Chapter 355 I Never Harmed You
"You're manipulating her!" Violet snapped at Aurora. "Your son did have feelings for her, but shemade it clear they could only be friends."
"He loved her and sacrificed himself for her and their child. Everyone knows that and feels for him."
"That doesn't mean you can demand Adeline marry a dead man and live as a widow forever."
Aurora sneered, ignoring Violet, and looked coldly at Adeline. "I'm asking you, Adeline. Will you marry him or not?"
Adeline, still kneeling, squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Aurora's eyes blazed. "Sebastian gave his life for you! I'm just asking you to marry him and stay faithful to his memory. Is that really so hard?"
Her voice rose. "You can't let go of Mr. Foster, can you? You still want to be with him! You promised Sebastian you wouldn't, but look what happened!"
Adeline's head snapped up, meeting Aurora's gaze with resolve. "Mrs. Carter, if you're worried about me marrying Jasper, I promise you I won't."
Silence filled the hallway. Jasper, who had been quiet, watched Adeline with an unreadable expression.
Violet glanced nervously between them. The tension was thick.
Finally, Andrew cleared his throat and looked at Adeline. "Miss Wilson, please excuse my wife. She speaks without thinking."
Adeline's gaze stayed steady. "I'd prefer to stay unmarried and focus on my children."
"But," she continued, "I was engaged before Sebastian and I got involved. I told him, but he thought he still had a chance since I wasn't married."
Taking a deep breath, she met their eyes. "So, you don't need to worry about me marrying Jasper. I won't make that mistake again. You have my word."
Aurora and Andrew exchanged surprised looks. They hadn't expected this or Sebastian's sacrifice knowing she was engaged.
After a moment, Andrew sighed and crouched before Adeline, placing a hand on her shoulder. "In that case, I have one last request."
Adeline looked up. "Go on."
"Since you were already engaged, we have no right to manipulate your marriage . But we hope you'll visit Sebastian's grave while mourning your son. And," he added with a sigh, "please don't marry within three years of Sebastian's passing. At least, don't have a big wedding."
Adeline nodded. "Okay. I promise."
Sebastian's death was unintentional, but it was because of her. She knew Brandon would understand.
Relieved, Andrew and Aurora left. As the elevator doors closed, Violet helped Adeline up. "They say they aren't manipulating you, but they clearly are."
Adeline offered a weak smile. "It's alright." Even without their request, she wouldn't forget Sebastian while mourning Bennett, nor would she have a grand wedding before avenging him. Their demands aligned with her own intentions.
Violet frowned and helped Adeline back to bed. She was about to speak when she noticed Jasper standing at the doorway. With a knowing look, she excused herself, quietly closing the door behind her.
An oppressive silence filled the room. Finally, Jasper let out a humorless laugh and sat down beside Adeline. "Did you really accept Brandon's proposal?"
Adeline stared straight ahead, ignoring his gaze. "Yes."
"Why?" His voice was low and strained.
"What do you think?" She turned to him, her eyes cold and distant. Now that he knew her true identity, there was no need for pretense.
"Adeline," he pleaded, his eyes filled with pain, "I don't understand what I've done to make you misjudge me so."
"What are you talking about?" A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "When have I ever misjudged you?"
"Oh, I did misjudge you before. I thought you were a man of integrity, capable of loyalty and commitment. But I was wrong."
Her gaze pierced him. "You had an affair with my sister, Molly, while we were married. You even hired Thomas to kill me for her!"
"You ask why I accepted Brandon's proposal? What do you think?" Her voice shook with suppressed rage, the culmination of six years of pain.
"I was pregnant with triplets when Thomas hit me with his car. When he realized I wasn't dead, he called you. And what did you say? You told him to finish the job!"
"He pushed me off the bridge. If it weren't for Brandon's yacht passing by, I would be dead. Because of that accident, I was disfigured. But for the sake of my unborn children, I endured seven months of agony!"
"After they were born, Brandon arranged for reconstructive surgery." She clutched her face, her voice laced with bitterness. "Do you have any idea what I went through to have this face, to feel human again?"
"And while I was struggling to raise our children, what were you doing? You were by Molly's side, announcing her as your fiancée. You claimed I had an affair, left a note, and disappeared, dying in an accident."
Her eyes blazed with fury. "You even fabricated a will, claiming I asked you to take care of Molly and be with her! And you dare ask me why I accepted Brandon's proposal?"
"If it weren't for him, my children and I would be dead!"
Jasper closed his eyes, his face etched with pain. "So, you agreed to marry him because he saved you and the children?"
"What other reason could there be?" she spat, her voice devoid of emotion. "Should I have chosen the man who almost killed my children, the man who indirectly caused the death of one of them, over the man who saved us and has treated us with nothing but kindness for six years?"
"Jasper, I was blinded by love once, but don't think for a second that I would ever make that mistake again."
Jasper frowned. "Whether it was six years ago or now, I would never hurt you."
"Then what about Thomas?" she challenged, her voice icy.
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