Merope pleaded earnestly, "Abel, your grandmother is on her last breath. Please try to fulfill her last wish for her."Abelin didn't seem to reject this plan as much as before. "Wedding arrangements are already in place, and I've notified a couple of cousins. I'll try to make the entire wedding as genuine as possible."Merope was overjoyed. "Why did you suddenly change your mind? Is Holly the bride?""No. I found a woman who looks quite similar to her. Grandma is old and has blurry eyesight. I doubt she'll recognize her."Merope rebuked, "Your grandma isn't blind!""Well, that's all." Abelin then hung up the call.…Three days later, many relatives gathered at the Gabelman residence. The brightly decorated courtyard was filled with people. Abelin hired a professional wedding team in advance, making sure the officiant, red carpet, circular arch, fresh flowers, and bridal bouquet were all in place. A professional violin team was also playing the wedding march.Although it was a
Michelle was gravely ill, with her vision and hearing failing. Thus, they should be able to deceive her.While Abelin let out a sigh of relief, Merope threw daggers at him. She couldn't believe he was stupid enough to let go of such a good opportunity. She wondered why someone as smart as her would have such a dumb son.As it was almost time for the wedding ceremony, Merope wheeled the sickly Michelle out. Michelle's complexion seemed better than a few days back, perhaps due to the joyful event or the effects of terminal lucidity. Her dull eyes were shining when she saw Abelin and the fake bride on the red carpet.Michelle pursed her lips and asked Merope, "Is he really getting married to Holly?"Merope replied unwillingly, "Yes.""Bring me over to have a look," Michelle ordered. When Merope wheeled her over to the fake bride, Michelle took her reading glasses from her pocket with trembling hands.Abelin held his breath as Michelle eyed the fake bride up and down. He was fear
The moment Bryce reached Calria and got off the plane, he received a call from an unknown number. He took the call with furrowed eyebrows. "Hello. Who are you?"Zenia fumed. "I'm Zenia. Holly and Abelin's wedding is today. Your woman snatched away the man I loved!" She hung up the call after that.Bryce didn't believe her. He tapped into his messages, and several wedding photos came into view. Although the images were not high resolution, one could at least make out the newlywed's features.The groom wearing a suit had striking facial features, and Bryce recognized him as Abelin. Meanwhile, the woman was dressed in a fitted floor-length gown and wore a white veil. Under the thin veil, Bryce could make out her defined features. The woman was none other than Holly.Bryce felt like he had been struck by lightning. His mind went blank, and the hand holding the phone turned cold.He could feel his heart sinking and his blood going cold. Instantly, he felt he got toyed and betrayed
The driver pressed the pedal, made a U-turn, and accelerated. When Holly arrived at the address Tobin sent, she saw two deformed cars at the crash scene. However, she didn't find anyone there.Holly's heart skipped a beat. She could only call Tobin repeatedly. However, the call didn't go through.Bryce and the others didn't own a car, only renting one after they got off the plane. Thus, Holly didn't know which car belonged to them.The driver continued driving a bit further until they came upon a collision between a car and a truck. The car's front end was completely obliterated. The driver was cut in half at the waist, and the person in the back seat was so badly mangled that his face was unrecognizable.A loud roar echoed in Holly's mind as it went blank. Her gaze fell on the man's blood-soaked suit. This was the deep-colored suit that Bryce always wore. The man had long legs. The wrist that was hanging out of the car wore a Patek Philippe Celestial watch.Holly remembered the
After a vigorous round of lovemaking, Holly Sinclair was covered in sweat. Bryce Gabelman didn't hop into the shower like he usually did. Instead, he hugged her from behind so tightly that it seemed as if he wanted to press her into his body. Holly felt like she was going to melt in his arms. She was surprised, nervous, excited, and also a little disconsolate, all at the same time. They had been married for three years, but this was the first time he had ever hugged her like this. She felt deeply loved. Her heart thumped in her chest, and she turned around slowly. Then she tightly hugged him back with a sweet smile on her face. She was on top of the world. They remained that way for a long time. Bryce let go of her, then got dressed and sat up. He took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer and shook one out in a practiced motion. Then, he lit it and took a deep drag. Smoke shrouded him, and his handsome face was obscured by it. She couldn't see his expression clearly
Holly's emotions were all jumbled up, and she didn't know how to answer him.She turned around slowly and looked at Bryce. He didn't smile often, but he had a gorgeous smile when he did. It was as gentle as a spring breeze, and his eyes were as dark as ink but bright as if there were a sea of stars in them. He must be elated because he was about to be with the love of his life. Holly smiled, too, but hers was the smile of the heartbroken. "I hope you're happy, too," she said. Then, she turned and got into the car. The moment the car door closed, tears trickled out of her eyes. She felt as if old wounds had been ripped open before she could even recover from the newest blow, and it made her want to curl up in pain. The driver put her suitcase into the trunk, got in, and started the engine. Bryce watched the car speed off, and his smile stiffened as the light in his eyes grew dim.… Holly reached the Sinclair residence and entered, dragging her suitcase behind her. Pr
Holly went out. Then, she got in the car and put on her safety belt. After a few days apart, Bryce seemed to have lost weight. His face seemed even more chiseled, and he was so handsome that it was hard to look away. Holly realized that she still loved him very much. It was impossible for her to forget him. "Here. This is a present to congratulate you on starting work." Bryce handed over a beautiful, dark blue velvet jewelry box.Holly took it and opened it. It was an antique protective amulet carved from ivory. Amulets like this were known for driving away evil. The amulet was shaped like an old man dressed in a long robe. Its features were simplistic and rough-hewn. The ivory was warm and elegant and seemed to glow. It was exquisite. Holly held the jewelry box and cocked her head to one side at him. She smiled briefly. "Why are you giving me such an expensive present?" Bryce smiled lightly and looked into her eyes. "You restore ancient paintings. It's inevitable th
Samantha's pale, tiny face looked scarily similar to Holly's. She couldn't pinpoint what was similar about them, but there was an immediate resemblance. It would take a second glance to tell them apart. When she looked closely, she saw that Samantha was the frail, feminine version of herself. She had curved eyebrows, and her forehead was wrinkled slightly. She had a button nose and a tiny mouth, and her features seemed fragile. In contrast, Holly was calm and composed, and there was resilience in her. At that moment, Holly realized that she had always been a replacement in Bryce's heart. She laughed at herself. No wonder he had promised to marry her once he saw her. This was the reason. "Bryce, y-you've come, too." Samantha's mother, Quirina Habel, greeted them with a forced smile. Her gaze sharpened as it swept over Holly. Bryce inclined his head in greeting. Quirina walked over to the bed and patted Samantha's shoulder gently. "Samantha, Bryce has come to see