No More Loving in Vain

After leaving my father's study, I was heading toward the Rose Estate when Celeste stopped me.

"Natalia, why can't you just give Darius and me your blessing?"

I opened my mouth to speak but thought better of it. Since I had already decided to cut ties with them, there was no point in saying more. Soon enough, they'd understand.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I tried to walk past Celeste.

Out of nowhere, she grabbed my arm and fell to her knees. "Natalia, even if you kill me, I'll still love Darius!"

Before I could react, Darius charged over and shoved me to the ground.

"Natalia Blackwood!" he roared. "What did you do to Celeste?"

I tried to explain, but when I saw the way he looked at me—like I was his enemy—I fell silent. In his eyes, I was always the difficult one, while sweet, sensible Celeste could do no wrong.

My heart sank. I rubbed my aching leg and turned to leave. However, Darius grabbed my arm. "Natalia, apologize before you walk away!"

"I did nothing wrong! Why should I apologize?" I retorted.

In a flash, his fury boiled over. "I've already agreed to marry you, Natalia. So, why would you hurt her?"

His yelling made my eyes sting with unshed tears. I sniffled, struggling to keep my emotions in check. "I told you, I didn't do anything!"

At the same time, Celeste's eyes grew red-rimmed as she spoke up for me gently. "Darius, don't say that about Nat. She only acted that way because she loves you."

The moment she finished speaking, Darius helped her up. The tenderness in his eyes was something I had never seen before.

A sharp pain struck my chest without warning. Still, I clenched my fists to fight back the tears.

"Listen carefully, Natalia. Even after we get married, I'll never love you!" Darius snapped.

I turned at once, tears streaming down my face. "Fine! Have it your way."

With that said, I limped away. I was glad that I hadn't repeated my past mistakes. Otherwise, we would've been trapped in a marriage full of hate again.

In this life, Darius and I would be nothing more than childhood friends.

…

After that day, I thought I'd never cross paths with Darius again. To my surprise, every morning, the medicine for my leg and a handwritten note from him appeared in my room like clockwork.

Tears pricked at my eyes as I read his notes. I ran my fingers over his handwriting, and my thoughts drifted back to my past life.

After my mother died saving his sister, he stayed by my side like a guardian angel. No matter how absurd my requests were, he'd move heaven and earth to fulfill them.

Even after we were married and came to hate each other, he still tended to me around the clock whenever I was hurt. When assassins came for me, he threw himself in front of a bullet without a second thought.

Darius had only been repaying my mother's kindness, yet I mistook it for love. In the name of love, I clung to him for decades, and in doing so, destroyed his chance to be with the woman he truly loved.

The thought jolted me back to reality. That was when I remembered today was the day Celeste would be disfigured.

Ignoring the pain in my leg, I ran like a madwoman to the place I remembered.

When I reached the old manor, I found Celeste being beaten up by women from the Moretti family. One of them pressed a knife to her face and snarled, "Leave Darius, or I'll cut that pretty face of yours!"

Celeste trembled with fear, unable to utter a single word.

I raised my gun and fired into the air, drawing every eye to me at once.

"What do you think you're doing?" I shouted.