Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: The Ring on the Marble
Lucas carried Lily into the grand hall.No one sat down.The room that had been designed for celebration now felt like a courtroom.Vanessa followed them, her veil trembling behind her. Her mother whispered harshly for her to stay quiet, but Vanessa was too proud to retreat.Lucas stood at the front of the aisle with Lily in his arms.“What did you say to my daughter?” he asked.Vanessa’s face hardened. “I told her the truth. She cannot keep controlling your life.”A wave of whispers moved through the room.Lucas’s voice stayed low. “She is six years old.”“She is old enough to manipulate you.”Eleanor Bennett stepped forward. “Careful.”Vanessa turned to her. “No. All of you have been careful for too long. Everyone worships Grace like she was perfect. Everyone acts like this child is sacred. What about me? Was I supposed to marry a man who still lives with a ghost?”Lucas’s jaw tightened.“You were supposed to marry a father,” he said. “You knew that from the beginning.”Vanessa’s eyes flashed. “I was supposed to become your wife.”“You were never going to become Lily’s family.”Vanessa laughed bitterly. “She already has a mother in a grave.”The room fell silent.Lucas set Lily gently beside Eleanor, then reached into his pocket.Vanessa’s expression changed. “Lucas…”He took out the wedding ring.For a moment, it rested in his palm, bright and useless.Then he let it fall.It struck the marble floor and rolled once before stopping near Vanessa’s dress.“The wedding is over,” Lucas said.Lily wiped her tears.Then she pointed at the gown.“She hid Mommy’s letter in there.”Vanessa stopped breathing.
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