Chapter 266

Chapter 266

"I can't."

With that one cold word, Randy strode away.

Waverly stood there, devastated. The wedding she had spent so much time planning was over just like that. Nash and Flora couldn't leave yet. The guests were all their friends and family, and after such a ridiculous scene, they felt utterly humiliated but still had to politely see everyone off.

The once-bustling wedding instantly fell silent, the scattered flower petals now just neglected trash on the ground.

Waverly looked at Alicia. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Yes, very satisfied." Alicia laughed, happier than ever. "I told you, I wouldn't let you marry into the Carter family. As long as I'm here, I will never allow you to be with Randy!"

"Dad, Mom, let's go. Let today's wedding be a lesson for Randy. He needs to keep his eyes open when he looks for a girlfriend in the future, and not find such a scheming and malicious woman." Alicia said, taking her parents' arms and sweeping out.

Adeline, Edward, and the others also prepared to leave. But just as they were about to go, Waverly stopped Adeline. Her face still bore the meticulously applied bridal makeup, her wedding dress shimmering under the lights. She was still breathtakingly beautiful, but her face was whiter than her dress.

"You hate me now, don't you?"

Adeline was indeed very disappointed in her. "I don't hate you, because we were never friends. I'm just disappointed in you. I never thought you would do something like this."

Waverly laughed, but tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. "You all think my methods were dishonorable, but if I had another choice, I wouldn't have done this. It's all your fault. If you had just stayed away from Randy, I wouldn't have ended up here."

Even now, she showed no remorse.

Adeline had nothing more to say. "Take care of yourself."

With that, their group left.

On the way back, Olivia sighed. "I really didn't expect her to do something like that, just to marry Randy." She couldn't understand it at all. Whether they got married or not, it was all the same. A woman could have her own career and her own world; she didn't have to marry a man.

Adeline lowered her eyes. "To each their own, I suppose." Some people wanted to build a career, others wanted to build a life of love. It was just that some walked a righteous path, while others used means that couldn't see the light of day.

The whole incident was truly unexpected, and Adeline's mood was low even after she got home. She didn't even eat dinner. Edward wracked his brains trying to cheer her up, cooking for her himself and even buying tickets to her favorite star's concert. However, Adeline wasn't interested in any of it. Even at the concert, she seemed distracted.

On the way back, Edward suddenly grabbed her hand and started running with her through the streets. After her leg had healed, Adeline had avoided strenuous exercise. The doctor had long since said that running and jumping were fine as long as she didn't overdo it, but she was always a little afraid, worried that one indulgence would trigger the old injury. She never wanted to be in a wheelchair again.

This was the first time she had run so freely since her injury. The streets were quiet at night, with few people around. They ran forward, neither of them speaking, only the sound of their breathing mingling with the wind.

After two years in a wheelchair, Adeline missed the feeling of running. For a moment, it felt as if all her troubles were being carried away by the wind.

Edward led her up a tower. It was thirty stories high, and halfway up, he carried her on his back. Adeline was indeed exhausted. She lay on his broad back, watching the steps move beneath them. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I remember you said you wanted to see the stars."

"We can see them from the ground."

"It's not the same."

By the time they reached the top, even Edward was a little out of breath, having carried Adeline without a break. At the top of the tower stood an astronomical telescope. But even before using the telescope, Adeline was captivated by the breathtaking view of the star-filled sky. It was a beauty that only nature possessed. Countless stars dotted the sky like tiny eyes, twinkling with brilliant light, and a crescent moon hung on the horizon. The sight brought a sense of calm to her soul.

"Suddenly, I feel how small humans are." Adeline murmured.

"All living things are small." Edward said. The wind on the rooftop was a bit cold and strong. He took off his coat and draped it over Adeline, his voice low. "Just look up at the sky, and you'll find that all the things we worry about are insignificant compared to this magnificent view."

Adeline felt herself enveloped in a cool fragrance, the unique scent of Edward. She pulled the coat tighter. "You're right. Our worries are just self-inflicted."

Edward's lips curved. "If you like, I can bring you here every day."

"Every day? It took us almost two hours just to climb the tower." Coming every day meant wasting two hours on this. Adeline declined.

Edward fell into thought.

But even the most beautiful scenery couldn't be stared at forever. The cold wind blew, and Adeline sneezed. "Let's go down."

Edward hadn't looked at the scenery much at all; he had been watching her the whole time. On the way down, he carried her again. Adeline looked at his profile, her heart a mix of emotions. The longer they spent together, the more she noticed the change in him. He was no longer the all-powerful Mr. Thomas, but the Edward from college who would bring her hot water bottles, buy her food, carry her bag, and do anything for her.

The next morning, Adeline was woken by a knock on the door. She opened it to find Waverly. "What are you doing here?"

After yesterday's wedding fiasco, Adeline had realized she was just a pawn in Waverly's scheme. Although no serious harm had been done, the fear she had felt at the time was real. Even now, she still dreamt of the chandelier falling straight down, a terrifying image from below.

"I'm leaving." Waverly said.

Adeline was silent for a moment. "I wish you a safe journey."

Waverly smiled bitterly. "I thought I could get what I wanted, but in the end, I failed."

Adeline remained silent. She didn't know how to respond. Trying to obtain something that didn't belong to you through such means was bound to end in failure.

Waverly looked at the cracks in the floor. "I'm sorry I used you. Actually, I'm quite jealous of you."

"Jealous of what?"

"Randy loves you. Very much." Waverly's story with Randy was a bit complicated. She had been his classmate in college, but they had never interacted. Because back then, Randy had eyes for no one else. It wasn't until after graduation, after Waverly had had several jobs and finally ended up at Randy's company, that she learned he had been single all along.

"Actually, I don't look much like you, but I would imitate your clothes and makeup." Waverly looked at her, her expression dazed. "Maybe because he thought you were dead, he would notice anyone who resembled you."

Adeline looked at her silently. "That's not a reason to use me." She didn't mind the imitation of her makeup and clothes; those were her own preferences, not a patent. But Waverly had used her. She couldn't forgive that.

"I was once really grateful to you." Now, that gratitude seemed like a joke.

Waverly's lips twitched. "You're right. It's all my own doing. So now I'm getting my retribution. I lost. Randy is yours."