He Begged Too Late After I Married His Rival

Chapter 3 A Wedding Dress Meant for Someone Else

"I was thinking, donating these to the Starlight Orphanage would count as doing some good. Isn't that what you care about most? You see, the staff outside are still waiting for me. You wouldn't want me to waste them, right, Adrian?"

Only then did the prayer beads in Adrian's hand begin turning again. He closed his eyes, his expression indifferent.

"At least you know your place, Selene. I may not want the things you gave me, but that doesn't mean you have the right to treat them like trash. Do you understand? Oh, and I came to tell you. Vivi has invited you to be her bridesmaid."

Selene hadn't planned to go. But then she thought of her own upcoming wedding. She should try on a wedding dress too.

So, she went. What she didn't expect was for Vivian to hook her arm affectionately, guiding her from one dress to another.

"This one was specially commissioned by Adrian in Milareth. Handmade by a designer. I heard it cost tens of millions. Even a single bead on it is worth millions. And this one, Adrian designed it himself. It took three hundred days to complete. I never imagined he had been planning all this so early."

As she spoke, Vivian suddenly blushed. Her body softened as she leaned into Adrian. Adrian wrapped an arm around her waist without hesitation, gently brushing his forehead against hers. Vivian rose on her toes, trying to kiss him.

Adrian stopped her with a hand, smiling softly. "These are just material things. As long as it's for you, it's worth it. Wait a little longer. When you become the daughter-in-law of the Hale family, we'll have the proper ceremony."

Vivian's face flushed deep red, but the pride in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Selene turned away without a word, leaving only a cold, distant figure behind. Where she couldn't see, Adrian's gaze darkened.

Selene looked over the dazzling array of wedding dresses and picked up a satin, ivory-white one. "This wasn't made for you, was it?"

Caught off guard by Selene's indifference, Vivian hesitated, then nodded.

Selene smiled faintly and moved to try it on.

Before she could reach the fitting room, Adrian suddenly stepped forward, grabbing her wrist and stopping her. The tall man loomed over her, his presence overwhelming, casting her entirely into shadow.

"Selene, what are you playing at now? Even if you wear a wedding dress, I will never marry you." He spoke each word through clenched teeth.

He was too close. In the past, Adrian had always kept his distance, as if he wished he could disinfect the air around her. He had never stood this near.

Selene felt uncomfortable. She pulled her hand free. "What does that have to do with you? I'm not marrying you anyway."

Adrian let out a cold laugh. "If not me, then who? Selene, don't think you can threaten me like this. I won't attend your wedding, no matter what. When the time comes, the ones who will lose face are you and the Vale family."

At that moment, Vivian emerged from the fitting room in her wedding dress, calling softly, "Adrian…"

Adrian's attention shifted instantly. The affection in his eyes was almost overflowing. He no longer spared Selene another glance.

Selene quickly stepped into the fitting room and faced the mirror. Under the lights, her fair skin seemed to glow. The strapless gown hugged her figure, elegant and striking. But as she looked at herself, her eyes grew warm.

All these years, to match the image of Adrian as the ascetic heir, she had deliberately dressed modestly. Though she had always preferred freedom, she had long forgotten what it felt like to truly love herself.

This feeling was comforting, like a gentle spring breeze that filled her with a quiet sense of strength.

After trying on the dress, Vivian insisted on taking her to a gathering. She said it was a reunion of those who had once trained together. Even Master Rowan would be there.

Selene hesitated. She hadn't seen Master Rowan in years. In the end, she allowed herself to be dragged along.

But the moment she was pushed into the lavish, indulgent private room, she knew something was wrong. Master Rowan would never come to a place like this. She turned to leave.

But Vivian had already signaled someone to hold her down. The so-called white jasmine of Northridge City smiled at her, her expression chilling.

"We've been waiting for you, Seli. How could my celebration be complete without you?"