Chapter 3
Back in the main hall, Samuel Vincent had sobered up slightly and started lecturing me, saying that men are all the same–if you forgive them once, they’ll do it again. He urged me not to let my guard down and take him back.
I stared at Samuel, searching his face for even the slightest hint of jealousy.
Unfortunately, there was none.
Throughout the evening, I drank a lot more, and Samuel assumed I was still upset about
my ex.
Watching the concern in his eyes, my heart ached. This feeling of loving someone who doesn’t love you back–it’s unbearable.
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That night, outside my apartment.
Samuel leaned in to unbuckle my seatbelt. Maybe it was the beauty of the moonlight, or maybe it was the alcohol, but I cupped his face–the one I had dreamed of countless times–and kissed him deeply.
My eyelashes trembled as I shut my eyes, too afraid to see his reaction.
His lips were cold, carrying a faint scent of lavender.
“Evelyn Martin!”
Samuel suddenly pushed me away. I
opened my eyes to see him staring at me in disbelief.
His stiffness cut through my heart like a dull
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knife–slow, unrelenting, and painfully deep.
“Why did you betray me? Why did you cheat?”
Like a drunk fool, I threw myself into Samuel’s arms, my tears soaking through his shirt.
He sighed. “Oh, Evelyn, why are you doing this to yourself?”
With a helpless expression, Samuel carried me inside and gently laid me on the bed. Before leaving, he even tucked me in.
Did he really see me as nothing more than a stubborn child?
I thought that after tonight, at the very least, he would start avoiding me. But he didn’t. Samuel continued handling all the messy
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affairs at the company for me as if nothing had happened.
Just when I was foolishly plotting how to win him over, Samuel hit me with a harsh reality check.
“This is Liam Hale. He’s about your age.”
My heart plummeted.
Samuel, do you even realize how cruel you’re being?
After a strained, awkward meeting, I confronted Samuel about why he was in such a rush to set me up with someone else.
“Evelyn, he’s a good man. He can help you in the future.”
“I don’t need his help.”
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“Evelyn.”
Samuel grabbed my arm, his tone unreadable.
“I’ll be leaving soon. I can’t always be around to take care of you.”
I stared at him in a daze before forcing a bitter smile. “As you wish.”
Liam asked to meet me alone. The first thing he said when we sat down was:
“You like Samuel, don’t you?”
My composure cracked. Without thinking, I shot back, “What, do you like him too?”
Liam: …
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“He has a fiancée. He’s getting married. Did you know that?”
“He’s getting married?”
A sharp pain tore through my chest. So that’s why he was so eager to push me away -because he was marrying Sophia.
Seeing the despair on my face, Liam hesitated before sighing.
“You’re better than this.”
Maybe it was the years of suppression, but at that moment, I completely broke down.
“Yes, he’s my savior. I shouldn’t be like this. I hate myself for what I’ve done. But what can I do? I love him. He walked into my life so silently, then left so cruelly, leaving behind a mark that will never fade.”
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Liam was a gentleman, letting me vent all my emotions without interruption. After a while, he handed me a cup of hot tea.
“If your late parents saw you like this, do you know how much it would hurt them? Maybe… it’s time for you to start living differently.””
His gaze was gentle, his voice calm.
I narrowed my eyes. “And what about you? What’s your goal in all this?”
Liam was momentarily stunned. Then, he let out a soft chuckle and said with a smirk, “A partnership of equals.”
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