Chapter 30 Welcome Home
At seven p.m., Iliana’s flight touched down smoothly at Baycastle Airport.
She retrieved her suitcase from the carousel and followed Gregory’s instructions to Exit A.
After three years away, the airport had changed somewhat. It took her a while to find the exit.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips. She resolved never to leave on a whim again.
Suddenly, a familiar male voice called from behind.
“Welcome home, Iliana.”
She turned to see Gregory, her nose stinging with emotion.
Though she’d only returned to the family at fifteen, they’d treated her well.
These past three years, she’d truly missed home.
Dressed casually in shorts, Gregory looked refreshingly boyish.
With a warm smile, he pulled Iliana into his hug.
“Don’t be reckless anymore. Mom and Dad have been worried,” he said gruffly when he released her, confiscating her luggage handle.
Warmth surged through Iliana. She nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
0.00%
05:56
Chapter 30 Welcome Home
288 (Voucher
From today onward, she’d leave everything that happened in Whiteville behind.
Iliana slid into the passenger seat, tucking windblown hair behind her ears. She stared at Gregory and asked curiously, “So who’s my fiancé?”
“Relax, he’s rather handsome,” Gregory teased, adding playfully. “I think he edges out Bryson in the looks department.”
Knowing young girls always prioritize a man’s appearance, he deliberately emphasized this point.
“Which family’s golden child?” she pressed.
“Secret. But you’ll find out soon enough.”
Gregory grinned like a kid hiding a surprise birthday gift, clearly enjoying her frustration.
When he clamped his mouth shut with exaggerated resolve, Iliana gave
- up.
Fine.
It didn’t matter anyway. The outcome was set in stone. She’d marry whoever her family chose, whether she knew his name or not.
***
Whiteville.
Bryson sat alone at the table. He once again unlocked his phone to check if he’d missed any calls or messages.
The screen mocked him with sterile emptiness. Not a single call from anyone, let alone any texts.
14.53%
05:56
Chapter 30 Welcome Home
288 vouchers
A sudden laugh escaped his lips, his almond–shaped eyes glinting with a hint of danger.
“Iliana Carson,” he muttered. “You really know how to crank up the drama.”
Yesterday she’d asked him to dine at this restaurant, but he hadn’t shown up. Feeling guilty for neglecting her, he planned to take the initiative today.
But who would’ve thought she’d start throwing a tantrum again?
She was so troublesome.
Noticing he’d been sitting there for quite some time, the waiter approached and warmly inquired, “Refill your coffee, sir? You’ve been
here a while.”
“Yeah, thank you.”
Bryson replied casually, his fingers tapping away on his phone’s keyboard before ultimately deleting everything.
An inexplicable wave of panic surged in his chest, that vexing emotion sweeping through his nerves.
It was as if something was gradually slipping beyond his control.
After waiting a while longer, the sky had completely darkened. Bryson took a deep breath and dialed her number.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable…”
The automated voice pierced the silence. His pulse stuttered.
Several calls went unanswered. A vein throbbed at his temple. The
30.38%
05:56
Chapter 30 Welcome Home
11
289 vorhers
charming smile he’d worn all day twisted into something feral, his eyes flat and glacial.
“You better stop this cute little rebellion, Iliana,” Bryson hissed to the empty seat.
He drained his coffee in one gulp, stood up, and headed straight home.
Bryson stormed through the penthouse, his knuckles whitening around the phone.
Outside Iliana’s guest room, he paused, fingers brushing the doorknob before he abruptly jerked his hand away.
He had to admit, Iliana’s tantrum this time had indeed had some effect. He’d let her games rattle him.
But there was a limit to his patience.
Just then, the front door clicked open.
A gentle voice rang out. “Brys, let’s go out for French dinner tonight. There’s this restaurant…”
Bryanna’s voice died in her throat.
She found Bryson standing before that door, shadows pooling in her
eyes.
He was still thinking about Iliana?
She had already gone back to Baycastle.
It seemed she needed to add fuel to the fire.
Bryanna’s voice dipped into wounded honey. “Maybe… maybe I should
47.82%
05:56
Chapter 30 Welcome Home
295 (Vouchers
move out. Let Iliana come home. She still resents me so deeply after all this time. I only have you, Bry, but I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
By the end, tears were streaming down Bryanna’s face. That delicate vulnerable look she’d perfected would make guys rush to comfort her.
Bryson descended the stairs. He cupped her face with featherlight fingers, blotting her tears with a handkerchief.
His gaze locked onto her eyes.
Those eyes mirrored Iliana’s in five or six points of resemblance, bright and captivating, as if they could speak.
“Don’t be absurd. You don’t need to leave. Iliana’s childish tantrums- pushing you into the pool, these endless dramas–prove how spoiled she’s become under my leniency, and you shouldn’t bear the consequences.”
Bryson’s voice, always gentle, sounded exceptionally soothing when comforting others.
Bryanna looked at him, suddenly throwing her arms around Bryson’s waist.
Tears streamed down her face like rain. “Bryson, promise me you won’t ache for her,” she whispered against his chest. “Please?”
He didn’t respond.
He simply inhaled the faint fragrance of pear blossoms from her, feeling his agitation and unease slowly melt away.
She continued, “You know my only wish is for you to always be happy. If my presence can bring you joy, then I’m content.”
63.24%
05:56
Chapter 30 Welcome Home
288 (Vouchers
Bryson heaved a sigh.
Sometimes, the difference between people lay in these little details.
Iliana, relying on his affection, fearlessly threw tantrums like a princess, always pushing him to lower his boundaries and give in first.
But Bryanna was different. Considerate and generous, she always prioritized his emotions and well–being before anything else.
His hand drifted to her hair, fingers combing through silk strands with counterfeit tenderness. “If only she’d possessed your grace,” he murmured, his voice dripping liquid honey, “we might’ve avoided this spectacle.”
“Will you go after her then?”
“No.” The warmth in Bryson’s voice from moments ago was now tinged with a chill. “It’s time she grew up. Once she realizes I won’t always indulge her tantrums, she’ll come back.”
Here, Iliana could only rely on him.
Even if she rented a place outside, so what?
Without a salary to pay rent, she’d be back within a month.
Bryanna leaned against Bryson’s chest, listening to the beat of his heart. The tears in her eyes receded, replaced by a self–satisfied smile.
“Iliana, I won’t let you take Bryanna away again,” she thought to herself.
82.73%
05:56
