Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Elena's POVThe next day, I went to the Elder Council as usual to sit in on their daily session.News of what had happened at last night's birthday banquet had already spread throughout vampire society.The moment I stepped into the council hall, I felt the piercing stares from every direction.Some offered sympathy. Some sighed with regret. Others made no effort to hide the fact that they were waiting for more entertainment."I heard Prince Adrian left again last night for that human girl.""How many more times is their engagement going to be postponed?""The Valerie girl really can endure.""Her Fiancé walks out on her in front of everyone, and she actually pretends nothing happened."The whispers were kept low, but every word reached my ears clearly enough.In the past, moments like these would have made me feel ashamed. I would instinctively make excuses for Adrian.Vicky's parents had died protecting him from silver bullets.It was only right that he couldn't let go of that guilt.

Elena's POVWhen I pushed open the parlor door, Cassian was already seated inside.The tea on the table was still steaming, and several guest lists for the engagement ceremony were neatly arranged beside my father and the Prince.Cassian heard the footsteps and rose to his feet.His gaze settled on my face for a moment before he pulled out the chair beside him."Have a seat."I nodded and sat down next to my father.We had known each other since childhood, but he had always been Adrian's older brother.Whenever Adrian was around, Cassian rarely initiated conversation with me.On the rare occasions we crossed paths at family events, he would simply raise his glass to me from a distance, never once crossing the boundary between an older brother and his younger brother's future bride.Now that I was about to become his fiancée, the quiet parlor held an unspoken awkwardness.My father didn't waste time and pushed the engagement guest list directly in front of us."The Blackwood family has

Elena's POVThe engagement ceremony was held in the grand hall of the Blackwood estate.I had always believed that the person standing beside me in the end would be Adrian.Our families had been close for generations, and he and I had grown up together.Everyone assumed I would become his wife, and even I had never questioned it.Now, his older brother Cassian stood at my side.The Prince and his wife, along with the Elder Council, bore witness to the engagement. My father and mother were seated among the guests.As guests raised their glasses to us one after another, their eyes inevitably lingered on me a moment too long.I knew what they were looking for.They wanted to see whether the woman who had trailed after Adrian for years, only to be abandoned time and again, was truly willing to marry someone else.I had once been the most promising heir of the Valerie clan.From a young age, I had shown exceptional talent for painting. My work had earned considerable praise, and several gal

Adrian's POVAfter I got back, I had an attendant prepare a gift.It was the approach I knew best.Every time Elena was upset, I would pick something she liked and send it over. She would refuse at first. I would say a few more sweet words, or go see her in person.She always forgave me.The attendant quickly asked, "Your Highness, what shall we prepare this time?"I opened my mouth but couldn't come up with an answer."Flowers?"The attendant offered tentatively.I instinctively recalled Vicky mentioning that the white roses were blooming beautifully this season."What kind of flowers does Elena like right now?"The attendant was taken aback."I'm not sure, Your Highness."I wasn't sure either.The flowers I had sent Elena in the past were mostly the same ones Vicky received.The attendant in charge of buying them would prepare two identical arrangements. I had found it convenient, and it meant no one would feel overlooked.Looking back now, Elena had never truly been happy when she r

Elena's POVWord that I had started painting again spread quickly.At first, only a few gallery owners I had known before wrote to inquire. Then more and more people became willing to see me.Their attitudes were still cautious.Some worried that years without producing work had cost me whatever skill I once had.Others asked bluntly whether this exhibition was funded by the Blackwood family.I didn't offer many explanations. I simply showed them my finished paintings.In the end, a gallery that had collaborated with me several times before agreed to host a small exhibition.The scale was modest.For where I was now, it was more than enough.During the weeks leading up to the exhibition, I spent nearly every day in the studio.Cassian's injury hadn't fully healed, yet he regularly had attendants deliver paints and canvases I needed.On the rare occasions I visited him, he would only ask whether I had been sleeping well.He mentioned the exhibition even less than I did, waiting for me t