Chapter 15
Chase stormed in, livid.
He had waited all day, expecting Nora to apologize and beg for forgiveness. Instead, what arrived was a legal notice from the Faulkner Group’s lawyers.
The claim? He had defamed Dominic and his fiancée.
Utter nonsense!
“Nora belongs to me–past, present, and future.” he shouted. “Dominic Faulkner, you’re just a
side piece. A shameless homewrecker!”
“You’ve seen the photos, haven’t you? She’s already been in my bed. You’re picking up my leftovers. You make me sick!”
Nora felt a surge of shame and anger, her cheeks burning–when suddenly a tall figure stepped in
front of her.
Dominic shielded her.
“I love Nora,” he said. “I love all of her–past and present. Your words mean nothing to me.”
He paused, then added coolly, “If anything, they just show how low you really are.”
Chase nearly choked on his rage.
Nora’s eyes turned red.
That evening, back home, she stared at Dominic’s sharp jawline and took a deep breath. It took all her courage to speak up.
“So… about what you said earlier,” she mumbled, “maybe we could… give it a try.”
Dominic blinked. “Hmm? Try what?”
Nora blushed furiously. “You said I should give you a chance… so I’m saying yes.”
She only realized she’d been played when she saw the teasing smile tug at his lips.
Flustered, she turned to storm off–only to bump into his firm chest.
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“You said it,” he murmured. “No backing out now.”
Three days later, their engagement party was set.
When Chase heard the news, he froze.
Then came the shock.
Then the rage.
She was really going to marry someone else…
She would never be his wife again…
He squeezed his eyes shut, but the tears still fell.
On the day of the engagement, Nora wore a white cocktail dress. Dominic stood beside her,
holding her hand, beaming with joy.
Then they saw the wedding gown displayed in the main hall–and both froze.
Someone in the crowd whispered, “Isn’t that the gown Mr. Whitmore’s ex–wife wore at their wedding?”
“Shhh! You didn’t hear? The woman getting engaged to Mr. Faulkner today is Mr. Whitmore’s ex–wife. Guess he couldn’t take it and came to crash the party!”
“Tsk tsk, looks like the rumors were true. She jumped into Faulkner’s arms right after the divorce.
What a move…”
Nora staggered, her body stiff with shock.
Then her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Chase Whitmore:
[Feeling humiliated yet? Call off the engagement and I’ll come pick you up myself.]
Nora almost laughed from sheer fury.
Even now, Chase still thought he could play the savior–offering her a way out like it was some
kind of gift.
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But in that moment, she wasn’t scared anymore.
She stepped forward, voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
Then, in front of everyone, she spoke–laying out every detail of her relationship with Chase.
Why he married her in the first place.
How he neglected her for years.
How Camila came between them.
How he abused her, over and over.
By the end, she was swaying on her feet, a wave of sorrow crashing through her.
A warm hand pressed into hers.
Dominic was beside her, his gaze steady, reassuring.
It gave her the strength to keep going.
“Yes,” she said clearly, “I fell in love with Dominic after my divorce with Chase. It’s real. It’s honest. And it’s mine.”
“If that deserves judgment, then what about Chase? He betrayed me first. He humiliated and hurt me. What does that make him? A saint? Or just a coward who hurts the woman he vowed to
protect?”
Silence fell across the venue.
Only the buzz of her phone broke the stillness.
She shut it off without hesitation.
The crowd looked at her differently now.
Disdain turned to sympathy.
Scorn turned to admiration.
The engagement party continued—without a hitch.
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The next morning, on her way to work, a stranger handed Nora a sunflower.
She blinked in confusion and murmured a thank you.
A few steps later, she received another.
By the time she arrived at the office, she was holding eleven sunflowers.
She was just about to toss them in the trash when-
“Surprise!”
Chase jumped out of nowhere, grinning like a fool.
He looked awful. Unshaven, haggard, clearly sleep–deprived. But still, he smiled wide. “Today is our eighth anniversary. Eleven sunflowers–for one heart, one soul, one love. Still mine, Nora. Do you like them?”
Nora threw the bouquet into the garbage.
“We’re divorced,” she said coldly. “I have a fiancé now, and we love each other. I’m happy. Please stop bothering me.”
She turned to leave, but Chase grabbed her wrist.
go, Nora!”
“Don’t go,
He looked desperate. “You used to say I never remembered the important days. But look, I remembered this one. Nora, I can change–I’ll fix everything, okay?”
His voice trembled, humble to the extreme.
Nora felt nothing but bitter amusement.
So he did know what she cared about. What she needed.
He just never bothered before.
Only now–now that she’d left–did he finally remember.
But her heart had already died.
What good were regrets after love had already died?
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She walked away without looking back.
A few days later, she and Dominic took a trip to a private mountain lodge.
Dominic played the perfect fiancé, doing everything himself. Nora felt a little uneasy watching
him rush around.
“You don’t have to–really, I can manage…”
But Dominic gently pushed her back into her seat. “Future Mrs. Faulkner, your only job today is to be pampered. As your fiancé, this is my duty.”
Then he turned and went back to work.
Nora felt a lump rise in her throat.
Back when she was with Chase, she was always the one giving.
If Chase was thirsty, she poured water.
If he was hungry, she cooked.
If he forgot documents, she delivered them–despite him having a full staff.
When he was sick, she cared for him day and night.
She had gotten used to sacrificing. To serving. To playing the role of a caregiver.
She had forgotten how to simply be a girlfriend.
But now… she realized she could be cherished too.
Her
eyes
turned red as emotion overwhelmed her.
Without thinking, she threw her arms around Dominic.
Under the hush of the mountain breeze, their lips met in a kiss both gentle and healing….
That evening, just as they were about to leave, they ran into Chase at the lodge entrance.
The moment he saw Dominic holding Nora’s hand, his face darkened.
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“You-”
But before he could finish, his pupils shrank in horror.
“Nora–get down!”
Before she could react, he shoved her hard out of the way.
She hit the ground just as a heavy sign came crashing down.
It landed squarely on Chase.
He passed out on the spot.
Blood spread across the grass in a crimson bloom.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
