Chapter 132
The call ended abruptly. Don’t flatter yourself. Those words echoed in her mind like a haunting curse, repeating endlessly. Kimberly felt utterly desolate, all the tender affection that Asher had once lavished upon her now draining away, moment by moment. Outside the window, the snow fell more heavily, fierce northern winds howling, shaking the tree branches. Kimberly stared blankly at the swirling snowfall beyond the glass.
After a moment of silence, her phone began ringing again, insistently. With tears still drying on her face, the clamorous ringtone suddenly made her feel profoundly weary. It was Ronald calling.
“Kimberly, the Blackwood family came to dissolve the engagement today.”
Her heart had already grown numb with pain. Kimberly responded with a faint acknowledgment. Ronald hesitated, seemingly reluctant to continue. “Have you seen the gossip about Asher and that actress?”
Kimberly remained silent.
Ronald went on: “Tomorrow I’ll arrange for a press conference to publicly announce the termination of our engagement with the Blackwood family. The responsibility for this falls entirely on them, Kimberly; they’re the ones at fault here—don’t let this weigh on you. There’s no shame in a broken engagement. I’ll find you someone far more suitable in the future. My beautiful, accomplished daughter could have any man she desires.”
Kimberly continued her silence. She didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t expected the Blackwoods to move so quickly—Asher had broken up with her last night, and today they had already come to officially end the engagement. Were they really so eager? Recalling the alluring female voice on the phone earlier, Kimberly felt a crushing pain in her chest. Was Asher in such a rush to distance himself from her because he wanted to make things official with Laurina?
“Kimberly, get some rest. After tomorrow’s press conference, I’ll send a car to bring you home.”
Once the press conference was over, the Jordan family would have no further connection to the Blackwoods. Surely then Malfoy would stop targeting them. With this thought, Ronald added a few more comforting words, urging her not to let heartbreak damage her health. Kimberly responded with vague, perfunctory acknowledgments.
In a dimly lit private room at an exclusive club, Drake Ashcroft sat on the sofa, his face hidden in shadows, his expression unreadable. Around him, people drank, chatted, and flirted, but Drake remained disinterested. The revelry had nothing to do with him; he only wanted to sit alone in the corner, lost in his thoughts. In recent days, Kimberly had disappeared. After being discharged from the hospital, he’d discovered she had moved. The adjacent apartment was already empty. He had no idea where she’d gone, and her phone was unreachable. It seemed that suddenly, Kimberly had vanished from his world.
He’d fallen into a state of despair, numbing himself with alcohol daily. Once, when particularly intoxicated, he’d imagined seeing Kimberly return. She’d been wearing the dress he had bought for her when they were together, smiling softly at him. “Drake.” Overwhelmed with joy, he’d embraced her, laughing and crying simultaneously. Kimberly had gently touched his face, her eyes full of concern. “You really ought to stop drinking so much. It’s terribly bad for you. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
He’d covered her hand with his own, tilting his head to nuzzle against her palm, tears running down his cheeks. “Kimberly, I truly regret everything. Won’t you come back to me?”
Kimberly had smiled sweetly, her voice soft. “But I have come back, haven’t I?”
Drake, red-eyed, had asked: “I swear I’ll only ever love you, only be good to you. Can we start again?”
Kimberly’s gaze had been tender, full of affection. “Yes. I won’t leave again.”
“That’s wonderful,” he had mumbled. “I thought… I’d lost my chance forever…”
He had broken down, sobbing uncontrollably. It was the emotion of recovering something precious, combined with remorse for past mistakes. How wonderful. His Kimberly had returned to him. Kimberly had been all tenderness, gently wiping away his tears before leaning in to kiss him. Desire had flared, the atmosphere growing heated. That night, he had taken her repeatedly. Abandoned to passion, ecstatic.
However, when he’d opened his eyes the next morning, the naked woman lying beside him had actually been Sienna! In that moment, his world had collapsed! How could it be Sienna? Last night, it had clearly been Kimberly. Humiliated and furious, he had harshly rebuked Sienna.
Far from being angry, Sienna had gazed at him with tearful eyes, biting her red lips, crying beautifully. “Drake, you love Kimberly Jordan so much—I’ll imitate her. Didn’t you once say we look somewhat similar? I can copy her style, her makeup, her hairstyle. I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t send me away, please?”
Recalling the events of the previous night, he had hesitated. Sienna, last night, had truly resembled Kimberly! Seeing his silence, Sienna had taken his hand, gently swaying it as she pleaded softly: “Drake, you enjoyed last night, didn’t you? Don’t pretend otherwise. Let me stay with you. I’m willing to be Kimberly’s substitute,” Sienna had begged quietly.
No man could resist a woman’s humble plea. Especially a beautiful woman, a woman who loved him with all her heart! Drake had rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. He missed Kimberly desperately; in these days without seeing her, he’d nearly gone mad. The moment Sienna had pressed against him and kissed him, Drake had surrendered. He had thought defeatedly: without Kimberly, a substitute was better than nothing.
From that day forward, Sienna had remained by his side. Undeniably, she was a competent substitute. As promised, she had imitated Kimberly’s style and hairstyle, even using Kimberly’s preferred perfume. Drake most enjoyed holding Sienna from behind, inhaling her scent. Their silhouettes were nearly identical, and they smelled exactly the same, which delighted him immensely. Thus he deceived himself, gradually sinking deeper. Yet a substitute, no matter how convincing, could never replace Kimberly’s position in his heart. She could never become Kimberly.
Now, sitting on the sofa in this ambiguous atmosphere, his longing for Kimberly grew like wild vines, spreading uncontrollably. With an aching chest that made breathing difficult, he could only drink glass after glass, letting alcohol numb his senses.
Someone mentioned, “Quick, look at Twitter—there’s absolute dynamite trending.” Initially, Drake paid no attention. He had no interest in such frivolity. Until he heard Asher Blackwood’s name. He turned his head sharply, his gaze intense. “What did you just say about Blackwood?”
The girl looked up at him. “He’s been spotted with actress Laurina Kensington! It’s trending on Twitter. Paparazzi caught them entering a hotel together, and insiders claim they’re dating. Laurina’s a proper A-lister—this is massive gossip!”
Celine interjected: “Isn’t Asher Blackwood engaged to Kimberly Jordan? How could he…” She paused meaningfully, looking up at Drake. “Drake, you and Kimberly were close once. Has she broken up with him?”
Sienna’s expression stiffened, the dim lighting concealing her pallor. “That’s absolutely impossible!” Sienna raised her voice unconsciously. “They were madly in love, about to be married. You must be mistaken.” She was so close to success. Drake was now insatiable for her body. Once she conceived an Ashcroft heir, she could use the child to secure her position in the family. At this crucial juncture, she couldn’t allow any complications! Kimberly and Asher couldn’t break up—Drake couldn’t be given an opportunity.
“Here. Sienna, see for yourself. It’s all over Twitter. We’re not making this up.” Celine said, extending her phone. Before Sienna could touch it, Drake snatched it from her hand.