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Home / Romance Short Story / I Only Needed Your Face / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of I Only Needed Your Face: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

27 Chapters

Chapter 1

A soft, teasing voice came through the line. "Al, you're peeling them too fast. I can't eat that much…"A sharp click followed. The call ended.Eliza Lockett smiled at the lawyer as if she had just proved her point. "See?"The lawyer's brow furrowed. He hesitated, then finally nodded.After she signed, a weight lifted from Eliza's chest so completely it almost felt unreal.She went home in a light mood. She took a framed photo from her collection and wiped the glass with slow, careful strokes.A maid passed and spotted her at it again. She drifted over to another maid, and the two whispered as if the room itself might keep their secrets."Mrs. Sidham really is crazy about Mr. Sidham. She looks at his photo a dozen times a day and polishes that frame like it's a ritual.""What's the point of loving him? He doesn't like her. He's always ice-cold.""Exactly. When Miss Buckley was overseas, he flew out to see her all the time. Now that she's back, he's with her every day. He barel

Chapter 2

Alban arrived at the house early the next morning. He barely glanced at Eliza before getting straight to the point. "Your chicken soup is good, right?"She had not even opened her mouth when he continued, impatience sharpening his tone, "Vina wants some. Make it now and come with me to deliver it."Eliza lifted her gaze, ready to refuse. Her eyes fell on the watch at his wrist, and she reconsidered. "Fine. I'll make it the way she likes it. But I want your watch."Alban did not hesitate. He removed it and set it on the table in front of her. "Take it."This was nothing new. He often sent her on errands for Davina. Sometimes, she booked flights so he could visit her. Sometimes, she stood in line for hours to buy the snacks Davina liked. Other times, he had her choose gifts on his behalf.Eliza never refused. She only asked for payment. She never asked for money. Instead, she chose items he had used for years: a fountain pen, a watch, sometimes a book. None of them held much monetar

Chapter 3

The days that followed unfolded exactly as Alban had promised. He barely left the hospital, staying at Davina's side around the clock.When urgent matters arose at the company, his assistant delivered a laptop and documents directly to her room and arranged them before him so he could work without stepping away.If Davina so much as mentioned craving a particular fruit, Alban would send a private jet overseas to procure it. The fruit would return the same day, washed, sliced, and set neatly on her table.To coax her into eating more, he rewarded her bite by bite, placing a gold bar beside her plate for every mouthful she swallowed.The story dominated headlines for days.Eliza saw every report. She only offered a distant smile, as though the spectacle had nothing to do with her.…On the day Jessleton University celebrated its centennial anniversary, Eliza attended as an invited alumna, recognized as one of its outstanding graduates.After signing in at the gate, she immediatel

Chapter 4

The doctor clearly assumed it was a simple marital dispute and quickly tried to defuse the situation. "You two should stop arguing first. Your wife's stomach—"Eliza sat up abruptly. "Doctor, weren't you going to get my medication?"He paused, caught the implication, and said nothing further. Without another word, he turned and left.Alban looked back at her. "The doctor mentioned your stomach. What's wrong with it?""Nothing," Eliza replied evenly. "He just meant I was injured there too."His expression hardened, though his tone remained cold and controlled. "If you hadn't laid hands on Vina, you wouldn't have fallen down the stairs."You were at fault first. Go apologize to Vina."Eliza shook her head. "I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize? The restaurant has cameras. Watch the footage, and you'll see the truth."Alban's face darkened. "I don't need to check the cameras. I believe Vina. You will apologize."After everything that had happened, exhaustion weighed

Chapter 5

The room fell silent. No one had expected that answer.Everyone in their circle knew Eliza's reputation. She had chased Alban relentlessly, married him, and catered to his every demand. For her to say that in front of everyone was the same as slapping him across the face.Alban's expression darkened. He picked up his glass and downed several drinks in quick succession.In the next rounds of the game, he could not focus. Eliza's words replayed in his mind, and he lost again and again.His friends, eager to stir things up, suggested they check his photo album and his pinned contact.The result surprised no one. His album was filled with photos of Davina. Some showed her smiling. Others captured her in quiet moments or in candid shots taken from behind. His pinned contact list held only one name: Davina Buckley.He was so distracted that he failed to realize he had just made his feelings for her public.Color crept up Davina's cheeks. She lowered her head and glanced at him shyly.

