Chapter 21

Declan had never spoken to her harshly, but today he was dead serious. They were really freaking out that she hadn’t divorced yet.

“Dad, can I not go? I swear I’ll divorce Alexander,” Elizabeth pleaded.

Declan’s silence was a clear no.

“But I haven’t divorced Alexander yet. Does this guy not care?” Elizabeth asked, feeling annoyed.

“He doesn’t care!” Declan answered firmly.

Elizabeth forced a smile. Is this guy as clueless as John? she thought. He knew her husband was Alexander and still went ahead to date her. He must be nuts.

“Elizabeth, you know this guy. He really admires you. You two are a great match. Can you just listen to me this once?” Declan’s tone softened a bit.

Hearing his words, Elizabeth felt she might’ve been too stubborn. Declan was practically begging her. But she really didn’t want to date a stranger right now. She just wasn’t in the mood.

“Dad, I get it. You want me to bounce back fast. I’ll be fine,” Elizabeth said, trying to sound sincere. This whole relationship mess had drained her, and she just couldn’t deal with meeting anyone new right now.

Grant sighed, “Declan, if Elizabeth’s not up for it, don’t push her.”

“But Dad, she…” Declan started to argue.

Grant shot him a look, like, “What, my words don’t mean anything anymore?”

Declan slapped his thigh, sighed, and headed to the study.

“Thanks, Grandpa,” Elizabeth said, trying to be polite.

Grant shook his head, “Elizabeth, you can’t stay down forever. You need to move on.”

Elizabeth nodded, “Okay.”

Just then, her phone buzzed. She checked it and saw a new entertainment news alert: “[Russell Group’s Ms. Russell flaunts her love on Facebook; netizens call it super sweet!]” She meant to ignore it but ended up clicking anyway. @Esme: My love. 1/4

The picture showed her leaning against a guy’s chest, with the sea in the background. The guy was in a suit, one hand on her shoulder, and she was snuggled up in him. Though his face wasn’t visible, Elizabeth knew it was Alexander. She recognized his hand and his style. Alexander had taken Esme to see the sea; he was doing something Esme had always wanted to do. Elizabeth gripped her phone tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. Grant patted Elizabeth’s shoulder, and she turned to him, eyes red. She really wanted Alexander to go to the beach with her, but he kept saying no. For Esme, though, going to the beach with her love was no big deal.

“That guy your dad mentioned is actually pretty good,” Grant reminded her.

Elizabeth looked up, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I get it, Grandpa.”

Meanwhile, by the sea… Esme was scrolling through comments on her phone, grinning. “Alexander, look! So many people are happy for us.” Alexander was reading a message from Nolan. He glanced at her phone and asked, “Did you post our picture on Facebook?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t show your face,” Esme said, all cheerful.

Alexander frowned. He’d told her a million times not to post about him, but she never listened.

“Alexander, for Lily’s birthday, my family plans to give a rare ginseng,” Esme suddenly said.

Alexander looked up. Esme hugged his arm, serious now. “This time, I have to make your family accept me.”

Alexander felt bad for Esme. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but because of Elizabeth, the Tudor family never accepted her.

“Rare ginseng is hard to find,” Alexander said.

“Yeah, everyone in the Russell family is after it,” Esme replied.

Esme looked at Alexander, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek. “Alexander, I’ve put up with a lot for the past three years because I love you. I really hope this year, I can finally be your wife.”

Alexander met her eyes and nodded. “Alright.”

Esme’s face lit up with a smile. As she gazed into his eyes, a daring thought crossed her mind. She leaned in slowly, her lips almost touching his when he suddenly turned his head and hugged her instead. Esme froze, feeling awkward in his arms. Did he just dodge her kiss? In three years, he had never been intimate with her, never kissed her. She thought he was just being respectful, always protecting her. But now, when she made the first move and he still avoided it… what did that mean?

Alexander lowered his gaze, gently rubbing her hair. “Esme, you’re the daughter of the Russell family. Before we get married, I don’t want to disrespect you.”

Truth was, he didn’t feel that spark with Esme. He had tried to be close to her, but it never felt right. Even hugging her felt stiff. On the other hand, Elizabeth had this pull on him, making him lose control. Ever since that kiss with Elizabeth at the bar, he felt even more distant from Esme.

Esme blinked, feeling a sharp pain in her heart. She wrapped her arms around Alexander’s neck, her breath hot. “Alexander, I’m not afraid.” She was ready for him.

“Esme, don’t,” Alexander said, pulling her hands away, his brow furrowed, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

Esme’s confidence took a nosedive. She’d made a move, and her fiancé shot her down. Did that mean he didn’t want her? Her eyes welled up. “Do you not like me?” If he loved her, how could he resist?

“Esme, stop questioning my feelings,” Alexander snapped, clearly annoyed. Every time this came up, they ended up fighting. The more they fought, the more Esme felt he was hiding something. Only guilt would lead to arguments, right?

Esme looked down, feeling hurt. “Alexander, I really love you. I’ve been understanding.”

“Don’t let me lose,” she said, her voice breaking.

Hearing this, Alexander’s mind flashed back to Elizabeth. Elizabeth had once said, “I loved you for seven years, Alexander, and I lost.” His throat tightened, heart aching. 3/4

He glanced at the scar on Esme’s back—a scar she got saving him.

“Esme, after Grandma’s birthday, I’ll divorce Elizabeth. Once that’s done, we’ll get married,” Alexander promised. He used to just say he’d marry her someday. But this time, he promised they’d tie the knot as soon as his divorce was final. For Esme, that was huge. The sea sparkled, and the summer evening breeze felt perfect. She leaned against Alexander, looking at the ocean, nodding eagerly, full of hope.

“Alexander, I found this awesome restaurant. Wanna go tomorrow night?” Esme suggested.