When I Lost My Emotions, He Lost Me Forever

Chapter 3

The fireworks for Vivienne's proposal lit up the sky for a full thirty minutes.

Each burst of light felt like a silent taunt reflected in Elara's eyes.

Over the past four years, she had thought about the possibility that Sebastian might fall for someone else.

If he had loved another woman or built a new life, she could have accepted it.

After all, she had been gone for four years.

But there was one thing she could not accept.

He chose Vivienne.

Soon, the sky finally fell dark again.

Dragging her heavy legs, Elara found herself back at the Blackwood Estate gates.

Just then, a group of well-dressed young people spilled out, laughing and shouting.

"Ryder, come on. No backing out. First woman you run into out here, you take her to a hotel for the night. We will cover the suite."

The drunken young man, Ryder Kane, staggered toward Elara.

"What the hell? It's some filthy homeless woman."

"Hah, Ryder, what is it? Getting cold feet?"

"Hell no. Homeless or not, she will do."

He pulled a thick stack of bills from his wallet and threw them at her.

"You. Come with me."

Elara had no interest in their game and pushed the money back.

Ryder, embarrassed in front of the others, felt a scowl settle over his face.

He grabbed her wrist, his grip tightening hard.

"You think you get to refuse me? Fine. We can do this the hard way."

Pain shot through her wrist, and Elara lashed out, kicking him on instinct.

"Ah!"

Ryder recoiled and let go.

Elara turned and ran.

Ryder's face twisted with rage. He jumped onto his motorcycle and sped after her.

A dull, sickening impact echoed through the air.

Elara's body was thrown forward, slamming onto the pavement and rolling several times before coming to a stop.

Pain exploded through her, blinding and absolute. She could not move.

The crowd broke into panicked shouts.

"This is bad. She might be dead."

"Stop him. Now."

They rushed to stop the still-revving motorcycle as others dragged Ryder away while he kept shouting that he would kill her.

"Check if she is still breathing."

A harsh beam of light hit Elara's face. Her lashes trembled faintly.

"Wait," someone gasped. "Isn't that Mrs. Blackwood?"

Sebastian and Vivienne stepped forward through the crowd, with Vivienne holding Lucas's hand.

Sebastian's expression darkened.

The person beside her quickly tugged her sleeve.

"Don't be ridiculous. Mrs. Blackwood is standing right next to him."

The woman hesitated and then lowered her voice.

"Not Vivienne. The first wife. The one who disappeared years ago."

The words rippled through the crowd.

All eyes turned at once.

Lucas reacted first. He clutched Vivienne's hand tightly and shouted, "No. My mom is not some homeless woman. I only have one mom, and it's Vivienne."

Then he turned to Sebastian, almost pleading.

"Dad, tell them. That woman is not my mom."

Sebastian's gaze passed over Elara's face without stopping.

He let out a cold laugh.

"She just happens to resemble her. That's all."

Those words cut deeper than the impact.

Elara's vision blurred.

Darkness closed in.

As she slipped toward unconsciousness, a distant memory echoed in her mind.

It was Sebastian from years ago.

"Elara, people say the men in my family are all the same. My grandfather, my father, and my uncle. They all kept women on the side. I know you are afraid I will become like them. But I won't. I love you. Only you. I will stay loyal to you for the rest of my life."

Those words, once so tender, now sounded hollow.

Elara's eyelids grew heavy. Tears cut through the blood on her face.

So in the end, Sebastian was no different.

The same cold blood ran in Lucas as well. The same indifference. The same cruelty.