Chapter 77 : Allison, I Need To Talk To You
In the living room, Luke and Ruth exchanged helpless looks.
To Ruth, this felt like an opportunity, a way out. She quickly suggested, “Maybe… Luke, you should head back for now?”
Once he left, she could talk things through with Nigel and figure out what to do next.
Damn it. Of all times, where did Nigel go? She hadn't been able to reach him on the phone at all.
But to Ruth’s horror, Luke didn't leave. Instead, he lazily sat down on the sofa as if he owned the place. “It seems the Rogers family has some misunderstandings about this marriage. In that case, I’ll wait here until Mr. Nigel returns. Then we can settle this properly.”
Allison stayed alone in her room. In the living room, Ruth broke down in tears, unable to accept that Sherrie’s wedding had somehow become Allison’s instead.
Sherrie was the first to rush home. Ronan came with her, seated in his wheelchair.
Nigel’s phone was still unreachable.
The moment Sherrie walked into the living room, her legs nearly gave out. When she saw Luke sitting there, her heart sank.
This was not a nightmare. It was not some trick played by Ruth. The Lopez family had really changed the bride.
Ronan frowned deeply. He had only found out about the engagement gifts after Sherrie broke down at the hospital. He still had no idea who had spread the false rumor that he was marrying Sherrie, and now he was being told that Allison was going to marry Jareth?
Ronan wheeled himself into the room while his sharp look landed on Luke.
Such a major change within the Lopez family, and he, the treasured son of the household, was the last to know. Did the Lopez family even remember that he existed?
With Ronan’s arrival, Luke no longer dared to stay seated.
Ronan’s voice turned cold when he asked, “How can Allison marry Jareth? I was the one who called off our engagement. Do you want the entire Kansas pointing at my back and laughing?”
Luke replied politely, “Mr. Ronan, I don’t know the details either. Everything was arranged by Mr. Jackson. I’m only carrying out orders.”
Ronan was still holding on to the hope that this was all a misunderstanding. But seeing the situation now, he knew it was real.
He couldn't understand it. There were so many women in the world. Why did Grandfather have to arrange this marriage of all things?
“I’m going to ask Grandfather myself!” Ronan left in a rage.
Seeing this, Sherrie hurried after him, crying out, “I’ll go with you!”
Allison sat silently in her room. She knew Luke was still there.
Jackson’s arrangement had taken everyone by surprise.
Marrying Jareth? Allison had never imagined such a thing. She did not even know how she had been dragged into the Lopez family’s mess, but one thing was clear. This marriage would be a disaster. For both her and Jareth.
When Nigel finally made it back to the Rogers mansion, it was already night.
Nigel was followed by Ronan and Sherrie, both of whom had turned back after leaving earlier.
None of them spoke. Their faces were pale, like eggplants struck by frost, drained of all color, each one looking more defeated than the one before.
The moment Ruth saw Nigel walk into the living room, she was stunned. Then she let out a sharp cry and rushed toward him in panic, tears instantly filling her eyes. “Nigel! What happened to you? How did you end up like this?!”
Bruises and dark marks covered Nigel’s once handsome face. His usually immaculate, high-end suit was a mess. The buttons had been torn apart, as if he had been roughly handled, leaving him looking utterly disheveled.
Yet Nigel did not respond to her concern. Instead, his eyes shifted to Luke.
Ruth thought he hadn't understood the purpose of Luke’s visit and hurriedly tried to explain. Before she could say anything, Nigel gently patted her shoulder and walked straight toward Allison’s bedroom door.
He knocked twice. “Allison, I need to talk to you.”
The door opened soon after. Allison stood there calmly. Nigel entered and gently closed the door behind him.
The others were left standing in the living room. Holding back her sobs, Ruth turned anxiously to Sherrie and Ronan. “What exactly happened? Did Nigel get into a fight with someone?”
At the question, Sherrie finally lost control. She threw herself into Ruth’s arms and burst into tears. “Mom… Nigel has been accused of assault and forced entry. They want to sentence him to three years in prison…”
Ruth’s legs nearly gave way beneath her.
At the same time, Ronan, seated in his wheelchair, shot Luke a cold, piercing look. As expected, Luke showed no surprise at all. It was obvious he had known everything from the start.
It seemed Ronan’s suspicions were right. This had been a trap set by his grandfather from the very beginning.
Ruth clutched her chest, struggling to breathe. “What do we do… Nigel can’t go to jail…”
Ronan answered grimly. “My grandfather meddled and persuaded the other side to drop the charges, but there was one condition. He wants Allison to marry Jareth.”
Silence fell. Ruth’s face went stiff with shock, and no words came out.
Yet the look in her eyes revealed everything.
No matter who Allison married, Nigel absolutely could not go to prison.
Inside Allison’s room, she sat on the bed while Nigel sat stiffly at her small desk.
Neither of them says anything. The silence lingered between them. In the end, Allison was the one who broke it. “I won’t marry him.”
Nigel stiffened. He stared at her in disbelief for a long moment.
Was this really the little sister he had cherished and protected since they were young?
He had made it clear. If she refused, he would go to prison for three years. Yet she refused so easily. Did she really want him to go to jail?
Deeply hurt, Nigel’s voice shook with anger. “Do you really think this has nothing to do with you? I got into that fight because of you. I was defending your honor when I taught Gabriel a lesson. That’s how I ended up in this mess. And now you’re just standing there, pretending it has nothing to do with you?”
“You think I’m afraid of going to jail?”