Chapter 15
de went abroad. I’m going to pick her up now” Tiny’s voice was low but steady i
“Be sure to bring her home for dinner when you retum,” Mr. Green said warmly over the phone “That gut is throughtful Just last month, mentioned offhand how I missed the old tea set from my youth, and she went out of her way y to find a vintage one at an auction. Your mother’s been struggling with insomnia, and she’s been quielly accompanying her to acupuncture every week.“)
Troy stiffened, his hand frozen on the doorknich
eyes wer
As he stepped out the door, the housekeeper walked in hurriedly, followed by the bodyguard–Bianca trailing behind them. Her e bloodshot, her makeup smeared from a night of crying. The moment she saw him, she dashed forward and clung to his arm, frembling “Troy! Don’t leave… please,” she begged, her voice cracking “Let’s just forget about yesterday, Let’s not end like this, okay?“k
Troy looked down at her, his expression calms but uuendable 21
“Then go tell our parents about us. Publicly Admit everything!
Bianca froze. Her grip on his arm faltered, and slowly, her fingers slipped away. She bit her lip, nyen flickering with hesitation
Troy gently removed her hand. “Bianca. I’ve indulged you enough. But love without dignity? I won’t do it anymore. I’ve already chosen your fiancée. From now on, we’re just siblings again. Nothing more.“))–
His words were soft but firm–unshakable. “When I bring Thalia back, you are not allowed to touch hepiver again. I will never take your side again.”
He tumed and walked out without so much as a glance back, his tall figure disappearing into the driveway as Danca collapsed in silent
sobs!
The twelve hour flight felt endless. Troy didn’t sleep. He couldn’t, instead, he salt rigid in his seat, houted by memories–Thalia’s laughter, the glow in her eyes, the countless times she reached for him and he didn’t reach back..
He had brought gifts–her favorite chocolates, the perfume she always wore, a velvet box of jewelry she once admired but never bought )).
And a new wedding ring. He rented a car the moment he landed in New Zealand, driving straight to the villa where Thalia was slaying. according to his assistant’s intel
The sun was shining. The streets blurred past, but his mind only replayed possible reunion scenes/
Maybe she would cry when she saw him. Maybe she’d demand to know why he only came now.
Or maybe just maybe she would smile like she used to and say, “You finally came”
But all his imagined scenarios shattered the moment be parked in front of the villa
As Troy reached for the door handle, he froze
In the garden, just past the low stone fence, he saw her..
Thalia. Wearing the red dress he once told her was too bold. Her long hair caught the bronze, her arms looped tightly around a man’s neck. The man leaned down and kissed her long, deep, unrestrained.)
Sunlight wrapped around them like a spotlight She looked free. She looked like the Thalia he first met years ago, before she became the quiet careful woman shaped by his silence.}
Troy gripped the door handle so tightly his knuckles tumed white
His breath hitched. A cold flame of jealousy surged through his chest and rose to his throat like bile i
“Thalia”
The name slipped out, low and sharp, culling through the quiet nick
The two figures in the garden paused
The man turned first. He had sharp features, sun–kissed skin, and tousled hair that looked like it belonged in a magazine. Dressed in a black open–collar shirt, his posture was casual, cocky even–his eyes glinting with playful arrogance.)
“I’ll be damned,” the man said with a smirk. “Tray Green?”
Troy’s expression turned to stonell
Xander Shepherd. Thalia’s childhood friend. The Shepherd’s family heir, known for his money, his charm and his reckless disregard for
“What the hell are you doing?” Troy’s voice was ice.
Xander didn’t flinch. In fact, he slung on arm over Thalia’s shoulder like it belonged there
“Isn’t it obvious?” he said coolly 1 was kissing my girlfriend “||
He tilted his head thoughtfully, enjoying the reaction. “Ah, did she forget to tell you? We’re dating now“!!
Troy’s jaw clenched, his fists trembling at his sides.li
