After Alaric and Vespera left, Mr. Thornfield exploded with anger at Yvonne. He never imagined that Vespera had grown so quickly and quietly. Not only was she now a renowned designer, but her connection to Alaric Strider alone was enough to outshine most of the city's socialites.He should have planned carefully for this hidden gem in the family, helping her shine even brighter. Instead, he had listened to Yvonne's one-sided story, causing Vespera to leave the family in despair. Now, what use was Yvonne? She had accomplished absolutely nothing!He glared furiously at Yvonne and shouted, "You ungrateful child! I don't care how you do it, but bring Vespera back home!""Dad, she's nobody! I'm the real Thornfield daughter!" Yvonne protested, unwilling to comply. All her life, she had only bullied Vespera, never having to appease her."You, a Thornfield daughter? What have you done besides embarrass our family? If you don't bring her back, don't bother coming home yourself!" her father sla
As the dinner wound down, Vespera barely touched her wine. She'd never been much of a drinker, especially with her health issues. Alaric, on the other hand, was knocking them back like there was no tomorrow. He kept going on about how happy he was, though God knows what about. Lately, he'd been grinning at Vespera like a lovesick puppy.After the meal, Vespera started clearing the table. Alaric followed her around like a lost puppy, chattering away. When she went to the kitchen, he was right behind her. Same story in the living room. Finally, Vespera ducked into the bathroom and shut the door in his face with a satisfying thud.Alaric rubbed his nose, still grinning like an idiot. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled this much.Once everything was tidied up, it was time for Alaric to head home. But he was pretty buzzed, and Vespera didn't want him driving. She thought about calling an Uber, but they were in a dead zone. She tried reaching out to her family's driver, no luck.
Zane raced upstairs and kicked open the bedroom door. He yanked at Alaric's blanket, shouting, "Bro! Wake up!"Alaric grunted and rolled over, ignoring him. Struck by inspiration, Zane dashed to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of ice. He returned and shoved it straight into Alaric's bed. Then...A pig-like squeal echoed through the house. Zane shrugged. What's the big deal? Aurora used to wake Jay up like this all the time.Alaric leapt out of bed and hurled the ice bag at Zane's face. "You little punk! Are you out of your mind?"Zane peeled off the ice and tossed Alaric his phone. "Your girlfriend called. I'm just looking out for you, ungrateful jerk!"Alaric: "..."Was life even worth living anymore? Getting pushed around by Heath and Lysander outside, then tormented by his idiot brother at home.Alaric scrolled through his phone. "What did she say?""Nothing much. She was looking for you, but I told her you were sleeping, so she hung up." Zane headed downstairs with the ice bag.Alar
Though Vespera kept insisting she wasn't hurt and Elowen hadn't grabbed her too roughly, Alaric still anxiously examined her hand before finally relaxing."Alaric, I..." Elowen trailed off, irritated by how attentive Alaric was being towards Vespera. She had initially thought Yvonne and Evelyn were exaggerating about Alaric's sudden devotion to Vespera. After all, how could he move on so quickly after being infatuated with her for years? Even if it was just a fleeting interest, surely it couldn't have progressed this far?But witnessing this scene firsthand, Elowen finally believed it. Apparently, men really could change their hearts that quickly - claiming not to like her anymore and immediately lavishing all that tender affection on someone else.Alaric looked at Elowen, who now appeared utterly pitiful - a far cry from her earlier harsh demeanor towards Vespera. He felt disappointed, even questioning whether he had ever truly known Elowen. Who was she really? How many faces did she
Vespera stared at the photos on the phone, flipping through them repeatedly. They weren't photoshopped or edited—Alaric was wearing the same jacket he had on earlier today. These were definitely taken after she'd told him to go home and rest. Confusion clouded her face as she looked up at Yvonne, wanting to ask something but not knowing where to start.Yvonne smirked. "See it clearly now? You didn't actually think Alaric was serious about you, did you? I saw him cuddling up with Elowen today with my own eyes. Everyone in the city knows Alaric's been in love with Elowen for years. Did you really think he'd just get over her like that?"Vespera closed her eyes briefly before handing the phone back to Yvonne. "You're just trying to come between us. You think I'd actually believe this?""Me? Coming between you?" Yvonne laughed. "Why don't you call Alaric yourself and ask if he's with Elowen right now? Face it, Vespera, you're a joke. Cinderella ending up with the prince is just a fairy ta
Alaric turned to look at Elowen, who was being helped over by a nurse. He felt a bit exasperated - why did it seem like Elowen had been clinging to him more and more lately? Didn't she dislike him?"Are you leaving, Alaric?" Elowen asked, limping towards him.Alaric nodded. "Did you get the results? How is it?"Elowen smiled. "Nothing serious. Just a sprain. The doctor said I'll be fine after a few days of rest. Thanks for bringing me to the hospital.""No problem, it's the least I could do." Alaric seemed distracted. He really didn't want to keep talking with Elowen. He felt uneasy and exhausted, not wanting to keep up this charade. The guilt was making him anxious."Alaric, what's wrong?" Elowen asked, noticing his spaced-out expression.Alaric snapped back to reality and shook his head. "It's nothing. I should get going."Elowen grabbed his arm, looking down. "Could you take me home? It's not easy for me to manage alone like this."Alaric glanced at his watch, hesitating. He was to
Vespera frowned as she watched Quinn saunter around her living room like he owned the place. "Quinn, how did you find out where I live?"Quinn flashed a sly grin. "I went to your family house. Yvonne told me."Vespera's eyes darkened. Why would Yvonne willingly give Quinn her address? She was definitely up to no good. "If you don't have any business here, you should leave. I'm busy.""Come on, V," Quinn said with a simpering smile. "Remember what I asked you last time? About hooking me up with Alaric?""I—""You can't say you don't have any pull with him anymore," Quinn interrupted, stepping closer. "Word on the street is that Alaric absolutely adores you. Just help a guy out, will you?"Vespera stepped back, irritated. She opened the door. "Please leave. I already told you I can't help with this.""V!" Quinn grabbed her arm. "Just this once! I promise I'll never bother you again!""No!" Vespera said firmly."Have you forgotten how good I was to you back in the day?" Quinn pressed.Be
Alaric shook his head with a bitter laugh. How could he even begin to explain this? He, the golden boy of the formidable Strider family, had been cheated on by a girl who wasn't even out of college yet?After all his devoted care and attention, he still couldn't measure up to her childhood sweetheart? Even though that guy was married now, Vespera couldn't let him go? The very thought was too humiliating for Alaric to voice aloud.Staying silent, Alaric threw back drink after drink until he was thoroughly sloshed. His tongue loosened by the alcohol, he muttered, "Vespera's just... taking advantage 'cause she knows I... love her. If it was any other girl, I wouldn't give 'em the time of day!"Lysander sighed. "Dude, that's exactly what you said about Elowen before."Alaric smashed a bottle on the ground, cursing. "That loser! What's his name again? I swear I'll beat him to a pulp!"As Alaric rolled up his sleeves and made to storm out, Lysander grabbed him and tossed him back onto the c