Chapter 1129:
Tears welled up in Melanyâs eyes as she looked at him.
âEven though Iâm not fond of Allison, my love for you is sincere. I wouldnât have gone to such lengths to marry you.â
At this, Coltonâs lips curled into a skeptical smile. âGone to such lengths to marry me?â
He seemed amused by an internal thought.
ââIf we were getting along so well back then, why did you suddenly decide to go abroad without telling me in advance?ââ
ââMelany, donât forget, you even walked out on our wedding day!ââ Coltonâs voice was heavy with sarcasm.
As he thought back to that moment, a wave of sadness overwhelmed him. It wasnât for himselfâit was for Allison.
Allison had loved him with her whole heart, never minding that his feelings were tied to another woman. She had married him despite it. She had also kept the Stevens family from facing disgrace.
ââMelany, youâve truly let me down. Iâm disappointed in you,ââ he said.
His throat tightened as he spoke, and his Adamâs apple shifted slightly. The look on Coltonâs face was more haunting than tears.
He had once loved Melany with all his heart. That was why, throughout his three years of marriage to Allison, he had carried the weight of his longing and couldnât move on from her.
It dawned on him then that he had been lied to all along.
ââI had no choice back then,ââ Melany stammered, her voice carrying a hint of shame.
She would never confess that money had been the reason she fled the country.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she forced them to spill down her cheeks.
ðâºð¥ððð½ ÑðαÏðð®ðð gâ²â ¼ð·ðνð®ð ðï¹Ñðï½
ââColton, you know how my mother is. She and my father pushed me to leave, even threatening that if I didnât do as they said, they would end their own lives! As their daughter, I had no way but to yield. Those three years were miserable for me too. The moment I managed to get out of a marriage I never wanted, I came straight back to find you,ââ she said, her tone wavering.
Melany didnât see herself as someone virtuous. But she firmly believed that she and Colton were meant to be together. They both knew how to blend emotions with self-interest, though there was still a trace of genuine feeling between them.
Even now, despite mocking Colton just a while ago, her tears for him were undeniably real. But those tears werenât entirely genuine.
What Melany got in return, however, was a slap. The sound of the slap echoed, and Coltonâs face darkened with rage. âIâll never fall for your lies again. Not for the rest of my life,â he said, his voice ice-cold.
His entire presence radiated bitterness.
His business with Fabian had become a complete farce, and Allisonâs rejection today had only added fuel to his growing anger.
Still, he doubted that Melany knew about Abramâs role in all of this. Had she known, she wouldnât have asked him to risk being exposed in front of Fabian and so many elites.
It seemed even fate had decided to turn against them.
.
.
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