He Promised Me Forever, Then Chose Her

"Adrian, please be gentler. It really hurts…" The girl's eyes were red with tears, making her look like a frightened little rabbit. She shrank into the arms of Adrian, the Vale family's heir, sobbing softly. Adrian wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with casual indifference, his other hand idly toying with a strand of her hair. The footage cut off right there. This was Adrian's third affair. Everyone knew that the only weakness of the Vale family's heir was his wife, Elara Whitmore, whom he cherished like a treasure. The first two girls had both flaunted themselves in front of Elara. After that, Adrian made sure they never appeared in Arclight City again. This time, the girl was either recklessly bold or emboldened by Adrian's extreme indulgence. She had actually sent Elara a video of the two of them together in his office. After watching it, Elara showed no reaction. She simply closed the laptop quietly. Her heart had already died long ago. "Madam, if you've made up your mind, you should leave." The man's voice came from behind her. When she turned, she saw Adrian's secretary, Julian Cross, standing to the side. Julian's voice was low and hoarse. If one listened closely, there was something else buried in it, something difficult to name. Elara's gaze softened slightly as she wiped the photo frame on the desk. It was a picture of her and her son. "I made up my mind a long time ago. I just can't let go of Lucas." Lucas Vale was the child she had with Adrian. He was born after she nearly died from severe bleeding on the hospital bed, brought into the world with the last of her strength. Because of the difficult birth, Lucas had been frail since childhood. If she forced herself to leave the Vale family with him, he would no longer be able to receive proper treatment. But she could not bear to abandon him and walk away alone either. "Let me think a little longer. You can go." Elara let out a soft sigh, her eyes stinging. Julian wanted to say something more. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing. He turned, closed the door behind him, and left in a hurry. The vast Vale Estate was left with only her again, empty and silent as death. Elara suddenly thought of their high school days. A boy stood beneath a cherry blossom tree, bandaging a bullied girl's wounds. Back then, the young tyrant of the Vale family had sworn he would love and protect Elara for the rest of his life. They had once been so in love that everyone in Arclight City knew their story. The Vale heir had spent a fortune to take over every advertising screen in the city just to propose to Elara. That grand wedding was still talked about by the media even now. After their marriage, they had been inseparable, the envy of all. So, when had everything started to change? That night, Adrian returned home. He carried the scent of alcohol, barely masking a trace of a woman's perfume. As soon as he entered, he took off his black coat and handed it to a maid. He glanced around the room, but didn't see what he expected. Whenever he came back from drinking, Elara would always prepare a bowl of hangover soup for him. His expression darkened, and an unexpected restlessness rose in him. He headed upstairs. He opened the bedroom door and saw Elara lying in bed and already fast asleep. Adrian watched her sleeping face. He went down on one knee beside the bed and gently stroked her cheek. It should have been a tender moment, but a ringing phone shattered the quiet. He frowned. Who dared to call him at a time like this? When he saw the caller ID, his irritation eased slightly. He glanced at Elara, and a flicker of guilt crossed his face. Then he stood and walked out of the room. Murmured conversation came from the hallway. "Adrian…" The girl's voice on the phone was soft and fragile. "We might have gone too far yesterday. I think I have a fever today. Could you come keep me company?" When he heard that it might be his fault, his tone softened. "All right. I'll be there soon." He opened the door again, leaned down, and pressed a kiss to Elara's forehead before finally leaving, reluctant. Only after he was completely gone did Elara open her eyes.