As an orphan, Callie felt touched that someone cared enough to go to such lengths for her.Gratitude washed over her, evident in the smile that graced her lips.Leona, sensing Callie’s thoughts, couldn’t help but tease her. ‘Oh, Mrs Westwood, that smile on your face tells me you’re thinking about Elias again.’Blushing furiously, Callie struggled to find the right words. ‘I... well, it’s not what you think...’Leona chuckled, deciding not to embarrass Callie further. ‘Now, let’s head back to the apartment. Grab your purse and whatever else you need, and I’ll take you straight to the wedding venue. Elias should be there by now, if his schedule permits.’Callie nodded, her heart pounding with anticipation as they returned to the apartment to collect her purse and the wedding invitation.The next stop was Club Solara, where the grand wedding was in full swing.As Callie stepped out of the car, her eyes widened in awe.The clubhouse was a luxurious outdoor sanctuary nestled amidst lush gr
Simon’s frown deepened, his tone laced with sneering mockery. ‘So now you’re acting all innocent after purposely seducing me? Coming here, dressed like that, smiling at me? Callie, you’ve changed! Who was the man you were fooling around with when I came to see you the other night?’Callie’s eyes flashed with indignation as she defended herself. ‘It’s none of your d*mn business! And I wasn’t trying to seduce you! Get over yourself!’Simon’s mouth twisted into a menacing smirk. ‘I thought you were just being shy when you refused to sleep with me. But it seems you’re nothing more than a deceitful b*tch pretending to be virtuous. What? You claim I treated you poorly? Well, now I understand, it’s you who should be begging for forgiveness! I bet you’d already shamelessly spread your legs to seduce another man! Tell me, who is he?’Callie’s eyes narrowed, her anger bubbling just beneath the surface.How dare he?He was the one who betrayed her, the one who cheated on her.Yet he had the auda
Simon muttered through gritted teeth, ‘I won’t forget this!’Elias paid no attention to Simon’s words, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.The power, wealth, status, and even fighting skills Elias possessed far surpassed anything Simon could ever hope to achieve.Callie understood this disparity all too well.Still reeling from the chaos, Callie found herself being swept away by Elias, their hands entwined.She managed to utter his name, but before she could continue, Elias fixed her with a stern gaze.‘Callista Hawthorne, are you drunk, or are you just being stupid?’ Elias’s voice dripped with frustration.Confused, Callie asked, ‘What do you mean?’Elias’s frustration only deepened. ‘When that man was about to strike you, were you planning to just stand there and take it?’His intense gaze bore into her almond-shaped eyes.Callie stared back at him innocently, still trying to process his words.‘If I hadn’t arrived in time, your face would have been a bloody mess.’ His tone was
Stuart didn’t offer an explanation, but wore a wide smile as he approached Elias.Raising his glass, he greeted him with flattery. ‘Lieutenant Colonel Westwood, I’m so glad to see you here! When I sent you the invitation, I thought your busy schedule might prevent you from attending. I’m so honoured you’d find the time to come.’Stuart’s words dripped with adulation, attempting to win Elias’s favour.Elias, however, took another casual sip of his wine, seemingly unimpressed by the praise.His response was nonchalant. ‘I happened to have some free time.’Had it not been for Callie’s sake, he would have tossed the wedding invitation in the trash.Elias’s stand-offish attitude did nothing to dampen Stuart’s enthusiasm.If anything, it spurred him on.He nudged Abby forward. ‘Colonel Westwood, allow me to introduce my daughter, Abby Colman. She also works at Rosedale Hospital and was part of the team that treated your wounded soldiers.’Elias acknowledged Stuart’s introduction with a curt
Elias continued as if he was oblivious. ‘By the way, I’m here today purely because of her. She wanted to witness the joy of a newlywed couple, so I decided to come with her.’His words hit like a shockwave, leaving the three of them stunned.Abby, in particular, was dumbfounded.She had never considered Callie a real threat.To her, defeating Callie was child’s play, whether it meant stealing her boyfriend or sabotaging her research paper by bribing the editors.She had assumed that Callie wouldn’t dare to attend the wedding.And if she did, she would be a pitiful sight, crushed under Abby’s triumph.But she had never imagined that Callie would show up with Elias by her side.Hadn’t Callie been abandoned by Simon?And why on earth would a remarkable man like Lieutenant Colonel Westwood fall in love with her?Among the three, Stuart was the first to regain his composure.He snapped back to reality and forced a smile. ‘Callie, how in the world did you manage to keep your relationship wi
‘Yeah.’ Callie giggled. ‘I was going to say sycophantic, but your word works too. And with you by my stand, he lost his arrogant air to me as well.’She grinned. ‘Now I understand why everybody likes to make friends with big shots.’‘So I’m a big shot?’‘Of course!’ Callie nodded eagerly. ‘One of the biggest I know!’Not only was he a big shot, he was also a man of his word.He promised he’d stand up for her and help her exact revenge on those who’d wronged her, and he did.‘I really can’t thank you enough,’ Callie said again, sincerely.Elias lowered his head, gazing at her. ‘I said I’ll protect you and keep you safe.’She might not remember what happened three years ago, but he would never forget it.This young woman deserved his protection for the rest of his life.Upon hearing this, Callie’s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushing with an alluring shade of crimson.The air was filled with the enchanting melody of a waltz, the open-air garden illuminated by the soft glow of twink
Abby’s eyes burned with resentment.Why did Callie get to have such an amazing man for a husband?Simon was oblivious to their conversation, as his gaze was fixated on Callie, who was beaming with happiness.His eyes were filled with darkness and coldness, a storm brewing behind a calm façade.The Colman family all watched Elias and Callie on the dance floor, lost in their own thoughts.But those two dancing souls seemed unaffected by anyone else’s opinions.They were completely engrossed in the enchanting melody.When the song came to an end, Callie looked at Elias and grinned. ‘How did you become such a fantastic dancer? I thought you only knew how to fight.’‘In addition to dancing, I can do plenty of other things.’ Elias’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘In the future, I’ll show you just how versatile I am.’Was that a promise?Callie smiled and nodded at Elias. ‘I look forward to it.’The day was perfect; she was on top of the world.Suddenly, staying here felt like a waste of time
Gripping his arm, tears streaming down her face, Callie finally burst out, ‘Elias, were you planning to hide all of this if I hadn’t noticed? Were you going to pretend as if nothing happened?’‘How can you do this?’ Her voice quivered with a mix of anger and pain.‘My body, my choice. If I say it’s nothing, then these injuries are nothing to me,’ Elias replied nonchalantly.‘How can you call this “nothing”?’ Callie’s voice wavered, her lip trembling. ‘Do you think I’m blind? This... If this isn’t something to you, then what is? You’re clearly hurt, in more than one place, yet you still came to Simon’s wedding when you should’ve been lying in a hospital bed.’‘I made a promise.’‘What?’‘I promised you that I would come, that I would be by your side, protecting you and not allowing anyone to harm you.’ A resolute gleam flickered in Elias’s eyes. ‘Once I make a promise, I always keep it.’Callie stared at him, open-mouthed.She had agreed to marry him on an impulse, and legally, she was