Chapter NineN
Faced with Farrah’s confrontation, Larkin simply replied, “Dionne is my wife.”
A mocking smile suddenly twisted across Farrah’s face. Her bitter expression turned almost unrecognizable.
“She’s your wife? Then what am I?” she demanded, pointing to herself. “What exactly do you take our relationship for?“W
“You once told me you’d take responsibility for me, Larkin.” She stared at him, trying to see in his eyes the same man who made the promise to him. “Are you going back on your word now?”
A deep sigh escaped her lips. “Have you forgotten? It was me who saved you when we were kids. You promised you’d love me and only me for the rest of your life. You said that yourself!“N
Larkin’s body tensed. He couldn’t say a word.
He had failed Dionne–and he had betrayed Farrah, too.
Those words she reminder him… He had indeed said them.§
Back then, he’d been bullied and pushed into the pool.
By the time he woke up, he was already in the hospital. The staff told him it was a Willoughbys‘ daughter who saved him.
During his recovery, it was Farrah who came to care for him every single day.
From that moment on, Larkin believed she was the one he would marry.
The year he graduated, he planned the most extravagant proposal of the entire season. But Farrah left the states for a foreign country without warning or explanation.
While everyone else waited to see him fall flat on his face, it was Dionne who stepped forward, bearing the pressure and saying, “Larkin, I Tike you. I’ve liked you for years. Will you marry me?”
He didn’t give her an answer. He just signaled his men to take everything down.
After that, everyone who saw or heard Dionne getting rejected gossiped about her for a full month.
The following month, her father came to Larkin personally, saying Dionne had truly liked him for many years–and asking if he could give her a chance.}
At the time, Larkin’s parents were pushing blind dates on him. If he had to marry a stranger, he figured he might as well choose Dionne. Even after they got married, Larkin insisted it be kept secret.
He made it clear—when he wanted to end the marriage, Dionne was not to stand in his way.
From the beginning, he had treated her as a stand–in for Farrah.§
It wasn’t until she dumped him that he realized–he had long since fallen for her.
Snapping back to the present, Larkin’s gaze darkened.§
“It’s true, Farrah. Back then, you were the one I cared about most.” He nodded at her, and then he shook his head. “But you left. You were the one who broke the promise between us.“>
He took her hand, squeezing it as he carefully chose his words. “Farrah, after all we’ve been through, even if we can’t be lovers, we can still be close friends.”
Farrah’s lips parted, but Larkin let go of her hand. “Dionne ran away from home because of all this. I’m going to find her and explain everything. But for now, it’s not appropriate for you to stay at here. Go pack your things. I’ll take you back to your parents‘ place later.“} Just like that, in a few short sentences, Larkin had drawn a clear line between him and his first love.
Meanwhile, Brixton’s private jet touched down on a vast estate nestled in the hills of Montpelier.
The cabin door opened to a sharp breeze and rolling green that stretched endlessly in every direction. Dionne, still pale from the flight, swayed on her feet the moment she tried to stand.
Without hesitation, Brixton scooped her up into his arms.
The estate that unfolded before them was nothing short of staggering. Endless fields, ivy–covered stone, a mansion that looked more like a historic landmark than a home. Dionne blinked, barely able to process it.
“Damn,” she whispered. “I knew you were rich, but I didn’t know you were this rich.”
She glanced around, trying to take it all in. This one estate alone had to be worth more than everything the Willoughbys and the Jablonskis had put together.
Brixton’s brow lifted. “Who said this was mine?“>
He shifted her weight slightly in his arms and tilted his head toward the estate. “This,” he said, “is your home.”}
Before she could even react to that, two figures appeared from the far end of the stone path.
They were still a distance away, but Dionne recognized them instantly–her biological parents.
“Dionne! Sweetheart!” the woman cried out.
She ran the rest of the way and threw her arms around Dionne, clinging to her like someone afraid to let go. Tears soaked through Dionne’s jacket as she held on.
“You’re finally home… my baby.”
The words cracked with years of longing.
For a heartbeat, Dionne stood frozen. All her life with the Willoughbys, she’d been easy to overlook.
7:08 PM S
For a heartbeat, Dionne stood frozen. All her life with the Willoughbys, she’d been easy to overlook.M
No one had ever run to her like this.
No one had ever held her like she mattered.
Her throat tightened. The sting behind her eyes crept in faster than she could fight it off.”
Her voice wavered. “M–Mom… I’m home now. And this time…” She swallowed hard. “This time, I’m not leaving.”}
