Chapter 3
But when I got back to the villa where Edward and I lived together, he was sitting quietly on the leather sofa in the living room, waiting for me.
Our eyes met, and I was the first to speak. "I saw you at the gallery with Evelyn. She was wearing a wedding dress, and you had her in your arms." My throat tightened. The rest of my words stuck in my chest.
Edward glanced up, his expression lazy. "What you saw is true. I made a promise to Evelyn."
My heart dropped. I couldn't even recognize my own emotions. "What does that mean?"
Edward reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, a faint smile on his lips.
"I know you're angry right now, but try to calm down. Evelyn's had a weak heart since childhood, and I promised I'd take care of her. Her only wish is to have a wedding, even if it's just for show.
"If I don't give her that, she won't agree to the surgery. But don't worry. I haven't betrayed you. You're still my official fiancée, and only you can give me an heir."
His warm breath tickled my ear as he leaned in, trying to close the distance between us.
I squeezed my eyes shut and, fueled by every ounce of anger and heartbreak, pushed him away as hard as I could.
"Have you ever once thought about how I feel? I'm your fiancée, and you're planning a wedding with another woman. This is beyond ridiculous. It's unbelievable!"
Anger surged through me, and my hand landed softly on his handsome cheek.
The warmth in his eyes disappeared immediately, replaced by a cold, sarcastic laugh.
"You used my mom to force me into this engagement? It was supposed to be Evelyn who got engaged to me. You sent her heart condition records to my mother, drove her out of the country, and took everything that should have belonged to Evelyn."
He turned and headed upstairs to the guest room, tossing over his shoulder, "Don't push your luck, Elena."
Just before he closed the guest room door, he paused for a moment. "As long as you behave yourself and don't make trouble, I won't break off our engagement."
I sat alone on the living room sofa, lost in thought for ages, tears streaming down my face.
For seven years, I'd cooked for him, kept endless notes and reminders, and took care of all the little things that had nothing to do with the family business.
But he always let other people poison his mind, hurting me again and again. I couldn't help but wonder if someone had been whispering lies about me in his ear all this time.
I had to find a way to set the record straight, once and for all.
That night, I spent three hours preparing a full spread of dishes, waiting in silence for Edward to come downstairs.
When Edward came downstairs, his eyes swept over the table, and a faint, satisfied smile played at his lips.
My tense heart eased a little as I picked up the utensils to plate his food, a flicker of hope stirring inside me. "I spent three hours making all this."
Just as he was about to dig in, his phone rang, sharp and urgent.
"Edward, I'm at the villa to see you." Evelyn's soft, frail voice drifted through the receiver, followed by a gentle cough.
The knife and fork slipped from my hand and clattered onto the marble floor.
As soon as Edward heard her voice, he didn't even spare a glance at the dinner on the table. He bolted straight for the front door.
Evelyn fell weakly into his arms, unable to stop her soft coughing. Edward immediately turned up the heat in the whole house.
"The food smells amazing. Are you guys having dinner? Mind if I join?" Evelyn asked, putting on her most innocent act as she sat down at the table.
Edward's eyes were filled with a gentle warmth. "Of course."
He kept cutting Evelyn's steak, serving her each bite with care, not touching his own food at all. Whenever Evelyn frowned and hesitated to eat, he would gently coax her with his soft voice.
The place felt so warm and cozy, but I was the only one freezing inside.
My fingers kept trembling as I quietly got up and slipped into the living room, blasting the TV volume in a desperate attempt to drown out their sweet laughter and whispers from the dining room.
By the time they finished dinner and walked into the living room, I'd already forced myself to calm down, my face a mask of calm.
"You're still here?" Evelyn gasped, covering her mouth in mock surprise when she saw me.
"Edward and I live in here together. Are you saying I should leave?" I said.
Evelyn fumbled for words. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Elena!" Edward strode over, stepping protectively in front of Evelyn. "Are you picking on Evelyn again, already?"
"That's right." I nodded calmly. "She's in my house, eating the dinner I spent three hours making, and then acts all surprised that I'm still here. Yeah, maybe I'm picking on her."
"Come on, do you have to be like this? Evelyn's just straightforward. She doesn't understand all these social games," Edward said.
At that moment, I just didn't have the strength to argue with him anymore. I turned to head back to my room, but he grabbed my wrist.
"Sit down. Let's talk this through. Most of this is just a misunderstanding. If we clear the air, it'll be fine," Edward said.
Hearing him say "misunderstanding," I couldn't help but feel a faint glimmer of hope rise up inside me.
I had no choice but to sit back down, and Edward started speaking slowly.
"About the gallery transfer earlier today, you misunderstood me. Seven years ago, Sterling Holdings stepped in and invested in your mother's Starlight Gallery when it was on the verge of bankruptcy," he said.
Of course I remembered. Back then, when my mom's gallery was drowning in debt and no one else would help, Edward was the only one who reached out.
It was because of that debt of gratitude that I drew close to him, set aside my pride, and spent seven years serving and trying to win over his mother, Victoria Sterling.
As those memories surfaced, a faint, involuntary smile tugged at my lips.
"Sterling Holdings holds a controlling 51% stake in Starlight Gallery, which means the company is really in charge," Edward said quietly, lowering his head.
"Elena, Starlight Gallery hasn't been solely your mother's business for a long time. It's now part of Sterling Holdings' portfolio."
"Victoria once promised that as soon as we held our wedding, she would transfer all the shares back to me," I said, my eyes searching his face, and I caught a fleeting look of guilt in his eyes.