel softer and brighter.
Five minutes later, I updated my profile with two photos.
The first was a picture of my divorce certificate. The second was a censored image of our new marriage certificate.
The caption read: “Hello, new life.”
Within moments, the comments section exploded with messages.
There were all kinds of reactions–surprise, skepticism, congratulations, and even dramatic wailing in the comments:
“Why, oh why, did you jump into the grave of marriage again so soon? Take a good look at me!
Apparently, yesterday’s dance performance had won me a whole new group of fans.
Norman, reading the comments, called his assistant with clear irritati
it take this long to verify an account? What are you even doing?”
The way
himself.
Hurry up! How does
he fumed, he looked ready to dive into the comments section and take on everyone
I couldn’t help but laugh, my heart swelling with warmth and joy as if a gentle stream was flowing steadily within me.
But the moment was interrupted by the vibration of my phone.
It was a call from the same number that had sent the earlier texts.
After a brief pause, I decided to answer.
“Victoria, that marriage certificate is fake, isn’t it?” Julian’s voice was harsh, his breathing heavy and uneven.
“You’re just trying to provoke me. I know it. That’s exactly what this is.”
My tone was calm, almost detached. “Julian, what’s the point of lying to yourself?”
A loud crash echoed on the other end, like a table being kicked over.
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Chapter 26
+25 BONUS
“I’ll give you one more chance,” Julian’s voice turned cold, laced with menace. “Divorce him. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you regret it, Violet.”
The line went dead, but I stood frozen, clutching any phone tightly, my face pale..
He had called me Violet.
He was threatening me with my past.
“Don’t be afraid.” Norman’s arm slid around me, pulling me into a firm embrace. “This time, I’m with you.
I clung to his shirt. “But…”
“Violet, there’s something I need to tell you;” Norman said, his tone turning serious.
“I’ve uncovered something strange about your parents‘ case from back then.”
Chapter 27
