Chapter 50 The Bracelet
Alexander.
Willow who was still enjoying the free massage gave me a side eye and continued enjoying Dandelion's treatment like I didn't even exist.
I scoffed at his betrayal.
"I've spoiled you so much, and I think I might regret this."
Willow completely ignored my remark.
Tsk such a traitor.
"Where did you get this?" Xavier's voice suddenly cut through the moment sharply.
He quickly squatted beside Dandelion, gripping her wrist tightly. His eyes were locked on something on her hand with an intensity that made my instincts flare.
Dandelion looked back at him in confusion, her smile fading slowly. "What do you mean?"
Xavier didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly dragged her up from the ground, almost too quickly. She winced, stumbling forward.
That was enough.
I moved instantly, snatching her away from his grip and pulling her behind me. "What the hell are you doing, Xavier?"
Xavier's face was turning red in anger, He ignored me completely, his glare fixed on Dandelion who had instinctively moved closer behind my back.
"Mrs. Graham," he called through gritted teeth, "please explain how you got that bracelet on your wrist."
Nicholas as if he suddenly realized something stepped between us quickly, with his hands raised like he was trying to prevent a war. "Xavier, you need to calm down. See I told you you're getting obsessed with finding that lady. It's definitely not Mrs. Graham's. There are many bracelets in this goddamn world."
"But it's a frickin custom made bracelet, Nick!" Xavier snapped, his voice rising sharply in annoyance."Custom. Made."
I felt my patience wearing thin. "What the hell are you both talking about?"
Willow who sensed the tension spreading through the air, got up from where he had been lying and rushed over to hide behind Dandelion. Even the wolf knew something was wrong.
Nicholas sighed heavily and turned to me with a complicated expression that made my stomach drop. "The bracelet is the same as the one Xavier found after waking up in the hotel. Your wife... might have been the one who slept with Xavier."
"What!?"
The word exploded from both Dandelion and me at the same time.
I felt my chest tighten suddenly, like someone had wrapped a steel chain around my ribcage and was squeezing it with all their strength. Anger flooded through me hotly at first, then betrayal and then a sudden dangerous rage I couldn't control.
I shouldn't feel this way, should I?
This was a contract marriage it's not real, She could sleep with whoever she wanted. Right?
But the thought of her with Xavier made me want to smash something.
I turned back sharply to Dandelion, who was staring at Nicholas with a wide shocked eyes. She looked like she was trying to process what he had just said, like the words didn't make sense in her head.
"Explain," I demanded, my voice coming out sharply than I intended. "Now."
She looked up at me with a hurt and confused expression, and a bit surprised probably because I was demanding an explanation. It made that tight feeling in my chest feel worse.
"But I didn't sleep with him," she defended shaking her head quickly. "I've never seen Mr. Quinn before I married you. Only at the wedding and Grandma's birthday party. I really don't know what he's talking about."
"Then how do you explain this?" Xavier pulled out a bracelet from his pocket and held it up.
My eyes widened.
It was completely identical to the one on Dandelion's wrist. Every detail matched perfectly.
I didn't know what to believe anymore. I wanted to believe her, but the evidence was right there in front of me and it made my blood boil.
The whole atmosphere suddenly felt more cold and tense. Nicholas was watching both of us carefully, meanwhile Xavier looked like he was ready to explode, and Dandelion looked trapped between us all.
Nicholas cleared his throat, trying to lessen the tension. "Uhm, Mrs Graham, did you perhaps attend the GEI Awards?"
"Of course not!" Dandelion's voice rose slightly, defensive. "How can I attend the event after everything that happened to me? But then..."
She paused, looking down at her bracelet, then at the one Xavier was holding. Her expression shifted from defensive to thoughtful.
"He is right. That bracelet really looks like mine, and my bracelet is custom made. There's only two of it. Mine... and that of my best friend... Lilian."
She gasped suddenly, like realization had just hit her.
"Wait a minute, she told me she misplaced hers at..." She stopped mid sentence and looked at Xavier. "Uhm, Mr. Quinn, can I see the bracelet?"
Xavier glared at her with suspicion thick in his eyes, but after a moment of hesitation, he handed it over to her.
Dandelion took it carefully, studying it closely. Then she did something that made everyone surprised. She opened a small locket charm hanging from the bracelet.
My eyes widened slightly. Even Xavier looked surprised. He probably didn't know the charm was actually a locket.
Inside it was a tiny picture.
"It's Lilian's," Dandelion confirmed, looking at Xavier with an apologetic expression. "This is her bracelet."
The emotions that had been raging inside me suddenly vanished, like a volcano that had been erupting violently and then just... stopped becoming inactive.
I breathed out slowly, not even realizing I had been holding my breath.
She didn't sleep with Xavier.
She didn't betray me.
But waiy a minute. Betray me? Why was I even thinking in those terms?
"Mrs Graham, please can you call her over," Nicholas asked gently, breaking through my thoughts. "He'll never believe you until he sees her himself."
Dandelion nodded quickly, "But my phone is inside, I'll have to go get it"
"We'll go along with you, Mrs Graham" Xavier added immediately like she would take opportunity to escape.
Nicholas rolled his eyes.
This was the third time today that Nicholas and Xavier had referred to her as "Mrs. Graham." And It felt weird and strange. The only woman who had been called Mrs. Graham before was my late mother, and my grandmother.
But hearing it applied to Dandelion felt different somehow. I decided this wasn't a good time to think about it.
Even though I was curious to see if Dandelion was telling the truth, I realized that I had already subconsciously decided to believe her. The evidence had been staring me in the face, identical bracelets and all, but I wanted her to be innocent.
I hoped she was telling the truth.
And that hope had nothing to do with our contract but everything to do with something I wasn't ready to admit to.
So she had better be telling the truth, I thought darkly.
Because if she wasn't, I didn't know what I would do with these feelings currently tearing through my chest.