Filed To Story: The Scarlet Vengeance: Justice of a Framed Beauty Novel (Grace & Jason)
Lornell smirked and replied, “No, I don’t like her.”
“In that case…” She paused, gathering all her courage, “Do you have someone you like?”
“No,” his answer was expected, but it still hurt when she heard it.
What was she hoping for? Did she expect him to say that he liked her?
Their engagement was never based on his feelings for her.
She fell silent for a moment and suddenly said, “If one day, you meet someone you like, we can dissolve the engagement.”
Lornell raised an eyebrow, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then he smiled and said, “I thought you would ask me to like you. Are you trying to dissolve the engagement?”
Harley self-deprecatingly replied, “We’ve known each other for so many years. If you were going to like me, you would have already. Since you haven’t, it’s unlikely you will in the future. So, the only way I can repay you is by dissolving the engagement when you find someone you like.”
“Do you think dissolving the engagement is a repayment for me?” he asked.
“If you want any other form of repayment, just tell me. You saved my life, and if it’s within my abilities, I will repay you. If it’s beyond my abilities, I will find a way!” she earnestly declared.
However, her serious attitude made him feel somewhat displeased in his heart.
She looks like she could abandon their engagement at any moment.
“Have you thought about the consequences of breaking the engagement with the Quentin family?” he asked.
If the engagement was so easily made and broken, he wouldn’t have made it with her all those years ago, when he wanted to save her life.
Because it’s the Crypt families, certain rules must be followed.
Rules must not be broken! It’s the Quentin family’s principle.
“I know, the Quentin family’s rule is to take back what they have given!” Harley replied.
“So when we made the engagement all those years ago to save you, are you planning to compensate the Quentin family with a life if you want to break the engagement now?” Lornell stared at her.
“It doesn’t have to be a life, it can be a compensation similar to what you did to save me back then,”
Harley said.
“Then what do you think would be a similar compensation?” Lornell asked.
Harley remained silent, not saying anything.
Lornell said, “Since this engagement was made between you and me all those years ago, let’s just continue like this. After all, I don’t have anyone I like, and the Hart family matches the Quentin family’s status, so marrying you won’t be a problem.”
“Even if you don’t love me, is it okay to marry me?” Harley said.
“It’s okay, you love me, don’t you?” he smiled.
She felt a bitter taste spreading in her throat. Yes, she liked him… he always knew.
In this engagement, she was the only one who liked him.
And he, he never felt the kind of liking for her, he just thought she was suitable, that’s all.
But if she wasn’t the daughter of the Hart family if she didn’t have the surname Hart, would he even spare her a second glance?
Harley also smiled, “So if I don’t like you anymore, you won’t uphold this engagement, right?”
“Well, let’s talk about it when you don’t like me anymore.” He said, reaching out to rub her head. “What on earth is going on in that head of yours?”
Harley didn’t say anything more, just kept her head down.
What’s going on… she’s thinking about how to make him like her, thinking that even though they have an engagement, it seems like no matter what she does, she can’t bridge the distance between them.
Even if he doesn’t like her, he can still fulfill this engagement.
But is this the kind of marriage she really wants?
The marriage she imagines is like her parents’ marriage, warm and loving.
With just a glance, they can understand each other’s thoughts, and sometimes, even during arguments, there’s a sweet atmosphere in the air.
Mother’s legs are not good, so father often massages her legs. Even though the father can be stern and cold outside, when facing the mother, he becomes gentle and takes care of her meticulously.
She envies this kind of love, but deep down she also understands that maybe she will never have this kind of love in her lifetime.
The car arrived at the entrance of the Hart family mansion, and Harley got out of the car. “Goodbye.”
“Okay, goodbye,” Lornell said casually, bidding her farewell.
The car quickly drove away from the Hart family mansion. Harley entered the house and saw her mother sketching in the living room, while her father casually sat, flipping through books.
They just sat there, but it felt like a warm breeze was surrounding them.
Without even looking at her mother’s sketchbook, she knew that her mother must be drawing her father.
She had once curiously asked, “Mom, you always draw Dad, don’t you get tired of it?”
And her mother’s reply was, “No, not at all. I still feel like I can’t capture him enough.”
“But painting the same face over and over again, isn’t it all the same?” If all the portraits her mother had done of her father were stacked up, they could probably fill a warehouse.
