Chapter 19

Mandy looked at Dylan, taking in just how handsome he was. She felt pretty pleased with him, though there was a tinge of regret about how things had ended.

She figured someone like him would actually be a pretty great son-in-law for the Paddens. It was too bad that Violet was only into Archer back then; they could have ended up together.

Since Violet and Archer had cut ties, Mandy thought it’d be awesome if Dylan joined the Padden family again.

After listening to Mandy, Dylan didn’t say anything. Instead, he set a bank card he had prepared before her.

“The balance on this card is exactly what the Paddens originally gave me. If it hadn’t been for the repayment agreement, I could have paid back the original amount with interest in under two years.”

The Paddens were always there for people in need, and Dylan wasn’t the only one who had benefited from their generosity. They would send money each month directly to the recipients’ accounts, never asking for repayment from anyone they’d helped.

Maybe it was just Dylan’s naiveté that led him to offer himself up so easily. Now, he finally saw things more clearly but didn’t feel like dwelling on it.

Dylan didn’t care about Mandy’s reaction. He grabbed the bank card and walked out.

Mandy was taken aback. Then, anger surged within her. But knowing the Farrow and Carlisle families backing Dylan, she had no choice but to swallow her anger. Just as Dylan was leaving the Padden villa, he bumped into Violet, who had just gotten back.

“Dylan, what’s got you here?” Violet asked, sounding pleasantly surprised.

Dylan sneered. “Mrs. Padden wants me to throw away my career and future again, just like seven years ago, so I can hang around you and waste my life.”

Violet’s face went pale as the memory of that agreement she’d seen two years ago hit her. During the five years Dylan spent paying the Paddens back, he had to give up everything and pour himself completely into Violet.

Anyone would have lost it after a year or two of that, let alone five—especially with how she had treated him during that time. She could only imagine how torturous those years must have been for him.

A wave of pain shot through Violet’s entire body. She clenched her fists and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Dylan had already run out of patience. He didn’t even look at her and simply brushed past.

Maybe it was because of what Dylan had said, but Violet didn’t come looking for him for the next few days. Dylan was actually relieved to have the peace.

That lasted until the day of the Farrow family banquet, where he’d been invited. Callum had always treated Dylan like his little brother. Luna stuck close to Dylan throughout the banquet, worried something might happen to him.

“Dylan Cloud! What are you doing here?” A sharp voice came from behind.

Dylan turned around to see Valerie charging toward him. Valerie was Mandy’s daughter, so it made sense that Mandy didn’t want him to struggle in Altoria. She’d convinced her husband, Chester Padden, to bring Valerie back.

The sight of Dylan made Valerie’s heart swell with resentment. She blamed him for everything. After Dylan divorced Violet, Violet sent Valerie off to Altoria. It took Chester two years to finally bring Valerie back.

Behind Dylan was a tower of champagne glasses. He instinctively tried to step aside, but his foot missed the step.

“Dylan!” In a flash, Luna caught him, yanking him back behind her.

Valerie couldn’t help herself. She crashed right into the champagne tower. A loud crash echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see Valerie topple into the champagne tower, sending glass flying everywhere and leaving streaks of blood on her body.

Violet hurried over as soon as she heard the noise. She tried to help Valerie up, but as soon as she touched her, Valerie cried out in pain. Meanwhile, Luna checked Dylan from head to toe, making sure he was fine before finally glancing at Valerie sprawled out on the floor.

“The Paddens really know how to raise their kids. You charged at Dylan out of nowhere. What did he ever do to deserve that? If I remember correctly, it was you and a bunch of others who shoved Dylan into the champagne tower two years ago, too.”