Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Why did it still hurt so much?
Aria’s POV
I never expected him to go this far. To defend me to such an extent. My heart was already in chaos. Tears pooled in my eyes, threatening to spill over.
His brow furrowed slightly, his expression impossibly serious. Those deep gray eyes—vast and unfathomable as a starlit ocean—were fixed entirely on my face.
His gaze made something inside me melt. Like ice thawing after a long winter, like the first warmth after an endless night. It burned through me.
"Of course I will, Damian."
My voice came out soft, trembling. The tears I’d been holding back finally slipped free, trailing down my cheeks.
A faint flush crossed Damian’s cheekbones. Without hesitation, he rose and pulled me into his arms again.
The moment we embraced, the entire pavilion erupted into applause. Some people even cheered aloud.
I caught sight of several high-society matrons pulling out handkerchiefs, dabbing at their eyes with shaking hands.
Damian and I—we were the kind of match that made people envious.
Through the thundering applause and waves of congratulations, Damian held my hand tightly and led me back to our seats.
---
The awkwardness from earlier dissolved without a trace. No one was talking about Aria’s past anymore. All anyone could discuss was the touching proposal they’d just witnessed.
In everyone’s eyes, the fact that Aria had won the Royal Pack’s approval—that she’d earned Damian’s devotion—meant she had to be exceptional in her own right.
So no one paid any attention to what that man had said earlier. It was already forgotten.
Only Vanessa was seething, biting her lip so hard she nearly drew blood.
"Pathetic show-off," she hissed under her breath.
Emily shot her a sharp glance. "A show that looked good is still better than someone who wants to put on a show but has no opportunity."
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Vanessa snapped, her voice rising.
Her mother coughed loudly, a clear warning. The banquet wasn’t over yet. Vanessa forced herself to swallow her rage.
*Fine. I can’t deal with Aria yet. But I’ll settle this score with you later, Emily. Just wait.*
What was supposed to be a calculated trap had turned into a public proposal that gave Aria all the prestige in the world. Sylvia could barely stomach it. She’d barely touched her food before claiming she felt unwell and leaving early.
Not long after Sylvia’s departure, the Blackwood family also took their leave with Aria. The banquet effectively came to an end.
Nathan, acting as Sylvia’s representative, remained behind to see the guests off.
Victor was leaving with his son Lucas when they ran into the Crane family.
Emily had changed into a fresh gown, but she still trailed behind her parents, silent and withdrawn.Vanessa was nowhere to be seen.
Lucas hesitated, then quickened his pace to catch up with her.
"Emily."
At the sound of his familiar voice, Emily’s body went rigid. She turned slowly, her gaze barely grazing his face before flicking away.
"What?"
"Your bracelet." Lucas pulled a delicate piece of jewelry from his pocket—a bracelet strung with tear-shaped aquamarine stones. He held it out to her.
She’d lost it during the confrontation with Vanessa earlier. Lucas had seen it fall and picked it up.
Vanessa’s eyes flickered. The deep blue teardrops on the bracelet were rare aquamarine gems.
Lucas had given it to her on her eighteenth birthday. Back then, he didn’t have much money. He’d saved for months just to buy it.
Emily had loved it. Shortly after receiving it, she’d had it turned into a bracelet. She’d worn it ever since.
"Since it’s broken, it should go back to its original owner," she said flatly.
She didn’t reach for it. But her eyes stayed locked on Lucas’s face.
He wore his glasses as always, his expression calm and unreadable. There was no emotion there at all.
Ever since they’d stopped speaking, he’d become someone else entirely. The warmth, the impulsiveness, the honesty—all of it was gone.
What remained was just a hard, cold shell. Restrained. Boring. Suffocatingly dull.
"What I give away is yours. If you don’t want it, throw it away." Lucas’s voice was flat. He shoved the bracelet into her hand and turned to leave.
Vanessa panicked. Without thinking, she hurled the bracelet at his back.
"Alpha Lucas! You don’t have to treat me like this! If you can’t handle it, then don’t play games. Stop acting like I owe you something. Who the hell do you think you are?!"
She spun on her heel and ran, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.
Lucas froze mid-step. After a long moment, he turned back and picked up the bracelet from the ground.
Of course he knew he meant nothing to her. He’d always known. So why, after all this time, did it still hurt so much?
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