The Wedding That Never Was Chapter 19

From the moment I said that, the conversation was dead in the water.

Adrian looked like he wanted to explain something.

I continued, "Are you angry about what happened back then? I can apologize, although I don't know what exactly I did wrong..."

"No, you didn't," Adrian's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse as if he hadn't spoken in two years. "Listen to me, Ilara."

"I did a lot of wrong things back then, but there were also a lot of misunderstandings. I didn't explain clearly, it was all my fault..."

"Sorry, Mr. Hayes, I don't want to hear it." My expression turned cold.

Adrian froze.

"If that's all you want to say, there's no need for us to continue."

"No, I..."

"Please don't disturb my life anymore. What you did today is very troubling for me," I said, frowning.

"I hope there won't be a next time. I don't think I owe you anything."

"Let's go, Leo."

I didn't give him a chance to say another word. I turned and disappeared into the crowd.

It was as if my appearance just now was a dream bubble exclusive to Adrian, one that shattered the moment he tried to touch it.

Those words ripped open the scars in his heart, exposing every evil deed Adrian Hayes had committed to the sunlight.

That's right. I did nothing wrong.

But his mistakes had been denied the chance for correction.

Leo tossed my luggage into the trunk. I sat in the passenger seat and glanced back.

I saw Adrian getting into a luxury car behind us. I didn't recognize the model. A young man in the driver's seat called him "Boss."

"Earth to Ilara," Leo said, starting the car. I quickly sat back properly.

In the rearview mirror, that car followed us for a while.

(Scene Break - Adrian's Perspective)

The driver looked back worriedly at his silent boss in the back seat.

Adrian closed his eyes, appearing to be asleep, but the driver had been with him long enough to know the severity of his insomnia.

His boss now found it difficult to sleep unless he took a fixed dose of sleeping pills every day.

And even then, it wouldn't be for long, probably because he couldn't see the person he wanted to see in his dreams.

This condition wasn't something he was born with. Adrian knew his insomnia was simply because he couldn't dream of Ilara anymore.

His eyeballs were covered with red blood vessels, and the dark circles under his eyes proved it.

Adrian had just gotten off a plane too, but not the same flight as Ilara.

A year ago, he had gone mad thinking Ilara wasn't dead, that she must be waiting for him somewhere, just like that night.

—Even though he visited Ilara's grave every month, and Jessica couldn't throw away the roses fast enough.

So, he started flying all over the world.

People always sent photos that looked somewhat like her to ask for rewards, and as long as Adrian thought it might be her, he would go.

This time he came up empty-handed, yet he truly saw—

Ilara.

This name seemed to have become a lifelong curse for Adrian.

Before today, he hadn't slept for nearly 50 hours. In the car, he just rubbed the only photo he had left of her from their teenage years.

Ilara in a red dress, vibrant and dazzling.

A smile hung on the corner of his mouth, even though he had been explicitly forbidden to disturb her.

But at least, he had seen the person he thought about day and night, the one who broke his heart, with his own eyes.