Thanksgiving arrived in the blink of an eye, and a grand banquet was held at the palace. Socialites from all walks of life were invited to attend.
The moment Orion entered the banquet hall, he began searching for me.
Rowan supported me as we walked through the corridor. I wore a deep purple evening gown—simple yet elegant. A diamond brooch sparkled on my chest, enhancing an ethereal and noble aura.
Orion was momentarily stunned.
In contrast, Serena, though dressed to the nines, looked as though she were covered in a layer of dust. Her eyes were dull and lifeless.
Orion quickly strode toward me. “Claire!”
Serena was left standing awkwardly to the side, head bowed, too ashamed to meet the amused, mocking gazes around her.
“Claire, I was blind before. I mistook someone else for you. Can you forgive me?” Orion’s voice was low and pleading.
“You’re still in my heart!”
“You love me too, don’t you?”
He sounded almost pitiful, cautiously testing the waters.
Seeing that I said nothing, he began pulling out a slew of objects from his bag–dozens of items, big and small–offering them to me like trophies.
“Claire, that day you got mad and threw away everything I gave you–I found them all!”
“I found every piece out of that pond myself. I didn’t let anyone else help me!”
“And the dowry I shamelessly took–I’ve returned it all to you. Please don’t be angry anymore, alright?”
The guests nearby watched us intently, waiting for a scandal to unfold.
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Serena looked pale with humiliation. Unable to hold it in any longer, she suddenly covered her mouth and bent over, dry heaving.
“Urgh!”
A few experienced ladies gasped in surprise.
“Could Serena be…pregnant?”
Serena’s eyes lit up instantly as she looked at Orion.
She had a vague feeling this child could be her ticket to redemption–her strongest anchor for the future.
Even if Orion was angry with her, surely he would soften for the sake of the baby.
But to her dismay, Orion didn’t look the least bit happy. On the contrary, guilt and panic clouded his face.
I let out a soft chuckle and raised a brow.
“Orion, is this what you meant when you said you still had me in your heart?”
His expression darkened immediately as he scrambled to explain.
“Claire, she drugged me. It wasn’t my choice…”
I waved him off and sat down with Rowan.
Serena, looking hurt, approached Orion, trying to gain a bit of his sympathy.
Instead, he shot her a fierce glare.
“You planned this whole scene just to make a spectacle for Claire, didn’t you?”
“Now that she’s angry with me, are you satisfied?”
Serena lowered her gaze, tears falling in large drops.
In the past, Orion could never bear to see her cry. But now, she sat weeping silently for a long time, and he didn’t even glance at her. His face was grim,
eyes unconsciously drifting in my direction.
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his
After the banquet ended, Rowan wrapped his arm around me as we walked out of the palace.
Chapter 7
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Orion, like a lingering ghost, followed us still.
During the banquet, every intimate gesture Rowan made–pouring wine for me, standing close–had cut into Orion like a knife.
He had held back long enough.
“Claire, you still refuse to forgive me. Does that mean… you’ve fallen for him?”
“Why? Just because he’s the future king?”
“If it weren’t for him, would you have come back to me?”
His eyes were bloodshot, his tone desperate, almost deranged. A cold shiver ran down my spine.
I raised my hand and struck him. A clear handprint appeared on his pale face.
“Orion! Are you insane?!”
Rowan merely cast him a cool glance, then led me away without a word.
But Orion’s words echoed in my ears, unsettling me long after.
Only then did I realize–I cared for Rowan far more than I had ever imagined.
He cradled me in his lap that night, whispering gently as he comforted me.
“Don’t worry, Claire. I
I’ll be alright…”
www.
