Chapter 10
Chapter 10:
Terry had used exactly this kind of carefully constructed gentleness to draw Helena in before.
Alden’s tone didn’t change as he said, “So what you really mean is… your first love is another man p>
Right then, Helena realized she’d messed up again.
All she wanted to say was that her past didn’t matter anymore. She had entered this marriage fully aware of what it was, even if it wasn’t built on love.
Before she could explain, Alden continued, “Let’s say that boy showed up again p>
“Even if he showed up tomorrow, I wouldn’t leave you,” Helena said sharply, cutting him off.
A faint smile tugged at Alden’s lips, though he stayed silent. The smile lasted longer than any she’d seen from him before.
Later that evening, for the first time since it all began, they returned to their home together.
While Helena returned to her room to wash up and rest, Alden called Dorian.
Dorian couldn’t wait to say, “Guess what? Rylan just pulled some shady moves in the development area. Word is, he’s trying to get a hit piece about you aired through a major media outlet. Guess which one he picked? ‘Nexus TV.’” Shivers crawled up Dorian’s arms. “Holy—how the hell did you already know that p>
Somewhere deep down, he thanked the universe he wasn’t on Alden’s bad side. Being one of the few who knew the man’s secrets gave him a front-row seat to power—and danger.
With a playful grin, Dorian added, “By the way, Alden, how long are you planning to keep this deaf act going with Helena p>
The soft beam of light bleeding out from under Helena’s bedroom door disappeared, as Alden lowered his voice. “Not yet. The timing isn’t right.” Even after the call ended, Dorian was still processing what he’d just heard.
Despite their long-standing friendship, he and Alden never quite saw eye to eye when it came to love, or anything remotely sentimental.
Dorian thrived on impulse. His motto was: “You only live once.” And love? That could wait. So the idea that Alden—already married—was still hiding the truth from his wife? That part he couldn’t wrap his head around.
Find what you love at gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s․𝒸𝗼𝗺
His hand searched his pocket for a lighter, only to find it empty. He’d left it back at the bar.
He was about to turn around when a flick of flame appeared in front of him. A tall woman in sleek rimless glasses held a lit lighter steady between them.
The gesture caught Dorian off guard. “Appreciate it p>
“Don’t worry about it.” Tucking the lighter away, Valeria added with a hint of curiosity, “That friend you were talking to on the phone, Alden—he wouldn’t happen to be the one from the Wilson family who just came back from overseas, would he p>
Helena woke up naturally one morning. As she stepped out of the guest room, a savory scent drifted through the air.
Drawn by the smell, she spotted a neatly prepared sandwich and a cup of milk set on the dining table.
A bank card and a folded note sat beneath the cup.
“Gone for a few days on business. Use the card to get anything you need. The password’s our wedding date.” Helena felt a warmth rise in her chest.
Since her father’s hospitalization, her world had shrunk to a quiet apartment and long, echoing nights filled with silence.
Now, despite their mismatched schedules and short conversations, Alden’s presence gave her a strange kind of comfort.
In her heart, he had started to feel like family.
She carefully slipped the card into her wallet, already knowing she wouldn’t be using it.
People around her had spoken about Alden more than once, and none of those stories depicted his life with the Wilson family as easy. He probably had financial pressures of his own.
Instead of spending a cent, Helena decided she’d hold onto the money—and one day, she’d give it all back.
Later that morning, after freshening up, she went to visit her father, stopping by a flower stall along the roadside to pick up a bunch of pink carnations. Karen Miller, a nurse, greeted her with a cheerful smile. “Helena, good to see you p>
Everyone on that floor of the nursing home recognized her by name.
Albert Ellis—her father—had been in a coma for seventeen years. His care, both medical and emotional, had drained the family’s resources. Anyone else might have let go, moved on, and kept whatever remained for themselves.
But Helena thought differently. She poured every cent of the family into keeping her father alive. Her tuition had been covered through part-time jobs.
No matter how exhausted she was, she always came here with flowers in hand and stories to tell, believing somehow that her father could still hear her.
With a gentle nod to Karen, Helena pushed open the room’s door, only to freeze in place. The bed was empty.
Her heart tightened. She turned around and asked Karen, panicked, “Karen, where’s my father p>