“If you truly love someone, you will never feel it’s enough,” her mother said with a smile. “And I love your father very, very much.”
How envious she was…
At this moment, Harley once again sighed with such emotion in her heart.
“Harley, you’re back. Have you had dinner?” Valda looked up at her daughter.
“Yeah, I’ve eaten,” Harley replied.
“Did you eat with your classmates?” Brian asked.
“I ate with Lornell,” Harley said.
Brian looked at his daughter and suddenly asked, “Did something unhappy happen to you?”
Harley was startled. “No, nothing happened.”
“If there’s something unhappy, just tell your parents. Even if you have an engagement with the Quentin family, there is still room for remorse,” Brian said.
Harley understood her father’s meaning: “Dad, it’s always said that love is between two people, but can a marriage last if only one person loves?”
Her sudden question surprised Valda.
Brian, however, seemed unsurprised as he said, “Maybe it can, maybe it can’t. After all, there are so many people in this world, and each person’s marriage is different. But I think the person who loves will never feel happy. Even if such a marriage lasts until old age, it will never truly be happy.”
Harley smiled and said, “Mom, Dad, you two are lucky. At least you love each other. I envy you guys.
Well, I’ll go upstairs first! I’ve been in class all day today, so tired.”
Harley pretended to be relaxed and went upstairs.
Valda looked at her husband and suddenly asked, “Do you intend to cancel the engagement with the
Quentin family?”
After all these years of marriage, they could already guess a little from each other’s words.
“I do have that intention if Harley is willing,” Brian said.
After all, everyone could see how much their daughter liked Lornell.
It was just a pity that Lornell never had much affection for Harley, always showing indifference.
Brian once thought that Lornell, at such a young age, was willing to use an engagement to save Harley, which must mean he had some liking for her. But later he realized that Lornell was just curious about what it would feel like to have a fiancée.
Even so, Brian never regretted allowing the two children to make the engagement. After all, if they hadn’t arranged the engagement, the Quentin family wouldn’t have saved Harley. Maybe Harley would pass away.
“Why did you suddenly think of breaking the engagement?” Valda asked curiously.
“I thought it through. I should say it’s because I saw Tina and Chandler get divorced,” Brian replied.
The Hunter family was also a member of the Crypt families. They saved the lives of Lina and Tina, and that was how the engagement was established. But in the end, Tina and Chandler ended up divorcing.
“That’s because Tina lost her memory!” Valda said.
“But apparently, she doesn’t love Chandler anymore. So even if Chandler still loves Tina, they will still be separated,” Brian said. “And now, Lornell doesn’t love Harley either. So in the future, they will separate inevitably. Instead of waiting to get married and then divorced, it’s better to end this engagement early.”
“But you know the rules of the Quentin family!” Valda said.
“Yes, if you take something, you have to give something in return. The Quentin family saved Harley’s life, so in the future, repaying the Quentin family with an equivalent favor would be enough,” Brian said.
“But who repays a favor with a life?” Valda felt that her husband’s words were equivalent to saying nothing.
“The Quentin family has been looking for a medical book. And recently, I got some information about that book. Maybe if we find that medical book, it can be considered as repaying the Quentin family’s favor,”
Valda pondered. If it’s a medical book that even the Quentin family hasn’t found, then it could indeed be considered a great favor.
“But will Harley be willing to do so? She has always liked Lornell so much.”
“I wouldn’t do it if that’s not what she wants!” Brian said. “But she asked that question today, so I believe she must have such thoughts.”
“That’s why you answered her that way?” Valda said.
“Not exactly. Whether she wants to break the engagement or not, I would answer her that way. Love is between two people. Even if one person tries hard, it will ultimately be in vain,” Brian said.
“Not necessarily,” Valda said. “Back then, wasn’t it me who fell in love with you first, and then you gradually fell in love with me? Perhaps if we wait a little longer, Lornell will also fall in love with Harley.”
After hearing what Lornell said, Brian’s eyes filled with deep affection. “Thank you for not giving up on loving me back then!”
“Because you deserve to be loved, I don’t want to easily give up!” Valda said.
All the past hardships and challenges have now turned into sweetness.
In this lifetime, her marriage is very happy, and now, she only hopes that her daughter can also have a happy marriage.
Brian gently kissed Valda.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.