For Him I Waited, Now I Chase Mine

Chapter 2

"Aurelia!"

Lucien's brows were tightly knit, her refusal to yield only sharpening his irritation as a restless unease stirred beneath his usual need for control.

He stepped forward and extended an arm, blocking the door as it was about to close.

"You're pushing this temper too far," he said in a low voice, the authority of a soldier and diplomat seeping through. "Give me a reason not to attend."

Through the narrow gap, their eyes locked.

"There's no reason," Aurelia replied, her voice ice-cold.

"Ambassador Hawthorn, I need to rest. Please leave."

She shoved the door shut with force, but he did not move an inch.

She tried again, but he still held his ground.

At that moment of deadlock, a crisp, rapid sound of high heels approached from afar—

"Lucien! You're still here? Everyone's already arrived. We're waiting for you!"

Cynthia's voice arrived before she did.

She wore a brand-new vintage ruffled prairie dress, her curled hair perfectly styled as she squeezed up to the doorway.

As if noticing Aurelia only then, she covered her lips in feigned surprise and immediately reached out to take Aurelia's arm.

"Aurelia is here too? Perfect—let's go down together! Tonight's reception is specially arranged for my return!"

Aurelia instinctively shifted to avoid her, but her calf struck the protruding metal edge of the doorframe.

"Hiss—"

Pain exploded through her leg. She looked down—her stocking had torn, and bright red blood was already seeping out.

Cynthia gave a small, exaggerated gasp, reaching out as if to steady her. "Aurelia, how could you be so careless?"

She then turned to Lucien with an innocent look. "Lucien, I really didn't mean it..."

Lucien's gaze fell on Aurelia's bleeding leg, his brows tightening.

"Enough. Get that wound treated first."

His tone sounded less like concern and more like a reprimand for her "carelessness."

Before Aurelia could refuse, he had already picked up his coat and stepped in, half-supporting, half-restraining her shoulder.

"The car is downstairs. The restaurant has a first-aid kit."

*****

Half an hour later, the car stopped at Crownia State Restaurant.

Officials and colleagues from various circles were already inside. The moment Lucien arrived, they immediately surrounded Cynthia in greeting.

She stood out in her expensive dress, radiant and striking, while Aurelia's plain outfit and bloodstained leg looked jarringly out of place.

"Commander Hawthorn, you've finally brought your wife! Our heroine Cynthia has been waiting for you for ages!"

"Exactly! Five years of cross-border devotion—truly moving. Now that you're finally reunited, what a blessing!"

"I heard the Ambassador made his unwavering nightly 'courtesy calls' for years. Such dedication is admirable!"

The crowd teased, their gazes shifting meaningfully between Lucien and Cynthia.

Lucien gave a faint nod, but when Cynthia stumbled slightly, he instinctively caught her elbow.

"Careful."

Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her gaze, emotion flickering in her eyes.

She stepped closer, almost shoulder to shoulder with him, then turned to Aurelia with a poised smile.

"Aurelia, don't mind their jokes. I was able to come back safely thanks to the organization... and also thanks to Lucien's support over the years."

Her words were polite, but her eyes briefly swept over Aurelia's injured leg, carrying a hidden trace of superiority and provocation.

Before Aurelia could respond, Lucien spoke again—this time to Cynthia.

"You've only just recovered. Why are you dressed so lightly?"

He took a wool shawl from a passing waiter's tray and handed it to her. "Put this on. Don't catch a chill."

Aurelia stood still.

Her wound throbbed beneath the stocking, blood seemingly seeping again, sticky against her skin.

But he didn't see it.

All he saw was Cynthia's "thin clothing."

Five years of marriage, and not once had she earned even a fragment of his concern.

"No misunderstanding," Aurelia said evenly amid the noise. She nodded slightly toward Cynthia. "You two enjoy your reunion. Don't mind me."

Cynthia's smile stiffened, clearly not expecting such indifference.

At that moment, a waiter carrying a tray of wine glasses suddenly slipped.

Lucien's expression changed instantly. Only one thought surfaced in his mind—Cynthia could not be frightened again after everything she had endured.

He instinctively pulled Cynthia into his arms, shielding her completely.

At the same time, his other arm violently shoved Aurelia aside.

Crash!

Glass shattered. Red wine splashed everywhere.

Aurelia fell helplessly into the shards. Her already injured leg was pierced again, blood mixing with wine as it spread across the floor.

Screams erupted around them.

But Lucien didn't even look at her. His attention stayed on Cynthia, his voice carrying a tenderness Aurelia had never heard before.

"Are you alright? Did you get hurt? Were you scared?"

Cynthia clung to him, pale and tearful. "I'm fine... Lucien, don't worry."

But her eyes flicked briefly toward Aurelia on the ground.

Lucien helped Cynthia sit on the sofa, his brows still tightly drawn. "I'll get you some calming soup."

From beginning to end, he never once looked at Aurelia.

Aurelia's face was deathly pale. Every breath dragged against the pain in her leg, glass embedded in flesh with brutal clarity.

She bit down hard on her lip and forced herself upright without a sound.

Around her, pity, curiosity, and whispered commentary coiled like blades.

The hero saves the beauty—while the wife lies ignored on the floor.

Only then did Cynthia "come to her senses," rising in alarm.

"Aurelia! You're bleeding so much. I'll take you to the hospital!"

Aurelia slowly lifted her head. Cold sweat slid down her face, her gaze sharp and terrifyingly calm.

"No need," she said clearly. "It's only right that Ambassador Hawthorn protects someone important."

Her eyes swept over Lucien's rigid back and Cynthia's barely concealed satisfaction.

A faint, cold smile touched her lips.

"Could someone call me an ambulance? And please, give the Ambassador and Miss Winsor some space. Don't interrupt their... reunion."

Silence fell over the hall.

Lucien suddenly turned.

Only then did he see the shocking red beneath her and the unfamiliar coldness in her eyes.

His chest tightened violently.

"Aurelia—" he stepped forward on instinct.

But she had already closed her eyes, refusing to look at him again.