All Chapters of Discarded by My Family, I Proved Them Wrong: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

That morning, the Dominique Mansion was alive with a pleasant bustle.Servants hurried back and forth carrying vases of flowers and sheets of guest lists. An event planner stood in the drawing room with a thick notebook, deep in discussion about tablecloth colors and seating arrangements. In the middle of it all, Elara sat on the long sofa with a sample invitation in her hand, smiling with satisfaction at every decision made in her name. Two more weeks, and the whole world she wanted would officially be hers.Until a scream split the air.It came from the second floor, shrill and strangled, followed by the clang of a silver tray hitting the marble floor. Everyone in the drawing room froze at once. The sample invitation slipped from Elara's fingers.Sera, who had been cutting flowers in the garden, ran inside with leaves still snagged on her dress. She was out of breath, and her face had already gone pale before she even asked."What is it? What happened?""Madam..." A young maid came

Leovan's car stopped right in front of the jewelry store whose address Elara had sent. But he didn't get out right away.The engine was still running, and the indicator light on the dashboard blinked softly. Beyond the windshield, the shop window glittered under crystal lamplight, displaying rows of gemstones arranged on dark velvet. It all seemed far away, like a scene from another world. His mind was still back in the sitting room of Villa Number Twelve, on a middle-aged woman's calm eyes and a single sentence lodged deep in his head.A place you cannot reach.The words had struck him like lightning from a clear morning sky. He forced out a long breath, then slammed his fist against the steering wheel."Damn it!"He pulled the key from the ignition, cut the engine, and opened the door. The morning wind brushed against his haggard face. As he walked, his hand, wrapped in a white handkerchief spotted with red, throbbed with pain. He ignored it.A small bell on the shop door chimed sof

That afternoon, the sun leaned toward the west and spilled a golden glow across the surface of the lake on Machrie Terrai Avenue, like a sheet of copper being slowly hammered into shape. The wind carried the scent of lavender from the small garden beside the staff residence. On one of the wooden benches beneath the maple tree, Valena sat with a thin blanket across her lap, her eyes fixed on the ripples of light drifting in the distance.Marta sat beside her, knitting something from cream-colored yarn with deft hands. Now and then she glanced at the girl, then went back to her knitting without a word. She knew that some silences were not meant to be filled.The soft tread of shoes sounded from the end of the footpath.Marta looked up. Sean stood there with his white coat slung over one arm and his shirt wrinkled at the elbows, his face tired but his eyes calm. In his left hand was a small bouquet of white daisies tied with a plain linen ribbon."Dr. Weiss," Marta began, her voice catch

That morning, the quiet of Dominique Mansion was broken by the sound of an engine pulling up in the front courtyard.Jorge, already in his suit and about to leave for the office, stopped short in the doorway with his briefcase hanging from his hand. Through the tall window, he saw a black sedan with a license plate he knew well. A man in his sixties, with neatly combed white hair and thin spectacles, stepped out carrying the old leather case he was never seen without."Mr. Greene," Jorge said after a few moments of silence. "You've come very early.""Good morning, Mr. Jorge." Aldens Greene gave a slight bow, his voice calm and measured. "The Matriarch summoned me herself last night, through her nurse. She asked me to come this morning, specifically." He paused, his gray eyes studying Jorge from behind the lenses. "How is she?""Worse." Jorge slowly lowered his briefcase. "The family doctor only told us to prepare ourselves. We've all resigned ourselves to it."Aldens nodded in silence

Sean didn't answer right away. He bent down, took the glass from Valena's still-trembling hands, and set it on the far side of the table, out of reach. He straightened the corner of the blanket that had slipped and tucked it back over her lap, which was now soaked with spilled milk."Are you all right?" he asked softly.Valena lifted her face. Her eyes searched his, and tucked inside them was a trace of disappointment. It wasn't the question she had hoped for, and it wasn't the answer she needed."Doctor..." Her voice was faint, almost drowned out by the ticking of the clock on the wall. "I want to know how Grandma is doing, without having to contact them."Her fingers twisted the hem of her dress, so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Silence settled between them, and in that quiet gap Sean couldn't find a single sentence worthy of the moment.How could he help a girl who was under his care, and who was now also his wife? Did he even deserve the word husband, when he didn't full