I Wish I Were the Southern Wind, Forever in Your Arms のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 29

Cora had no idea that the Caldwell family was already in complete disarray.Ethan’s days had become a living nightmare. He had lost his right to inherit the family empire and was now regarded as a disgrace to the entire family.Frederick had given him a strict order: he had to negotiate with Alexander Lawson.No matter how many concessions he had to make, he had to get all the shares back. Otherwise, he would no longer be considered a member of the Caldwell family.Ethan had a splitting headache.Part of him wanted to throw in the towel and let everything fall apart. But then he thought of all the years he’d spent fighting for power and how hard he’d worked to finally secure his position. If he gave up now, all his efforts would have been for nothing.In the end, he swallowed his frustration and called Alexander.The call was answered almost immediately.“Mr. Caldwell, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to call me today?”Alexander’s voice was calm, with a hint of mocke

“Ethan, you don’t have a choice.“Either you marry Madison and get a twenty-percent stake in Caldwell Group, or you walk away with nothing and we call the deal off.”After delivering his ultimatum, Alexander turned to leave.He knew Ethan too well. Ethan had always been fiercely competitive, especially since becoming Alexander’s rival after returning to the Caldwell family. There was no way he would let Alexander get the better of him this time.Sure enough, the next moment, Alexander heard Ethan’s strained voice behind him.“Fine. I accept.”Ethan clenched his fists, his face twisted with hatred.He had no other choice. If he couldn’t recover even a fraction of the shares after all these days, he wouldn’t know how to face Frederick.He had endured humiliation for years, even losing the woman he loved along the way.Hadn’t he done it all for power and status?He was so close to achieving his goal. He couldn’t afford to stumble at the last hurdle. So what if he had to marry a

The next morning, as Cora stepped outside, she noticed a Maybach parked near the entrance.She froze for a moment, an uneasy suspicion forming in her mind. Could it be Ethan Caldwell?Her first instinct was to run. But then she remembered that this was Alexander’s territory. They were also overseas, far from Ethan’s usual sphere of influence. No matter how powerful Ethan was, he couldn’t simply do as he pleased on someone else’s turf.With that thought, Cora steadied herself and stood her ground.Sure enough, a moment later, a man stepped out of the car.Ethan looked far more worn out than before, his former confidence and arrogance nowhere to be seen.“Cora, have you been doing okay?”He parted his lips, his voice strained.He should have hated her. Yet whenever he tried to hold on to that hatred, memories of their happier days together inevitably came flooding back.The irony was almost laughable. When she had been by his side, he hadn’t known how to cherish her. Now that

The competition arrived right on schedule.As a contestant, Cora advanced through round after round. But when she finally reached the finals, she realized just how formidable her competitors were.Most of them were prodigies from around the world. Some had graduated from prestigious music schools, while others came from families with generations of piano virtuosos.Compared to them, she felt incredibly small.Alexander couldn’t help reassuring her.“Whatever the final result, at least you gave it everything you had. To me, you’ll always be the champion.”He had even commissioned a trophy especially for her.It was a replica of the official trophy, down to the smallest detail. Even if both trophies were displayed side by side onstage, the organizers probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.Cora didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his gesture.She had entered the competition to fulfill her dream, not to take home a trophy. Still, knowing how much thought Alexander had pu

Cora and Alexander’s wedding day arrived before long.They held their ceremony at the largest castle in Westbridge, and the media would later call it the wedding of the century.The Lawson family offered little resistance to their marriage. In fact, they felt deeply sorry for everything Cora had endured. When they learned that she was the very girl who had saved their son’s life when he was a child, they were even more delighted with her.On the wedding day, Cora wore a pristine white gown and walked toward Alexander one step at a time, her heart overflowing with happiness.At the very back of the crowd, Ethan stood hidden among the guests.He gazed longingly at the woman in her wedding dress. Suddenly, he remembered when they had registered their marriage years ago. Back then, all they had was a marriage certificate. They hadn’t even had a wedding dress.Cora had suffered for so many years. Now, at last, she had finally come through the darkness and found her happiness.Ethan f