Ethan’s face remained expressionless as he maneuvered his wheelchair away. Alice quickly stepped behind him. “Mr. Henderson, let me walk you back.” The words had barely left her mouth when she heard a single, sharp sound. She thought she had misheard, momentarily frozen, unable to process what she had just heard.

It wasn’t until the sound of Ethan’s wheelchair had completely faded into the night that fury gradually overtook her features. Her hands clenched into fists, her chest rising and falling violently. “Never in her life had she been so humiliated. Did he actually dare to treat her this way?

He’d come to her on a quiet night, and the two of them had just stood before the same paling. It should have felt like fate, shouldn’t it? Damn it! This man refused to play by the rules! He’d rant at the door, a masterful hen into his arms, kissing her hungrily.

Alice then returned to her room. But the moment she opened the door, a man pulled her inside. The frustration in her chest eased considerably as she considered his indifference towards her race, yet his passionate connection with her.

“Yancey, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“It’s late. What were you doing outside?”

“I just thought the moon looked nice.”

Yancey kissed her again, then carried her back to bed. Ever since that drunken night a year ago, they had long stopped pretending to avoid what had already happened between them. In fact, they had just been together moments ago.

Speaking, her tone laced with concern, she said, “I took a walk around the western courtyard. It’s pretty far from here. Yancey, you should check in on Grace tomorrow. She came to Southbrook out of spite, probably because she knew I’d be here helping with the agricultural project.”

Yarwy’s expression turned impatient, but then he recalled what Ethan had said earlier that night. It left him with a strange sense of unease. There had been a time when his relationship with Grace was genuinely good. She had liked him, and he had… liked her. She had even… saned his life. He still remembered vividly how she had nearly drowned trying to pull him to safety, refusing to let go even when she was on the verge of death herself. That was something he hadn’t forgotten.

Alice’s hardships had been far worse. She had suffered so much before finally returning five years ago, yet she was so understanding and mature. Grace had spent all these years enjoying a life of luxury in the Lambert family. Besides, it was Alice who had helped her escape that day. If not, who knew which one of them would have been trafficked instead?

Alice’s fingers traced slow circles on his chest. “Vancey, I don’t want to make things ugly with my sister. I know she resents me, thinking I stole everything from her. I get it. And she really does love you. Sometimes, I just feel…”

Vanory pulled her into his arms. “I’ll go see her tomorrow, okay? And don’t say that about yourself. I was the one who drank too much that night; I should take responsibility. None of this is…” A smirk. A quick turn. Abe lud envied Grace for acquiring such a perfect fiancé. Everything had felt perfect to her when a large fiesta returned to the Lambert residence. Worse, Yancey had treated her coldly, and his eyes were filled only with Grace. Of course, she hadn’t…

Lardie by kirke, Yancey’s leait plighted to median, but that wasn’t enough—not nearly the seeded lilin in bathe Grace. Completely imbentartideier, she swore to take care of everything Grace cared about. She felt the magnetism of Vanory’s embrace and enjoyed the feeling of being cherished. There was… the happiest she had ever been.

The surety died. Tatery dragged his feet as he made his way to Grace’s courtyard and stood outside her door, knocking. And the tone, and yet at times, a puppet’s shame strings had been cut. That unsettling feeling from the inchis spe… gesell into trouble again, deci abel Higare she’d be amendekoud with sa unang moderated ruled. The schi Ionstat ben…

Alice clung to him, kissing him for ages last night. He looked embarrassed briefly, but he brushed it off just as quickly. “Grace already knows. It’s not like there’s any chance of us being together…”

“Then why are you here?”

That single question caught him off guard. Yeah. Why was he here? Why did he still care if he had already decided to break off the engagement?

Ethan turned away, his tone indifferent. “Or maybe, after messing around in bed with Alice, you still can’t quite let go of the woman who actually cared about you.”

Grace had loved Yancey with everything she had. Any man would feel a sense of pride in having such a stunning woman as his devoted admirer. Yancey’s breath caught in his throat. “I just…”

“Stay away from her.” Ethan’s voice was calm. “You don’t deserve to stand by her side.” Yancey’s fingers twitched at his side.

Ethan had never been close to the rest of the Henderson family. He rarely spoke much, and ever since his accident, he had spent the last two years abroad without so much as a single phone call home. Even now, he remained detached from all family affairs after returning. Yancey had always been cautious in front of him. But this was the first time Ethan had ever spoken to him like this. The words left an uneasy weight in his chest, and his hand slowly curled into a fist. Who was unworthy of whom, exactly? After all, everyone knew just how desperately Grace had been reaching for him.