Chapter 268: Relishing her moment of victory.
Xavier’s fingers clenched tighter.
He was trying to forget, yet every word Clara spoke only reminded him of every bit of Adelyn’s betrayal.
To him, Clara didn’t seem wrong.
Her words didn’t seem wrong.
After all, while they had all desperately searched for Adelyn, she had stayed somewhere out there —alive and living her life.
She had deliberately remained hidden, leaving them behind to suffer in guilt.
His jaw tightened.
Just then—
Clara suddenly looked up at him.
"No ... no, Xavier," she said, shaking her head. "Don’t listen to what I just said. I didn’t mean any of it. I really didn’t."
She slowly took a step back, as though only now realizing the terrible mistake she had made.
"Adelyn was once my sister. How could I say something so cruel about her?" She shook her head again, guilt filling her face. "I shouldn’t have. I ... She stayed out there all alone and upset. She must have been suffering, and that suffering might have compelled her to take some wrong decisions. How could I blame her for that?"
"I ... I’m really sorry."
She held her head, sobbing.
"I shouldn’t have said those things about her to you. You love her. You always have. Even after everything she did, you still can’t simply hate her. You might be angry with her ... but you’ll never truly hate her. She ... I ..."
Just when her emotions threatened to overwhelm her—
Xavier reached out and caught her.
She instinctively resisted his touch. But her resistance was weak. Far too weak against his determination.
Before she could pull away, he gently drew her into his arms, embracing her comfortingly.
"Shhh ..." he soothed softly. "You didn’t say anything wrong. Don’t blame yourself. Just calm down."
His hand slowly rubbed her back, patiently comforting her.
Only after a long while did Clara finally relax against him.
Only after her trembling gradually subsided ...
Only after her breathing steadied...
... did Xavier gently pull her back to look at her.
Her eyes were still glistening with unshed tears.
The more he looked at her like this —fragile, kind, soft-hearted —the heavier his own heart became.
He had been willing to let someone like her go ...
For Adelyn.
For someone who had never truly cared about him.
How could he have been so blind?
Even if the situations compelled Adelyn to make such wrong decisions, there had always remained a choice for her to return.
If she hadn’t taken the choice, then she deserved every bit of the blame.
"Xavi ..." Clara called softly, her voice much steadier now. "Please don’t mind what I said earlier. I almost lost control of myself. You love Adelyn, and love overcomes everything. Even the worst betrayals. Once everything settles ... once Adelyn calms down. .. she’ll realize how much you love her."
"She’ll accept you again. You just need to wait."
Xavier slowly shook his head. "I don’t need to wait." His voice was calm but resolute. He then shifted closer to her, holding her arms a little more firmly.
"She and I are over."
Clara stared at him, unable to comprehend his words.
"Xavier ... you ..."
"Clara ..." he interrupted gently, "I should be the one apologizing."
"I’m the one who wronged you."
Clara immediately shook her head.
But Xavier looked completely certain. "I’ve finally realized it now." he said, continuing, "What I had with Adelyn belongs in the past."
"As for you ..." he paused briefly, "You’re my present. And my future."
Tears welled up in Clara’s eyes once again.
Xavier gently lifted his hand and wiped them away before giving her a reassuring nod.
"Yes ... I’m choosing you," he said. "Not just for today, but for the future as well. And it isn’t because I want to get back at Adelyn."
"It’s because I finally realized that if anyone truly deserves to stand beside me ... it’s you. So tell me, will you give me another chance to make up for all the hurt I’ve caused you?"
Clara looked like she was about to nod, but then, shaking her head hesitantly, she whispered again, "But ... Adelyn ..."
"You... you’ve always loved her, haven’t you?"
At the mention of Adelyn, Xavier’s fingers tightened slightly around her arms. His jaw ticked.
Yet he still slowly shook his head.
"I don’t love her anymore. I can’t love her anymore, Clara. So ... let’s not mention her between us again."
Clara hesitated once more. "Is it because of what I said?"
"Is that why you’ve started hating her?"
Beneath the dim glow of the night lights, it was difficult to notice. But hidden within Clara’s tear-filled eyes was a faint glimmer of anticipation.
As though she was desperately waiting for him to say the very words she longed to hear.
An assurance.
A promise.
Xavier’s expression hardened.
He only knew one thing now. After learning what Adelyn had done ...
He simply couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Every time he remembered that another man’s mark had once been left on her, his skin crawled.
The mere thought filled him with disgust.
Even imagining it made him feel repulsed.
With such revulsion buried inside him ...
How could he possibly continue loving her?
He couldn’t.
Looking back at Clara, he slowly shook his head.
"It’s not because of you. It’s because of me," he said, adding, "After everything that has happened recently... I realized I no longer see a future with her."
He paused and then admitted "The only future I can imagine now ... is one with you."
"So ... I am asking again —will you give me that chance?"
Clara gazed at him for a long moment.
Then, sniffling softly, she threw herself into his embrace, wrapping both arms tightly around him.
"I ... can’t refuse you, Xavier. I can’t. Not when you’re finally giving me the future I’ve always dreamed of living with you."
Xavier embraced her just as tightly. A faint smile slowly lifted the corners of his lips.
Perhaps ...
This hadn’t been a desperate decision after all.
Perhaps ...
It had been the right one.
"But, Xavi ..." Clara suddenly murmured, her voice laced with hesitation.
"I’m scared."
"Scared?" he asked softly.
She slowly pulled back and nodded. "Yes." Her eyes searching his.
"I’m scared."
He waited for her to continue.
"What if ..." she whispered, "one day you regret choosing me ... and regret not waiting for Adelyn? How would I bear that?"
Xavier paused and then gently cupped one side of her face. "That won’t happen." His voice was unwavering.
"Now that I’ve chosen you, I won’t choose anyone else. Trust me."
Clara looked into his eyes before finally nodding.
Then, leaning forward once more, she wrapped her arms around him again.
Hidden from his sight, her gaze gradually darkened. The corners of her lips curled upward into a satisfied smile.
Earlier, Xavier had already chosen her. But that alone had never been enough. She had wanted him to choose her completely.
Completely enough to stop looking back.
Completely enough to blame Adelyn.
Completely enough to believe that she —not Adelyn —was the one truly worthy of standing beside him.
And now ...
He finally did.
From this day onward ...
He would never look at Adelyn the same way again.
He would belong to her —and only to her. Her smile only deepened further, and she shifted closer in his arms, relishing her moment of victory.
Meanwhile, as the two quietly embraced beneath the night sky ...
A pair of eyes watched them from a distance.
Cold.
Silent.
And filled with unmistakable disapproval.
