Chapter 9
932words
The salty sea breeze mingled with champagne bubbles and the scent of blooming white roses. Leo had arranged everything flawlessly—so perfect it felt dreamlike. I wore a white column dress with Mandarin collar details, while he wore a black suit, and together we received well-wishes from our guests.
"What a handsome young man. Clara, you're so fortunate," an elderly guest smiled at me.
I couldn't help but smile like a fool. At 6'2", with his sharp features, dark hair and black suit, Leo stood out in the crowd like a young king presiding over his domain.
He caught my gaze, leaned down, and whispered in my ear: "What's that smile for?"
"I'm smiling because I feel like I've found a treasure."
He laughed with me, that smile softening every line of his face, his eyes filled with what looked like crushed starlight.
Someone walked up to Julian and nudged him with an elbow. "Look at that. I thought only Leo was head over heels, but they're clearly crazy about each other. Don't you think, Julian?"
Julian didn't answer.
He just stood in the shadows, clutching a glass of wine, his gaze like a poisoned dagger slicing through the elegant crowd to fix firmly on me.
He reminded me of that drunk classmate at Alex's child's party.
[You two dressed in black and white, I thought it was your wedding.]
Yet today, he too wore a black suit.
But why wasn't anyone comparing him with me anymore?
Why had everyone's attention shifted to Leo?
I could feel the gloom and anger radiating from him, almost solidifying into something tangible—a dark cloud threatening my clear sky.
Leo seemed to notice too. He discreetly shifted to block Julian's line of sight, then took a phone from a friend, murmured "excuse me" to me, and walked toward the terrace.
There, tree shadows swayed and locust blossoms hung low.
Watching Leo's silhouette, I felt a peace in my heart I'd never known before.
But this peace shattered in the next second with a dull thud and a woman's startled cry.
My heart seized. By the time I pushed through the crowd to the terrace, Julian was already throwing his second punch.
His face twisted with rage, his eyes bloodshot with jealousy and resentment. He looked like a feral animal, all his usual elegance and composure gone.
Leo simply sidestepped the punch with perfect timing. He raised his hand to wipe blood from the corner of his mouth and, incredibly, his face still wore a brilliant, defiant smile.
"What can I say," he remarked pleasantly, his voice quiet but each word crystal clear, "she's my wife."
Julian exploded at his words, veins bulging on his neck as he roared and swung again. This time, Leo didn't dodge—he simply caught Julian's fist in mid-air. That hand which had once controlled his fate was now firmly trapped in his palm.
"I admit I took her from you," Leo's voice turned cold, each word like an ice pick. "Julian, I didn't fight back before because she liked you."
"Now? Who's going to let you off easy?"
By the time I reached them, they had already separated.
Julian's hand was bleeding from the impact, his face pale and his breathing rapid. When he saw me, vulnerability flashed in his eyes—as if expecting me to comfort him.
He thought I was worried about him.
But I walked straight past him without a glance, shoving him aside with my hand.
"Are you insane?" I shouted, fury boiling over. "Why did you hit him? What did he ever do to you?"
Julian's hand was bleeding too, his face ashen. He stared at me in disbelief, at the raw anger and concern on my face—not for him, but for another man.
"You worry about him… but not me?" His voice trembled.
"What did you expect?" I shot back coldly, looking at him like he was a stranger making a scene. "He's my husband. And who exactly are you?"
Shock flashed through Julian's eyes, then heartbreak, then utter despair. He hadn't expected me to be so determined, so… ruthless. His lips trembled, but no words came.
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist like a drowning man clutching at his last straw. That bleeding hand of his latched onto my sleeve.
"You don't want me anymore?" he asked, his voice as small as a child about to be abandoned.
"I'm already married. What do you think?"
"We never broke up…"
"You're the one who said it, Julian," I slowly, forcefully pried his fingers open, like breaking free from shackles that had bound me for ten years. "With the kind of relationship we had, we can't even call it a breakup."
He watched, wide-eyed, as I walked toward Leo.
Just like countless times in the past when I had watched, wide-eyed, as he walked toward others.
I reached the other end of the terrace where Alex stood beside Leo, offering him a tissue.
"Honestly," Alex kicked at a pebble and asked Leo, "you've been watching all these years too. Clara was crazy about Julian. Can you be sure she'll ever feel that way about you?"
Leo took the tissue and casually wiped blood from his mouth, that hint of crimson somehow making his features appear even sharper.
He lowered his head and smiled.
"I'll accept whatever comes."
"As long as she likes me even a little," he raised his head, his gaze moving past Alex to fall gently on me, "whatever she says, goes."
