Chapter 813:

Elyse was right. If he had truly loved her, if he had genuinely been committed to her, he would never have abandoned her on their wedding day. Indeed, as he was the one who had hurt her, it was only fair that she resented him.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Sometimes I think about what happened at the wedding and wonder, if I hadn’t left you and had someone else look for Kaelyn, would things have been different between us?”

His voice trailed off as he mused, “If we had gotten married as planned, we’d almost be celebrating our first anniversary now. You’d be off at competitions, and I’d be rushing to finish work to spend time with you. We could have been so happy.”

Elyse’s gaze dropped, loose strands of hair falling over her lowered eyes.

Lost in his thoughts, Theo didn’t notice that Elyse’s feelings for him had long since faded.

It was a cruel irony: one person still in love, while the other had already moved on. To love but not be loved in return was a terrible fate.

As Theo’s memories faded, a faint anxiety crept in. He swiftly turned his gaze toward Elyse, and seeing her calmly observing him, felt both reassured and slightly melancholic.

At that moment, Elyse’s captivating eyes were empty. In Theo’s recollections, they always sparkled with admiration and devotion; whenever she looked at him, he always felt like the brightest star in the sky. But now, as Elyse simply regarded him, he sensed that the glint in her eyes had dimmed. He felt no different from a common stone.

Theo slowly opened his mouth, hesitated, then finally asked, “What do I need to do to make you love me again? Over the past year, I’ve come to understand a lot. I have finally realized that even though wealth is wonderful, it can’t buy everything. I…”

Suddenly, the car jerked to an abrupt stop, cutting off Theo’s words. He was deeply frustrated. Just as he was finally opening up, his words were abruptly halted. Looking angry, he fumed, “What’s going on?!”

The driver, with a shaky voice, replied, “Apologies, Mr. Ward. The car skidded, and I had to brake suddenly to avoid a collision.”

Gritting his teeth, Theo tried to compose himself, saying irritably, “Be more cautious while driving.”

He then looked back at Elyse. Her head was lowered; she was lightly touching the rose petals. Thinking she was upset, Theo tried to soothe her, saying, “Did the abrupt stop scare you? I’m sorry. The snow is heavy, and the roads are slippery.”

Elyse lifted her head, gave a half-hearted smile, and replied, “I’m alright. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Her distant demeanor left Theo at a loss, unsure of how to win over the girl he admired.

Before reuniting with Elyse, he had envisioned countless scenarios of how their conversation might unfold. He had even prepared for her various reactions, planning out his responses, words, and actions. But when he finally faced her, he realized all his preparations were useless. He couldn’t navigate her emotions as easily as he had imagined.