Chapter 6

Alban did not come home for several days. Instead, Davina checked in from time to time with messages, photos, and short videos.Some showed Alban from behind as he cooked in her kitchen. Others captured him at the piano, playing for her alone. A few clips showed him tidying her apartment, sleeves rolled up, movements patient and familiar.Davina sent them for one reason only: to ensure Eliza understood how deeply he loved her and how completely he indulged her.On ordinary days, the images stirred nothing in Eliza. She felt no anger, no jealousy. They barely caused a ripple.But on Kyran's birthday, the photos struck differently.When Kyran was alive, he had treated her the same way, gently and attentively, as if she were something precious he needed to protect.After he died, no one ever loved her like that again.She baked a cake and set it on the table. Then she opened Davina's posts once more.Memories rose unbidden. Kyran stood beside her, smiling, teasing, holding her han

Chapter 7

After that birthday, something in Alban shifted. He still spent most of his time with Davina, yet he began coming home almost every day. Even when they exchanged only a few words, he made a point of standing where Eliza could see him, as though to assert his presence.One afternoon, after Alban left, Eliza glanced through the documents he had brought home.An auction catalog lay among them. She flipped through it without much interest, then stopped short. A crystal sphere appeared among the featured lots.Her breath caught.Kyran had once planned to make that crystal sphere for her. He had set gems inside it and engraved their initials on them. He had intended it as a gift and had never mentioned it to anyone.She had no idea how it had found its way to an auction house. Because he had made it for her, he had kept it private. No one else knew where it came from.As she stared at the photograph in the catalog, her vision blurred. She knew she had to have it.….Eliza changed her

Chapter 8

When the auction ended, Davina bounced over to Alban, the crystal sphere cradled in her hands."It's not even that special," she said lightly. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered bidding."As she spoke, she tilted her wrist as though by accident. The sphere slipped from her fingers, struck the floor, and shattered.Fragments scattered across the marble.Eliza dropped to her knees. She gathered the pieces one by one, her hands trembling as she tried to fit them back together.But once something broke, it remained broken. No matter how carefully she worked, the cracks would never disappear.Her heart seemed to fracture with the crystal.For years, no matter how Alban had hurt her, she had endured it without admitting the pain. Now grief poured in, crushing and bottomless, as though she were falling into an endless void.Why? Why would he refuse her even this? She had never tried to compete with Davina. If Davina wanted Alban, she could have him. Eliza had never attempted to t

Chapter 9

On the day she left, Eliza called the lawyer. "Today is the last day of the cooling-off period. Is there anything else I need to do?""No. As of today, your marriage has been legally dissolved," the lawyer answered with measured care. "Ms. Lockett, congratulations. You have your freedom back."This time, Eliza's smile was genuine. She lowered her hand to her abdomen and let it rest there.'Yes. From today on, it will be just me and the child. We can start over,' she thought.She would find a place with beautiful scenery and spend her days remembering Kyran while raising their baby.After she hung up, she packed a small suitcase. Most important, she gathered every item she had collected over the years from Alban, everything that had once belonged to Kyran, and placed them carefully inside.As she reached the door, she nearly collided with Alban, who had just returned home.He paused when he saw the luggage in her hand. "Where are you going?""On vacation," she replied, as she ha

Chapter 10

"Vina, is this what you wanted to tell me?"Alban had rushed over in a panic, only to learn that Davina had called because her ankle still hurt and she feared lasting damage.He froze. An image of Eliza flashed through his mind, along with the memory of refusing to travel with her earlier. Unease crept in."What's wrong?" Davina asked softly. "Are you blaming me? My foot really hurts. I get scared when I'm alone, so I called you. If it bothers you that much, I won't ask again."Her voice trembled. Tears gathered in her eyes."How could it bother me?" Alban replied at once. "If something's wrong with your health, I'll be worried no matter what."He drew her into a gentle embrace. "Let me take you to the hospital, all right?""No." Davina shook her head. "I'm scared of hospitals.""Be good," he coaxed. "Didn't you want that bag? I'll buy it for you. Every color.""That's more like it," she said, finally relenting.…Alban drove her to the hospital for a full checkup.After th

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