He Married Me For Duty, I Said No This Time

Chapter 3

"What?"

Violet's entire body stiffened in shock.

In her previous life, this hadn't happened until after she married Adrian. Why had it happened a whole year earlier?

Back then, after she married into the Winston family, Jane immediately arranged for other women to move into the mansion to undermine her at every turn. In order to establish herself among the upper circles and become Violet's support, Lydia had taken a huge risk by deliberately getting close to a powerful man.

Violet forced herself to calm down. "Tell me everything. Slowly. What exactly happened yesterday?"

The maid was on the verge of tears. "Yesterday, after Ms. Ross left your courtyard, she took me with her to deliver a letter to Mr. Winston. Halfway there, the car broke down. We had no choice but to wait by the roadside for a mechanic. Then, by pure coincidence, we ran into a senior executive."

She continued. "The moment Ms. Ross saw him, she suddenly lost her composure. They started arguing right there. I was so scared I didn't dare say a word. By the time I came to my senses, they'd already taken her away."

After hearing the whole story, Violet stood there in silence for a long time.

In her previous life, she'd never known the details of Lydia's disappearance. She only knew that afterward, Lydia frequently accompanied that powerful man and rarely returned to the Winston Mansion.

*****

An entire morning passed. There was still no news.

The entire Winston mansion was on edge. Only Violet knew that, if history followed the same path as before, she wouldn't see Lydia again for another three months.

By then, Lydia would already have been officially settled into her new position, her status elevated far beyond before. She would be the one to send for Violet.

Another day passed. Jane gathered every woman in the mansion together, including Violet.

With a stern expression, she addressed everyone. "Lydia has been asked to assist the family of a senior official with a private matter. Keep your mouths shut. I don't want anyone spreading rumors outside."

"Understood."

Everyone obediently answered in unison. But they secretly exchanged curious glances, their eyes filled with speculation.

Violet had expected Jane to keep her behind afterward, just like in her previous life, to question her alone. Instead, Jane barely looked at her from beginning to end.

That unusual indifference unsettled Violet even more.

After the meeting ended, Violet walked toward the backyard, her thoughts heavy.

As she passed the rock garden, she heard Adrian talking with two of his cousins.

The artificial rocks blocked everyone's view. None of them realized Violet was standing nearby.

Then she heard Lydia's name.

"The Chairman is probably just interested in Lydia for the time being. Grandma's already made up her mind. The moment Lydia comes back, she'll find an excuse to send her away to protect the Winston family's reputation."

Violet froze. Her hands clenched into tight fists. In an instant, she understood why Jane had ignored her earlier.

To Jane, Lydia had already become a stain on the Winston family. Practically an outsider. Someone not even worth questioning.

A chill crept up Violet's spine. She let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

Then one of the cousins continued with a grin. "Well, that's the end of Adrian and Violet's engagement."

Violet's heart skipped.

Then Adrian's calm, steady voice rang out. "Lydia is Lydia. Violet is Violet. I'm marrying her. What happened to her aunt has nothing to do with her."

Silence fell. Several seconds later, one cousin blurted out in disbelief.

"Wait... you're still going to marry her? Don't tell me you actually love Violet."

Violet stood motionless. Quietly waiting for the answer she'd already known.

Adrian's voice remained as calm as ever. "It's not about love. Her reputation was damaged because of me. I'm responsible. So I'll marry her."

The last bit of hope inside Violet quietly sank into darkness.

She let out a faint, self-mocking smile. She had known exactly what his answer would be. Yet somehow, a tiny part of her had still hoped for something different. How pathetic.

Laughter erupted from the other side of the rock garden.

"Adrian really lives by the rules."

"Exactly. The reason he's so calm is because he doesn't love her. If he ever met someone he actually fell for, even if the entire upper class turned against him, he'd still protect her without hesitation."

Their laughter echoed through the garden. Suddenly, something clicked in Violet's mind.

In her previous life, Adrian had four women by his side.

One had been forced on him by Jane. Two had been gifts from business partners. Only one woman had been brought into the mansion by Adrian himself.

Sherry Hall.

Back then, despite everyone's objections and overwhelming public criticism, Adrian had insisted on bringing Sherry home.

The Winston family's two sons and three daughters were all Sherry's children.

At that moment, everything became painfully clear. The color drained from Violet's face.

A crooked smile tugged at her lips. It looked worse than crying.

*****

After Lydia disappeared, Violet had become almost invisible inside the enormous Winston mansion. No one paid attention to where she went or what she did.

One afternoon, an assistant to Wendy Winston, the Winston family's third young lady, delivered an invitation.

"Miss, my lady is hosting a garden tea this afternoon. She's invited all the young ladies from our social circle to enjoy the flowers and afternoon tea. She specifically asked me to invite you."

The assistant smiled politely.

Violet looked down at the invitation, puzzled. She had always lived quietly in the Winston family and rarely attended social events. She wasn't particularly close to Wendy.

In her previous life, before Violet and Adrian became engaged, Wendy had already married into another wealthy family.

Violet couldn't figure out why she'd suddenly been invited. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to go anyway.

The moment she stepped into the garden, she saw Wendy walking toward her, holding another young woman's hand.

The instant Violet saw the woman's face, she froze.

It was Sherry Hall.