Love Fades in Time

Lexi was grateful beyond what she could express. We quickly became inseparable best friends. But I never knew when she and Robert ended up in the same bed—or when he fell in love with her.

Robert gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his voice softer than ever. “Adalyn, can we still go ahead with the wedding tomorrow as planned? I can’t wait to make you my wife, my Mrs. Gu.”

The wedding I once dreamed of now felt like a nightmare.

I shook my head lightly. “No.”

Robert clearly hadn’t expected me to refuse. He let go of me, his tone unusually patient. “I know you’re scared, but trust me, I’ll handle everything. No one will dare say a word about you. Lexi will be your bridesmaid—she’ll be there for you.”

“And this time, the officiant will be Spencer, the head of the most powerful family in Ubragard. I promised you, didn’t I? I’ll give you the grandest wedding.”

The moment I heard my brother’s name, my hands instinctively clenched around Robert’s sleeve. The McLeods had no idea I was in Stormhavn. They certainly didn’t know that Robert’s fiancée was me.

Years ago, after refusing an arranged marriage with the most ideal young entrepreneur of Ubragrad’s elite, I fled from my family’s home and never looked back.

A bitter ache rose in my chest. I didn’t dare imagine what kind of expression my brother would have if he saw me like this—so helpless, so pathetic.

Suddenly, I felt a weight on my arm, followed by a crisp, anxious voice. “Adalyn, I was so worried about you! From now on, I’ll be your eyes—I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life…”

Robert cut her off, his voice carrying a barely noticeable trace of guilt. “Don’t talk nonsense. Adalyn’s blindness is only temporary.”

Lexi caught on immediately. She rested her head on my shoulder and spoke in that sweet, innocent voice of hers.

“Oh, right! That was my mistake. Who knows? Maybe by tomorrow, Adalyn’s vision will be back. Then she can walk down the aisle in her beautiful wedding dress and become Mrs. Bain. Adalyn, I’m so happy for you.”

That soft, harmless act of hers had fooled me completely.

Once the assistant delivered the wedding dress, only Lexi and I were left in the hospital room.

“Adalyn, I heard you designed this dress yourself? It’s gorgeous. But… it’s a little too big for me.”

The sharp sound of fabric tearing cut through the silence of the room, harsh and jarring.

I knew—she had destroyed my wedding dress.

“A blind woman like you has no use for something this beautiful. That hospital gown suits you much better.”

Rip!

A searing pain shot through my eye sockets, burning like fire.

The pain was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even scream. My hands trembled as I reached up, trying to wipe away the liquid from my eyes with my sleeve.

Lexi grabbed my wrist in a death grip, her voice laced with pure malice as she whispered in my ear, “Adalyn, your blindness wasn’t caused by the car accident at all. I never expected that just a few casual words from me would make Robert go so far as to take your corneas and give them to me. And guess what? I didn’t even need them. I found them disgusting. Even a dog wouldn’t want them.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away on your own. If not… do you ever thought that another casual remark from me can make Robert take your life next?”

The acid burned my eyes, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

The sound of leather shoes echoed as someone approached.

Lexi suddenly wiped the liquid from my face—harshly, as if erasing evidence. Then, she grabbed my hand and lifted it high.

Slap!

A sharp sting exploded across my palm.

Before I could react, a sudden force shoved me backward. My head slammed into the wall, sending a wave of dizziness crashing over me as a relentless ringing filled my ears.

“Adalyn! You’ve lost your sight, not your damn mind! Why would you hit Lexi? She’s currently recovering and weak!”

I couldn’t see Robert’s expression, but from the sheer fury in his voice, I knew—he had completely lost control.