He Married Me For Duty, I Said No This Time

Chapter 5

Adrian carried Violet all the way back to the detached cottage where she lived.

After setting her down, he knelt in front of her and carefully applied medicine to her swollen ankle.

Violet lowered her eyes, watching the clean lines of his profile. A strange feeling stirred in her chest.

"Thank you. I can do it myself."

She instinctively reached down, trying to pull her foot away from him.

Adrian didn't say a word. Nor did he stop. Ignoring her attempt to retreat, he calmly finished treating her ankle before finally letting go.

Violet hesitated. "About what happened today..."

Before she could finish, footsteps sounded outside. Jane had arrived.

Before Violet could even stand up, Adrian was already on his feet, striding toward the door and blocking the entrance.

A moment later, Violet clearly heard him speaking outside.

"Grandma. Our family has always kept its word. No matter what happens, I've already proposed this engagement to the Ross family. The only woman I've chosen is Violet. She's the only woman I want to marry."

The words hit Violet like a bolt of lightning. She froze. Even her breathing stopped.

Silence fell outside. The only sound left was the rhythmic tap of Jane's cane as it slowly moved farther and farther away.

Without saying another word, Jane left in furious silence.

The bedroom door opened. Adrian walked back inside.

The moment he saw Violet's reddened eyes, he stopped in his tracks.

Violet's voice was hoarse. "You don't have to do all this for me."

Adrian looked at her quietly for a long moment. Then he finally asked, "Violet. Ever since our families started discussing the engagement, you've been pushing me away. Why?"

Across both lifetimes, he had never spoken to her so honestly.

Violet's heart tightened. A flicker of guilt rose inside her.

She looked away first. Several seconds later, she forced herself to meet his gaze again.

"You're overthinking it. I just don't want us to spend the rest of our lives tied together because of gossip. I've never wanted the title of Mrs. Winston. What I want is someone who truly loves me. Someone who'll choose only me. Someone who'll spend a lifetime devoted to just one person."

Every word came from the bottom of her heart. She hoped those words would finally make Adrian give up.

After all, someone like him, the heir to a powerful family, there was no way he'd only have one woman in his life.

But once again, his answer caught her completely off guard.

After several moments of silence, his eyes remained fixed on hers.

"I can do that. I can spend my whole life with only you."

The promise struck Violet speechless. The words she'd never dared dream of hearing during her entire previous life were now coming from Adrian himself. It felt like a boulder crashing into her heart.

Violet stood there, unable to say anything.

Adrian didn't press her any further. Not long afterward, he quietly took his leave.

*****

Early the next morning, Adrian's assistant arrived with a single red maple leaf.

"Miss Ross, Mr. Winston asked me to deliver this to you."

The assistant looked completely confused. "Do... you know what this means?"

Violet offered no explanation. She knew exactly what it meant.

A red maple leaf.

A promise of wholehearted devotion.

Over the following weeks, Adrian visited her cottage often. Every time, he brought a small gift, something new or interesting that had recently become popular.

Violet kept reminding herself to stay rational, to stay awake, not to lose herself again.

Until one day, Adrian placed a pearl necklace in her hand.

"My mother left this behind before she passed away. She told me to give it to the woman I truly love. This belongs to you."

Violet stared at the necklace. Her eyes instantly filled with tears.

She remembered it perfectly. In her previous life, this necklace had always belonged to Sherry.

A tear quietly slid down her cheek.

The usually composed Adrian immediately panicked. "I'm not forcing you. If you don't want it, I..."

Before he could finish, Violet reached out and accepted the necklace.

"I'll keep it."

Tears shimmered in her gaze. Yet there wasn't the slightest hint of retreat. She looked heartbreakingly beautiful.

Something inside Adrian softened. A warmth he couldn't explain spread through his chest.

"Remember what you said today." Violet held his gaze, speaking each word slowly and clearly.

In her previous life, she had loved Adrian with all her heart. Now that fate had given her another chance, faced with a man who was choosing her so openly... How could she not be moved?

The heart she thought had long since died began beating once again.

'A lifetime. One person. Adrian, those were your own words. Your promise.'

Filled with hope, Violet finally believed that this life would be different.

That she could escape the tragedy of her previous life.

That she and Adrian could finally have another ending.

But the very next day, Adrian brought another woman back to the Winston mansion.

Standing among the servants, Violet clearly heard his calm but unwavering announcement.

"Starting today, Sherry will be living here."