Chapter 6
Meanwhile, I had returned to my family home. Facing Grandpa’s concern, I felt my nose tingling, tears nearly
falling.
After chatting with Grandpa for a while, I returned to my room and turned on my phone, seeing a flood of missed calls and messages–all from Dominic.
“Aria, where’re you? I know you’re angry, but I can explain.”
“If you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. Just answer my call and listen to me, please? Don’t make me worry about not finding you.”
“Did you go home? If you don’t respond, I’m coming to look for you there.”
“Aria, come home when you’ve calmed down, okay? Remember what we planned? I’ll propose under a sky full of fireworks. Come home soon, please?”
My finger paused on this message, unable to scroll further.
A proposal under a sky full of fireworks–how could I forget?
Three years ago, the night before Dominic was to leave, Riverdale had a fireworks show. We stood by the empty riverbank, watching the fireworks bloom across the sky.
Seeing how much I enjoyed it, Dominic leaned close to my ear and whispered:
“When I return from my mission, I’ll give you your own rain of fireworks. Under those fireworks, I’ll propose and make you my wife.”
Dominic’s eyes were filled with burning love. The fireworks reflected in his pupils, dazzlingly bright.
I smiled at him, standing on tiptoe to whisper in his ear:
“It’s a promise then. You’ll give me my own fireworks, and propose to me beneath them.”
I smiled bitterly now, snapping the SIM card in half.
Counting back, Vivian was already pregnant when Dominic made that promise.
I had no interest in promises built on lies.
Grandpa’s voice came from outside the door.
“The Thornton family has sent a car for you. Would you like to meet Julian?”
I composed myself, stood up, walked out the door, and got into the Thornton family’s car.
Julian was, as rumored, indeed “mentally challenged.”
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Chapter 6
But he was also different from the rumors. He wasn’t deranged or feeble–minded–he simply didn’t like to speak.
When he first saw me, something sparkled in Julian’s eyes, almost like tears, though perhaps I imagined it.
My wedding to Julian was set for two months later.
During this time, I declined all company business, focusing solely on being with Julian–partly to avoid Dominic, and partly to build a relationship with Julian.
While Julian and I lived our quiet days together, Dominic was nearly going insane.
He had stopped handling his organization’s affairs, spending all his time at home.
After a full week, Dominic finally had his deputy bring Vivian to see him.
Vivian assumed Dominic had calmed down. After all, they shared a child. She couldn’t believe he would truly ignore her, so she happily accepted the invitation.
“Dom, you’ve finally come to your senses! Has Miss Bailey contacted you? I told you she wouldn’t really break up with you.”
“I was right all along. Women like her…”
Before she could finish, Dominic grabbed her hair violently, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words.
Seeing Dominic’s fierce expression, Vivian finally felt afraid.
“Dom, what’re you doing? Dom, it’s me, Vivi. Don’t do this. You’re scaring me…”
Dominic’s face was ashen, his grip on Vivian’s hair tightening as he spoke with a voice cold as death.
“Scared? Vivian, you would even harm your own son. You actually know fear?”
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
