Chapter 738 Yes, Elliot, I'm With Someone Now 2
While Elliot sat there, his mood darkening, Diana pushed a small plate of dessert toward him. "Elliot, have something sweet to lift your spirits. You'll need to get used to this feeling anyway. That Blake guy seems decent enough - I've actually seen his shows before. He's even better looking in person than on screen."
Those words hit Elliot like a slap.
His face turned ashen.
Diana rested her chin on her palm, studying him. "Come on, if you really can't let her go, then fight for her back."
Elliot lifted his aperitif, taking a slow sip and letting the sharp burn linger on his tongue before speaking in a flat tone. "There's nothing to let go of. She and I... we're finished."
Diana could see right through his act.
People who put on such performances, she knew, were destined to cry alone in the dark. Just like...
Just like who?
Diana's thoughts drifted for a moment.
An hour later, Molly left the restaurant with Blake and Serenity. She hesitated briefly, then decided against saying goodbye to Elliot.
Since Serenity had come from so far away, Molly accompanied her to browse the nearby shopping center.
Deep down, Serenity understood that Molly might not end up with Blake, but Molly's genuine kindness and lack of pretense had won her over completely.
Molly bought Serenity a cashmere scarf, and as she draped it around the older woman's shoulders, she thought it looked beautiful. The gesture also brought memories of her own mother flooding back - how she had left this world in such desperate circumstances.
Tears gathered at the corners of Molly's eyes.
Serenity noticed immediately. Blake had told her that Molly had no family left.
Her heart filled with compassion, Serenity gently wiped away Molly's tears. "If you and Blake are together, you'll have a family. And if you feel he's not right for you, someone with your qualities will surely find true love."
Molly's lips trembled. She wanted to say that she wasn't good enough - that she was broken.
She had deceived someone in her youth, and that betrayal had convinced her she would never deserve happiness again.
Happiness had once been within her grasp.
Later, she had come to understand the truth: Elliot hadn't been eager to marry because he was only twenty-five. He simply didn't want her anymore. He had decided her fate long before their relationship ended, even during those passionate, breathless nights when he already knew how their story would conclude.
Loving someone - how could it ever be easy to let go?
Even now, with a promising future waiting for her, she remained paralyzed by her past. Time wasn't the healer people claimed it to be. Only Elliot could heal her.
"Mrs. Wright," Molly whispered, "I'm sorry."
Serenity understood her choice, but she also knew how much pain Molly was choosing - a lifetime of waiting for someone, holding onto someone who might never return.
Waiting without resolution, growing old in solitude.
Blake's expression remained composed, though his fingers curled slightly. He didn't blame Molly. Pursuing a woman always carried two possible outcomes: being accepted or being rejected.
He suspected that whatever had happened in Molly's youth must have carved itself deep into her soul.
That evening, he drove Serenity to her hotel, then took Molly home.
Molly had moved to a new place - a tiny 600-square-foot studio apartment in an excellent neighborhood. She had used her savings to buy it, and now, apart from this $3 million property, she had no other assets. Half of her future earnings would go to scholarships for underprivileged students.
It was her way of seeking redemption.
Without it, Molly couldn't find a reason to keep living.
Below Molly's apartment building stood an enormous banyan tree.
When the night wind stirred, its leaves rustled like whispered secrets from centuries past.
Blake's black car came to a stop.
Molly didn't get out immediately. Instead, she turned to face Blake and handed him an expensive-looking box, murmuring softly, "I'm sorry."
It was a gift from Serenity - a gemstone bracelet that was clearly a family heirloom. Molly knew its value and couldn't accept something so precious.
In the dim interior of the car, Blake's eyes were darker than the night itself.
One hand resting on the steering wheel, he traced it gently, as if caressing a lover's heart.
He studied Molly quietly, taking in her delicate, fragile features before speaking in a low voice, "This wasn't a sudden decision for me. I've been planning this for a long time."
He turned to gaze through the windshield ahead.
Blake's voice grew deeper, more intimate, "The entertainment industry is both vast and small. I've known who you were long before we worked together, even though we'd never collaborated. I know your past better than Elliot does. I followed your career for a while, even when you were with him. During sleepless nights, I'd listen to the theme songs you'd recorded - so raw and unpolished. I remember thinking, 'What kind of person sings like this and still makes it in this business?'
"But I couldn't stop paying attention to you. I wanted to know what made you so unforgettable to Elliot.
"Back then, you were riding high on success.
"But soon enough, you became Cinderella after midnight. We met at the train station - you were dressed so simply, but I recognized you instantly. You were exhausted, fell asleep the moment you sat down, and accidentally leaned against my shoulder. You called out Elliot's name in your sleep.
"I think that's when I fell for you.
"Molly, I don't have the Windsor family's vast fortune, but what I have is enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. I could even support your charitable work. We could start fresh somewhere else - I could give you a family, children."
This was Blake's declaration of love and promise.
It was genuinely moving, and Molly began to cry.
From birth, she had rarely been treated with such kindness. How could she not be touched by such tenderness? But she knew in her heart that she felt no romantic love for Blake.
She couldn't give Blake happiness or trap him in a loveless marriage. Blake deserved better - he still had the chance to find someone who could truly love him.
Molly looked down, whispering, "You don't need to leave the entertainment industry for me."
Blake's gaze remained steady. "I lost interest in all that long ago."
Different phases of life were just experiences to him. He had already won three Best Actor awards - the industry's accolades no longer held any appeal.
Under the moonlight, Molly met his eyes, hers brimming with unshed tears.
"Molly," Blake said softly, "I love you. I want to take care of you for the rest of your life."
Molly could only weep.
Blake reached out to wipe away her tears, then gently pulled her into his arms. Against his shoulder, he could hear her quiet sobs.
"Blake, I'm sorry."
Directly ahead, a Cullinan's headlights blazed bright.
Inside sat Elliot, his expression blank as he watched the embracing couple. He observed Molly in another man's arms for a long moment, until she finally lifted her head and their eyes met.
Elliot held her gaze, then pressed the accelerator and drove away without a word.
From that moment on, love had nothing to do with any of them.