Chapter 216
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Chapter 216
“How do I live without you p>
At the Grand Skyline Hotel’s Peony Hall, gentle music drifted through the air.
The hall was already filled with guests, all waiting for the wedding to begin.
Smiles were everywhere. It was a joyous occasion, after all, and the groom was a man of status and reputation.
Yet among the packed crowd, not a single family member from the bride’s side could be seen.
Outside, the atmosphere brimmed with celebration. Backstage, in the dressing room, Adriana’s eyes were red and swollen.
The tall man in a white suit held Adriana’s hand, his voice sincere. “Andrea, you look so beautiful today p>
Adriana forced a smile. “Evan, you look very handsome too p>
Evan Quinn raised his eyebrows and leaned closer. “Hey, starting today, you should be calling me ‘Hubby.‘ And we’re about to become ‘Mom‘ and Dad p>
As he spoke, he reached out and gently touched Adriana’s lower abdomen.
Her body trembled, and her emotions collapsed all at once. She threw herself into Evan’s arms and wailed, “ I miss my dad. I really miss him p>
The smile on Evan’s face vanished, replaced by pain. He held her carefully and spoke in a soft, steady voice. “It’s okay. That’s all in the past. Dad would want you to be happy, and he’d want us to be happy p>
Adriana sobbed, “How could I be so awful? How could I not go home even once in six years p>
She cried until she could barely breathe, her heart drowning in regret.
“At least he came to see us,” Evan said quietly.
Those words only deepened her anguish. Her hands shook as she reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of old bus tickets. Tears fell one by one onto the faded paper.
“Dad couldn’t even read, yet he still came to see me so many times p>
Grief overwhelmed Adriana. She raised her hand and slapped her own face. She hated herself for going six long years without returning home even once to see her father.
Evan hurried to stop her. “Andrea, Dad won’t blame you anymore. Today is our big day. Even if Dad knew, he wouldn’t want you crying like this p>
Even so, Adriana could not stop.
After a long while, her sobs finally eased. She took out a tissue, wiped the corners of her eyes, and said, “Evan, you go first. I want to be alone for a bit… to calm down. I’ll come out on time at 1:00 p.m p>
Evan studied her face with concern, then nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “Alright. I’ll go first p>
Once he left, Adriana leaned over the table, and the tears poured out again.
That year…
Adriana was 16. Her family was poor, but they had been happy. No one expected her mother to suddenly fall gravely ill.
At first, Adriana was not worried. She continued going to school, and the illness was not terminal. As long as her mother received hospital treatment, there was a strong chance she could recover.
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But everything changed. Her usually honest and simple father seemed to turn into a different person. Not only did he refuse to send her mother for treatment, but he even forbade Adriana from bringing it up.
At the time, Adriana felt utterly confused.
On the eve of her entrance into high school, her mother finally could not hold on.
Adriana was devastated. She knelt before her mother’s grave and cried for an entire day. Yet she saw no sorrow on her father’s face. To her, he seemed unbearably cold.
In the days that followed, only Adriana and Mason remained at home. He grew silent and withdrawn. He left for the fields before dawn and returned only at night.
Resentment began to grow in Adriana’s heart.
She believed Mason was heartless. Even after the wife he had spent half his life with passed away, he shed no tears and showed not the slightest sign of grief.
Unable to contain herself, Adriana finally lashed out and confronted him in anger.
Mason usually answered with silence. At most, he would say one sentence: “Are you hungry? I’ll go cook p>
That was the final straw.
Adriana smashed her plate onto the ground, pointed at him, and shouted, “I don’t have a father like you p>
Then she ran out of the house.
What she never knew was that after she left, her father quietly picked up the broken pieces from the floor. He spent a long time gluing them together, hoping he could somehow make the plate whole again.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.