he house had reverted to what it was five years ago–cold, empty, lifeless. Even the wedding photos they had taken not long ago
had disappeared.
Grayson stood in the center of it all, the familiarity so foreign it made him dizzy. His breath came in short gasps as panic clawed
at his chest.
He summoned the servants and demanded, “Who threw away Violet’s things? I didn’t order it! Who dared to touch them?!”
He thought they had cleared everything out after hearing of her death, trying to erase the traces of her existence.
But the servants exchanged uncertain glances, confusion written on their faces.
“Sir, it was Miss Hudson herself who asked us to remove them three days ago.”
“She told us to pile everything in the backyard,” another added hesitantly, “then she set it all on fire. We asked if she wanted to
keep the wedding photos, but she said there was no meaning in keeping them anymore. We thought… since you always indulged
her, we shouldn’t stop her.”
At their words, the last light in Grayson’s eyes dimmed.
One of the maids hesitated before stepping forward, hand outstretched. In her palm lay a simple ring.
“Sir, I found this while clearing the trash. I thought it might be valuable… Maybe Miss Hudson threw it away by mistake.”
Another servant followed, carrying a bundle of white fabric.
“Sir, this was left behind in the house. It looks like a wedding dress. There’s a gemstone in the center, so I didn’t dare dispose of
it.”
Grayson reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the ring. With his other hand, he brushed his fingers over the gemstone
embedded in the dress–the pink diamond engraved with “V&G Forever.”
The engagement ring he had designed himself. The custom wedding dress he had commissioned just for her.
A searing pain spread from his chest to every inch of his body.
‘Violet… did you hate me that much? So much that you chose to end your life as the ultimate act of revenge? So much that you destroyed every trace of the happiness we once had?‘
After the pain came regret. A deep, inescapable regret that swallowed him whole.
Today should have been the happiest day of his life. He had been so sure he was finally going to marry the woman he loved. He had even invited reporters to broadcast the wedding worldwide, wanting the world to witness their happiness.
But he had been blind, standing at the edge of a cliff, oblivious to the abyss beneath his feet.
And just as he reached for joy, it had slipped away, striking him with devastating force. He plummeted into darkness, consumed by a void so deep, he would never see the light again.
2/3
Chapter 14
+15 BONUS
Chapter 14
