Chapter 323
Chapter 323:
Colton’s eyes sharpened. He seized her wrist, his voice cutting and cold. “Elyse, you’ve gone too far p>
Trapped by his grip, she could only look up at him, her eyes red and swollen. “How is this crossing a line? Didn’t you say you would marry me? If we’re going to get married anyway, why can’t we act like a normal couple? Besides, this wouldn’t even be the first time p>
Colton’s expression darkened completely.
Six years ago marked the first year after Patsy’s passing.
Colton had never been able to escape the lingering pain of losing his sister. His family offered little comfort or companionship. His parents were absorbed in their own affairs, barely noticing his presence. Luna got along with him well enough, but she was often occupied with her own circle of friends — people Colton had little patience for, finding them shallow and insincere.
Within the Yates family, Patsy had always stood apart. She preferred quiet solitude in her room, and whenever she saw Colton, she would approach him without a word, settling beside him in a silence that was different from Kristine’s — gentler, undemanding. Colton had cherished those rare moments alone with her. They reminded him that the family wasn’t entirely without warmth.
𝗔𝖽𝗱𝗂c𝗍𝗶𝘃𝖾 𝗻ov𝘦𝘭ѕ 𝘰ո
That was why losing her had hit him so hard. Sleep rarely came unless he drank himself into oblivion each night.
One evening, as he drifted off in an alcoholic haze, his phone rang. It was Elyse, and her voice was trembling. “Colton, I — I think someone’s following me. Can you come help me p>
His senses snapped to attention immediately. Patsy had made him promise, again and again, to look after Elyse. Those words had been her final request. He couldn’t ignore them — that vow weighed too heavily on his heart.
Without wasting a second, he snatched his keys and rushed out the door.
Arriving at the address Elyse had given him, Colton spotted several men lingering nearby with obvious intent. He pulled up fast, and the moment he got close, they scattered. Elyse wasted no time climbing into the car. She caught the scent of alcohol on him, and worried it might cause trouble, offered to take the wheel herself. Colton, not thinking much of it, slid into the passenger seat and let her drive.
When he woke the next morning, the car was parked in a secluded grove. His clothes were rumpled, and beside him lay Elyse — wrapped in a blanket, her bare arms dotted with bruises, gazing at him shyly. Everything about her posture hinted at what had happened between them.
“Colton, why are you so quiet? Are you already having regrets about marrying me p>
Elyse’s pleading tone jolted him out of his thoughts. He glanced down at the woman in front of him, an unfamiliar sense of irritation rising within him.
“I said I’d marry you, and I meant it,” he answered flatly.
“Then why haven’t you made it official?” Elyse pressed, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.