Chapter 57 Chapter 57
Caroline remained silent.
In fact, she was a little worried that Tania would feel uncomfortable in an environment with so many strangers.
But when she saw her friend's excitement, she realized she had been worrying for nothing.
Power—and charm—spoke louder.
As they waited for Nicholas in the restaurant's reception area, Caroline heard a familiar voice after a few minutes that made her freeze.
“Carol?”
She raised her eyebrows and, turning around, saw the face she least wanted to see.
Edward.
He was wearing an impeccable white shirt, black pants, and a dark tie.
At 6'0", with straight shoulders and a refined appearance, he was still the kind of man who attracted attention wherever he went.
The cashier at the counter glanced at him, enchanted — and although Caroline felt repulsed, she had to admit that he was, indeed, the perfect male ideal in the eyes of many women: handsome, elegant, well-bred, promising.
She herself had once fallen in love with this type of man.
But that was before.
Before she discovered his past with Claire.
Before she realized that the “perfect man” was nothing more than a hypocritical coward.
From the day he believed Claire and treated her like a villain, something inside her died.
The Caroline of before was blind. The Caroline of now only saw a man who disgusted her.
“Carol, is that you?” he asked, frowning slightly. “What are you doing here?”
The banquet hall was not a place anyone could frequent, and, according to him, Caroline should not even have access to that kind of environment.
So someone had brought her there.
The memory of seeing her get into a Rolls-Royce and Claire's words about a “rich old man” came back to his mind.
Edward's face darkened.
Had Caroline really sold herself for money?
“It's none of your business.” Her voice was icy. Her gaze was sharp as a blade.
Her coldness hit him hard.
Edward took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure, and said in a tense tone:
“Carol, we're not enemies. Even though we're over, you don't have to treat me like this.”
He paused and added, in a tone of false kindness:
“I've said it before... even though we're no longer a couple, if you have any difficulties, you can come talk to me.” I'll do everything in my power.
His expression changed slightly, and his tone became paternalistic, almost pitying.
“No matter how much you hate me... don't sell yourself.”
The word echoed like a snap.
Sell herself.
Caroline frowned.
Her gaze became cold, icy.
“Am I selling myself?” she repeated, with an icy smile. “Mr. Collins, who are you, anyway?”
She tilted her head slightly. “What do you know about me to make that kind of judgment?”
“Mr. Collins” sounded like a slap disguised as courtesy.
And Edward's face contorted.
Anger flashed in his eyes. “Then tell me,” he retorted, his voice harsh, “what are you doing here? Who brought you?”
His fists clenched. “And the owner of the Rolls-Royce from the other day? Carol, would you rather sleep with disgusting old men than admit you need my help? Is it easier to sell your body than to face me head-on?!”
The sound of the slap echoed in the air like thunder.
Edward staggered back a step, stunned.
Red fingerprints glowed on his fair, perfect skin.
He raised his hand, covering his face, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Caroline watched him with a racing heart—but no regret.
Edward was dead to her. The man before her was just an insolent stranger.
But still, the disgust she felt was overwhelming.
So intense that she almost felt sick just looking at him.
“Edward, you disgust me.” Her voice trembled, not with weakness, but with contained fury. “I was blind. Blind for believing you!” She laughed bitterly. “Now I realize that even if I had thrown all my feelings from the last ten years to feed a dog, it would still have been more worthwhile! It would have been a thousand times less wasteful than loving you!”
Edward stood motionless, his eyes wide, unresponsive.
Caroline stared at him one last time.
“You promised you would love me forever. That you would protect me, no matter what. That you would never let me suffer...”
Her lips trembled. “You didn't keep any of those promises.”
She took a step forward, her gaze steady and unyielding. “You're the one who disappointed me, Edward. You're the one who hurt me.”
Finally, she took a deep breath and added, her voice calm but cold as steel:
“I only regret one thing... that I didn't open my eyes sooner.”
When he was slapped in public, Edward completely lost his composure.
His face hardened, anger flashing in his eyes. He covered the red mark on his face and shouted, out of control: “You hit me because I was right, wasn't it? Caroline, are you really willing to stoop so low for money? How much did the old man give you? Ten million? Twenty? A hundred million?” He laughed with disdain.
“Is it possible to sleep with you, as long as the price is high? Tell me, how much are you worth? I, Edward, am not a man who can't pay!”
Caroline stood motionless, staring at him in disbelief.
Was this... the man she had loved for ten years?
Ten years of sincere feelings, exchanged for cheap insults?
Before she could answer, Tania exploded.
“Fuck you, Edward, you worm!” she shouted furiously, standing up suddenly. “How do you still have the nerve to show your face in front of Carol? Aren't you ashamed?”
She stared him straight in the face, her finger almost touching his nose. “You betrayed the woman who was going to marry you, you did something disgusting, and you still want to blame her? You're a worm! Ridiculously shameless! Does your mother know what kind of trash she raised?!”
Tania's words cut through the air like razors.
Edward's face darkened completely. The veins in his forehead bulged, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
“Tania,” he growled, his voice tense with restrained rage, “I want you to apologize for those words.”
“Apologize?” Tania clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. “Why? Did I lie?”
Edward's gaze became threatening.
“Very well. If you don't apologize... you're not leaving here.”
He picked up his cell phone and made a quick call, without taking his eyes off them.
A few minutes later, several bodyguards approached.
Tania paled, instinctively taking a step back.
“Edward... what are you doing?”
“Apologize,” he said coldly, though his eyes were fixed on Caroline. “Apologize for everything you just said.”
“Fuck you, Edward!” Tania shouted, her fists clenched, her voice trembling with rage. “You're a worm! A coward who doesn't have the guts to own up to what he does! I've never seen a man as despicable as you!”
“You're asking for it!” Edward roared, his eyes darkening with rage. He raised his hand, ready to slap her.
As the heir to the Cassano family, he had always been flattered.
No one had ever dared to challenge him — let alone an ordinary woman.
And now, to be humiliated in public? He would not tolerate it.