Chapter 9
Chapter 9:
“Mrs. Edwards, please understand…” one guard began, caught between duty and decorum. But before he could further clarify, several bodyguards joined the fray, encircling the guards.
“Mrs. Edwards, are you really ordering my wife’s expulsion?”
A man’s voice cut through the tension as he navigated his wheelchair through the crowd towards them.
The man in the wheelchair had a stern yet noble air about him, and though his posture was relaxed, the class and elegance with which he carried himself were unmistakable.
“Aiden?” Laurie put the pieces together after seeing Aiden. She fixed a cold stare at Janice and sneered, “I was wondering how you suddenly grew a backbone. It turns out you’ve latched yourself onto Aiden.”
Janice glanced over at Aiden, bewildered by his unexpected appearance. Had he come to watch all the drama unfold?
“Sorry for being late, Janice.” Aiden’s handsome face still bore that characteristic aloofness of his, but there was also a faint hint of a smile on his lips.
Delilah stared at him in a daze. This man was supposed to be her fiancé, but then he got into an accident that left him disabled and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. There was no way she would marry a cripple. It was for this very reason that Janice was brought back—to serve as her substitute in the pre-arranged engagement. Who could have imagined that Janice would use Aiden’s influence to her advantage and act all high and mighty?
Delilah snapped back to the present and plastered a smile on her face. “What are you doing here, Aiden? Ah, you wanted to watch me compete, didn’t you?”
Aiden gave her a brief, cold glance. “Are we that close?”
Delilah was visibly taken aback, and tears immediately pooled in her eyes. “How can you say that to me, Aiden? We used to be engaged, after all.”
“Oh, sorry about that, by the way. I should have known a cripple like me would never be worthy of you!” The biting sarcasm in Aiden’s tone was more than enough to cut any lingering ties between him and Delilah.
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“How can you speak such things, Aiden? The Green family might be more powerful than us, but that doesn’t mean you can just trample on us as you like,” Laurie interjected, naturally displeased on Delilah’s behalf.
“Don’t talk to him like that, Mom. Aiden must still be upset about our broken engagement.” Delilah pretended to be crying. “But I had no choice. I am adopted; Janice is the real daughter.
Aiden, you were meant to marry her from the start. It broke my heart, but I couldn’t possibly steal my sister’s husband!”
“You must not think like that, Delilah. Even if you are not our flesh and blood, you will always be part of the Edwards family,” Laurie said softly.
Laurie quickly comforted Delilah. “If only Janice had half your sensibilities! Alas, all she knows to do is snatch your things.” She glared at Janice when she said that last part.
Janice found their little display amusing. Delilah really had a talent for acting, and she seemed to be a gifted talker as well.
Laurie simply ate up every word she said.
Fortunately, Janice no longer yearned for her mother’s love. She leaned over and reached for Aiden’s face, lifting his chin with her index finger.
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