Back at the mansion, Cayden smoked continuously on the huge balcony. His gaze was fixed on the blooming cherry
blossoms in the garden beneath him.
The ivory-white cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their velvety petals perched at the edge of the branches,
swaying in the gentle breeze. As they were blown to the ground, it seemed as though the earth had been covered
in a delicate blanket.
Avery loved flowers, so as a wedding gift, Cayden presented her with a mansion full of blooming flowers.
He wanted it to be a surprise, but alas...
Cayden's eyes grew hooded as he watched the fluttering cherry blossoms. He slowly dropped the cigarette from his
fingers, letting it fall into the ashtray beside him, extinguishing its smoldering embers.
After that, he went to the bedroom and opened the door.
Two middle-aged maids were taking care of Avery.
Seeing his tall figure at the door, they quickly got up and greeted him politely, “Mr. Moore.”
Cayden glanced at Avery's pale face as his heart clenched in agony. “How is she doing?”
One maid reported, “An hour ago, Dr. Sotheby gave Mrs. Moore a shot, and her fever has subsided since then. She
might be exhausted as she's still sleeping soundly...”
Cayden dismissed them with a wave.
Both maids instantly exited the room and shut the door behind them carefully.
By then, Avery and Cayden were the only ones left in the room.
Cayden sat by the edge of the bed and reached out to stroke her cheek.
It was two in the afternoon, so the sun was beaming radiantly, its brilliant rays cascading into the room and bathing
her face in its warm light.
Avery's exquisite face was ashen, and her brows were knitted together, showing that she was in a foul mood.
Avery was accustomed to putting up with whatever came her way and never retaliated. No matter how unjustly she
was treated, she would remain silent and not fight back.
The way she behaved made his heart ache for her.
He felt as though his heart was being pierced with a thousand tiny needles when he remembered how she declined
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthis marriage proposal at the engagement party a few hours ago.
Despite knowing that she most probably did that against her will, he couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted.
Cayden had never wanted to marry anyone until he met her. After falling in love with her, he couldn't wait to make
her his wife.
I remember how delighted she was when we decided to get engaged. What caused her to change her mind?
Cayden stared at Avery fixedly as bitterness spread in his heart.
I want to smoke again.
He quickly dismissed that thought.
Avery didn't like it when he smoked. Ever since she got pregnant, she had grown to detest the pungent smell of
cigarettes. Thus, Cayden slowly quit smoking. Despite his heavy addiction to cigarettes, he made the conscious
effort to quit and only smoked occasionally when he was stressed out from work or felt frustrated.
He was determined to investigate the truth no matter what.
His gaze landed on Avery, who was lying in bed, looking like a fragile doll.
Bending down to her, he planted a tender kiss on her lips and whispered in her ear, “What made you change your
mind and suddenly refuse to marry me? I have made up my mind to make you my wife, and I will never let you go.”
He slowly deepened the kiss, carefully parting her lips with his own. His initial gentle kiss gradually transformed into
something more passionate as the moment lingered on.
Avery was rudely woken by his kiss.
Forcing herself to open her eyes, she immediately spotted Cayden, bathed in the warm sunlight. He looked
exceptionally handsome to her.
Suddenly, Avery recalled how lost and heartbroken he looked after she rejected him cruelly back at the
engagement party.
Memories of the past came flooding back into her mind, and she was promptly wide awake. Anxiety and guilt were
etched on the lines of her face.
“I'm sorry. I'm sorry...” Avery apologized profusely, guilt and agony evident in her gaze.
Cayden was right in front of her, but she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes.
“It's fine.” Gently, Cayden forced her to turn around to look at him and gave her a tender kiss on her forehead.
“I've always been lenient with you, no matter what you've done wrong. I could never bring myself to scold you.”
Avery looked down silently.
“Avery,” Cayden called out her name softly as if he was trying to soothe a child who was feeling upset. His voice
was filled with tenderness and love as he implored, “Promise me you'll never leave my side.”
Avery's lashes stopped trembling as she gawked at him.
I humiliated him in public. Why isn't he upset at all?
Avoiding his gaze, she closed her eyes and stammered, “I-I'm sorry, but I can't...”
Instead of flying into a rage, Cayden placed both arms on the bed.
Trailing kisses all over her lips, he asked softly, “Why?”
Cayden knew he was obsessed with her.
The world he was living in was dull and uninteresting until they met. From that moment on, his life was filled with
more color than he had ever thought possible. He could not bear the thought of Avery leaving him.
Avery curled up in his arms like an animal without a sense of security.
A turmoil of emotions swirled in her heart as she tightened her arms around him.
Cayden's muffled voice rang out. “Ery, no matter what, I'll be here. Don't be afraid.”
Avery nearly burst into tears upon hearing that, for she realized the impact of her rejection on him.
After pulling out the knife that was stabbed in her heart, she steeled herself and then thrust it with all her strength
into his chest. Despite her remorse, she saw no other path to take.
Avery knew he was hurting, as so was she.
The agony was so intense that she felt an overwhelming urge to writhe and cry out in agony.
She peered out of the window, her gaze settling on the beauty of the spring season.
Rays of sunshine illuminated the landscape as she took in the beautiful flowers and lush green leaves.
Gripping Cayden's arm, Avery replied weakly, “Please don't force me, okay?”
She couldn't bring herself to tell him about the disk, and she didn't want to put him in a difficult spot.
The woman specifically reminded me to keep Cayden in the dark about the disk, warning me that if he were to find
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmout, she would not hesitate to hand it over to the Department of Justice, as well as expose its contents to the media.
If that were to happen, the consequences would be too great for us to bear.
Cayden hugged Avery tightly. “Okay, I won't force you. Get some rest. I'll stay here with you.”
His sharp brows arched unbeknownst to Avery.
A while ago, he had ordered Xavier to look into Avery's whereabouts for the past few days.
If everything proceeded without any hiccups or disruptions, the results of the investigation would be available the
next day.
At the Lambert residence, Bonnie couldn't help but admire Nicole's closet. It was not only much larger than her
bedroom, but it was also beautifully organized and furnished in an elegant fashion.
The rows of dazzling, fashionable clothing, stylish shoes, high-end designer handbags, and beautiful accessories
overwhelmed her vision.
“You did a good job, Bonnie.”
Nicole observed the greed in Bonnie's eyes.
However, she put on a gentle and sincere look. “Avery rejected Cayden's proposal in public and humiliated the
Moore family. Cayden is now the laughingstock of the town. Even if he insists on marrying her, the Moore family will
not accept Avery as they value their pride and dignity. I'm ecstatic with the outcome. As a gesture of my
appreciation, you're free to take any of my garments, handbags, accessories, and shoes that you wish. Please, help
yourself.”
Bonnie wanted nothing more than to pounce on the items in Nicole's wardrobe, but she held herself back and
flashed an ingratiating smile. “Nickie, are you sure?”
Despite being part of the Bennett family, she faced an unfortunate reality of oppression due to her illegitimate
status. Her siblings and the legitimate wife of the family had always treated her harshly. Her allowance was pitifully
small that she never had the opportunity to purchase any extravagant or lavish items.
Bonnie was overjoyed as Nicole graciously allowed her to choose from the selection of items in her wardrobe, many
of which were brand new and still had the original tags attached.
“Of course!” Nicole responded with a chuckle. Without warning, she changed her tone and curled her lips into a
smirk. “However, I'll need your help with something...”