Chapter 5
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My first reaction was how incredibly handsome Nick looked- his looks could easily rival any male model or celebrity.
My second reaction was pure embarrassment. Talk about getting caught red–handed–here I was, sneaking food on my wedding night and getting busted by my own husband. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear.
I tried to play it cool, putting the pastry back where I found it, then returned to the bed and pulled the red veil back over my head, pretending nothing had happened.
A soft chuckle filled the room as Nick walked over and lifted the
red veil from my face, placing the entire plate of pastries right in front of me.
“You must be starving after not eating all day. Don’t hold back- eat as much as you want.”
I looked up at him, trying to gauge whether he meant it. He wasn’t going to let me finish eating and then punish me for being ill–mannered, was he?
Growing up with Janice, I’d been on the receiving end of her schemes and betrayals countless times, which had taught me to expect the worst from people.
But to my surprise, Nick picked up a piece of pastry and placed
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it directly in my hand, then sat down beside me on the bed.
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“Two Christmases ago, in that remote cemetery, you had the courage to save even a dead man. How is it that now you’re afraid to eat a simple pastry?”
His words instantly brought back memories. Two Christmases ago, Janice and I had gone on a trip to the countryside, but on the way back, she set me up and had the driver abandon me at a cemetery.
It was a dark, windy night, and I was alone in that graveyard, nearly scared out of my wits, when I heard a very faint cry for help.
After hesitating for a long time, I decided to investigate. When I discovered he was alive and still breathing, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
I don’t know where I found the strength, but I managed to half–drag him out of the cemetery. After walking for what felt like forever, we finally encountered a kind driver who took him to the hospital.
The next day, a group of bodyguards came looking for him to take him back for treatment. Before leaving, he asked for my
name.
Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes as I looked at Nick, my voice filled with surprise: “The person I
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saved that Christmas–that was you?”
This was truly surprising. With this life–saving connection between us, my own life should be safe.
Nick’s face lit up with a smile: “That’s right, it was me.”
Because of this wonderful connection we shared, and
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discovering that he wasn’t as terrifying as the rumors suggested, I felt much more relaxed.
We talked for most of the night, and finally, unable to fight off exhaustion any longer, I removed my jewelry, washed up, and went to sleep.
Since Nick was naturally sterile and unable to perform, I felt no pressure sleeping beside him and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
But after I fell asleep, his gaze toward me gradually became tinged with barely suppressed desire.
Meanwhile, after Janice and Lewis set their wedding date, both families had been busy preparing for the ceremony.
But the closer the wedding approached, Lewis found himself increasingly resistant to the idea, often finding his mind wandering to thoughts of Elma.
Elma had always followed him around like a little shadow, and
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whenever he turned around, he could always see her sweet
smile.
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Lewis had always known that Elma liked him, and after all these years together, he wasn’t entirely without feelings for her either.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to let Elma take Janice’s place in the marriage arrangement when Janice was mentally unstable.
But just when he had prepared himself to marry Elma, Janice unexpectedly recovered her sanity, and his father told him the original engagement was back in effect.
Yet somehow, he found himself pleading with his father, asking to marry both sisters.
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