Chapter 3 The dinner ended in a cloud of tension.
On the drive home, Lysander steered in stony silence while Navier gazed out the window, feeling nothing but emptiness.
Then came the screech of tires.
Both looked up to see a car careening out of control straight toward their lane.
Before Navier could react, there was a deafening crash. Their car lurched violently, then everything spun.
Navierâs head slammed against the window. Darkness rushed in, swallowing her whole.
Somewhere in the haze, she heard Lysanderâs ragged breathing.
Forcing her eyes open, she saw his arm stretched across her body as if to shield her.
A flicker of warmth ignited in her chest.
But the next moment, her heart turned to ice.
Lysander wasnât shielding her at allâhe was protecting the necklace lying next to herâthe one Ophelia Belmont had given him.
Blood smeared across the delicate silver chain, and Lysander didnât even seem to notice his own injuries.
A thin crack ran through the necklace. His eyes flashed with distress as he pulled out his phone and made a call.
âGet me the best restoration expert. I need a necklace repaired. Immediately.â
Looking at the man before her, Navier felt an indescribable wave of desolation wash over her.
His wife sat in the passenger seat, severely injured, covered in blood, in too much pain to moveâyet he hadnât spared her a single glance.
21:50 The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights 10.3%
Chapter 3 He cared nothing for her injuries, hadnât even called an ambulance. Instead, he staggered out of the car, focused only on repairing that damn pendant.
Then her vision blurred, her body giving out.
The last thing she saw before losing consciousness-
Was his back.
In the operating room, harsh lights shone down on Navierâs pale face.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, she heard a nurseâs anxious voice. âWe canât reach her husband! No oneâs here to sign the consent form for surgery!â
âHow can a man just disappear when his wife is in this condition? What could possibly be more important than his wifeâs life?â
A bitter smile twisted Navierâs lips.
Of course. In Lysanderâs mind, Ophelia and anything associated with her obviously mattered more than his wifeâs life.
âI... can sign... myself...â Navier whispered, her voice barely audible.
The nurse hesitated but had no other option, finally nodded.
Navier raised her bloodâcovered hand and shakily signed her name on the consent form.
Every letter felt like it drained the last of her strength.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she finally woke up.
But in all that timeâLysander never once came.
She knew he was busy with the necklaceâs restoration. He had no time for her.
On the day of her discharge, Navierâs injuries were still far from healed. She could only leave in a wheelchair.
Lysander finally seemed to remember he had a severely injured wife from the accident.
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Chapter 3 He came to pick her up, his expression detached, as if this was merely another task on his toâdo list.
The driver took a shortcut onto the expressway.
The only sound in the vehicle was the rhythmic tapping of Lysanderâs fingers on his laptop.
Navier glanced sideways and caught a glimpse of his screenâa conversation with his secretary, entirely about the necklaceâs restoration progress.
That necklace, just a casual gift from Ophelia, was treated like a priceless treasure.
While sheâa living, breathing human beingâcouldnât even get him to look at her.
The car cruised smoothly along the highway, scenery rushing past outside.
Neither spoke, until suddenly Lysander stopped typing, his gaze fixed intensely on something outside.
His breathing quickened, fingers gripping the door handle as if heâd spotted something heâd been desperately longing for.
Following his line of sight, Navier saw a figure in the crowdâa girl in a white dress with slightly curled hair and a silhouette just like Opheliaâs.
âStop the car!â Lysanderâs voice shot up sharply.
The driver slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the roadside.
Lysander flung the door open the instant the car stopped, his eyes still locked on the retreating figure.
Then he glanced back at Navier, his tone cold and hurried. âFind your own way back. I have something to do.â
Navier froze, fingers clutching the wheelchair armrests until her knuckles turned white.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Lysander had already pulled her and the wheelchair out of the car, then ordered the driver to turn around.
The car swung around and sped off in the direction where the figure had disappeared, leaving Navier stranded alone in her wheelchair by the side of the expressway.
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