887

Wade slumped to the ground near the door, looking utterly lost and defeated.

Bradley waited outside in his car for a long time. Asduskbegan to fall and Wade still hadn’t emerged, Bradley finally got out and headed into the residential area.

His expression hardened the moment he found Wade.He had never seen the promising young man look so pathetic and broken.

“Wade, what’s wrong?” Bradley asked, stepping closer.

Wade didn’t seem to hear him. His eyes were glazed over and rimmed with red.

He had been sitting there for so long, and Janice hadn’t come out to speak to him. It was clear he had ruined everything.

Bradley, no longer bothering to be gentle with Wade’s feelings, hauled him up from the ground and started pulling him toward the entrance.

Only when they reached the car did Wade snap out of his daze and begin to resist. “I’m not leaving! She hasn’t forgiven me yet. She’s just upset…” His voice grew increasingly emotional.

Bradley, both irritated and agitated, finally snapped. He punched Wade in the face.

“When are you going to wake up? If she were just a little upset, she wouldn’t have caused such a scene at the wedding! She announced her decision in front of everyone today to ensure there would never be another wedding for the two of you!”

Not only had the Garner family been humiliated in front of everyone, but they had also lost several business deals that very afternoon.

The company’s stock prices had even taken a hit. The incident had triggered a cascade of repercussions, forcing the family to scramble and contain the damage.

Bradley’s words struck Wade’s heart like a knife. He stood there, shaking and rigid. He was aware of everything Bradley had said; he had just been desperately avoiding the truth.

Bradley sighed. “Wade, we’re adults. We have to take responsibility for our actions. That’s something even a child understands.”

Those words seemed to finally get through to Wade. His face was drained of all color. “Can you take me to the hospital?” he asked quietly.

Bradley made no further comments. He drove Wade to the hospital right away.

After her surgery, Alicia was back in her ward. A faint smirk twisted her lips as she watched the video clips of the wedding scandal circulating in various group chats.

Janice was putting on quite a show. How naive to think she could get a reaction from Wade with such a flimsy trick. Once her lies were exposed, her own family would surely punish her for this.

1/4

Soon, Heidi called and Alicia answered.

“Mom, I’m fine. Don’t worry about my injuries,” Alicia said nonchalantly,confidentshe had crushed Janice for good.

But Heidi sounded anxious. “You must keep it a secret that Wade was with you during the wedding. Your fatherisfurious. I’m worried about what he’ll do if he finds out.

“You need to secure Wade’s heart now. With Janice out of the picture, this is your chance to build a stable relationship with him.

“The only way we can solidify our position in the Garner family is for you to marry Wade. Otherwise,we might not get a penny when Charles passes away.”

Ever since she and Heidi had moved into the Garner residence, Alicia had quickly started calling Charles “Dad“, hoping to win his favor and escape returning to a life of poverty.

Alicia stared indifferently at her leg in a cast. “I know, Mom. Wade always gives in to me because of what happened a few years back. He’ll always listen to me, and I know his concern for me runs deep.”

Just then, the door opened.

Alicia ended the call as soon as she saw Wade. Adopting a weak front, she questioned him in a soft voice, “Wade, where were you?”

Despite knowing the answer, she asked him the question anyway.

Wade remained silent. He walked to the bedside and stood there, staring down at Alicia, who appeared so docile

and harmless.

He couldn’t fathom how she had maintained this pretense for so long, tricking him into believing Janice was responsible for her injury years ago. That incident had changed everything, setting them on the path to their

current disaster.

If Alicia could lie about something so serious, what about the smaller things in their daily lives? How many times had she manipulated him?

It suddenly occurred to Wade that Alicia was often at the root of his fights with Janice. 2

“Wade?” Alicia reached for his hand, her mood cheerful.

From her perspective, it was only a matter of time before they became a real couple. Janice had single–handedly destroyed any chance of reconciliation with Wade.

But Wade swiftly pulled his hand away.

Alicia froze, disbelief washing over her as she met the burning anger in his

“Jan never did anything to harm you. Are you still going to play dumb?”

eyes.

Alicia subconsciously held her breath upon hearing those words. She tried her best to remain calm. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve found the evidence. Do you really think it’s so hard for me to get the recording of the call you made to her

2/4

that day?” (1

Alicia’s expression hardened instantly. She had called Janice back then, though she hadn’t mentioned going to

the ski resort.

Comments

”

Support

Share

Sara Lili

Sara Liliis a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.