Filed to story: Rebecca Perry and Vance Bradford Romance Book PDF Free
And when did I become the eldest son? Isn’t that you? ” Tracy laughed. ” No kidding. I’m just the little brother, ” Desmond quipped. ” At home, even Pudding outranks me.”
“Pudding is our pet dog, ” Joyce explained to Rebecca. Rebecca laughed heartily, charmed by the family’s whimsical banter. Although she didn’t know them well, she could feel their heartfelt kindness. Catherine simmered with frustration. Her grievous error in assuming Tracy was a male dealt a crushing blow to her pride.
And recalling how she had just bragged about knowing Tracy so well, she wished the floor could open and swallow her. Worse still, the guy she had looked down upon turned out to be the real heir. Observing Rebecca engage in lively conversation and shared laughter with the Muellers pushed her beyond her limits of endurance. She shouted at Desmond, ” Weren’t you supposed to be just a dancer? And isn’t your last name Schroeder? ” Desmond gave a half – smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. ” I bear my mother’s last name. What’s the fuss?” Catherine reeled backward, collapsing heavily into her chair. Desmond was the true heir, and she had just mocked him, which meant she had completely offended the Mueller family. Vance’s business dealings with them were doomed. Her disruptive exclamation inevitably captured Joyce’s keen attention. Still holding Rebecca’s hand, Joyce leveled an accusatory finger at her. ” It was you who tripped Rebecca just now. Who are you? Why did you do that? What are your intentions in ruining my party? ” Catherine panicked, unsure of what to do. Her first instinct was to deny it.
“I didn’t. Mrs. Mueller, don’t listen to baseless accusations. I never tripped her. ” Turning to Rebecca, she spluttered, ” I know you don’t like me, but you can’t slander me like this. Mrs. Mueller, she is framing me. I didn’t trip her at all. Without evidence, you can’t take her word for it.”
“Evidence? ” Joyce scoffed, ” I saw it with my own eyes. Am I supposed to defame you? ” Catherine’s face turned ashen, and she sank into despair, unable to utter another word. But so what?Rebecca knew that Vance would invariably stand by Catherine’s side, even if she ruined his business dealings. Catherine would always be his precious darling.
Sure enough, Vance positioned himself steadfastly at Catherine’s side. Catherine seemed to find her anchor and began to cry, ” Vance, I didn’t mean this. I really didn’t. I just got so excited when I saw Mrs. Mueller that I wanted to go talk to her and be a good assistant for you. Rebecca happened to get up at the same time. It might have been our dresses getting tangled. I just wanted to explain to everyone and hoped they wouldn’t blame Rebecca for being rude. I wanted them to sympathize with her.” In her trademark fashion, Catherine deftly extricated herself from all responsibility, but Vance bought it without a second thought. ” Don’t fret, I’ve got you covered. ” His tone brimmed with such unmistakable tenderness that Rebecca found herself almost admiring the pair’s dynamic. It was a display of devotion so poignant that it could inspire envy. Joyce appeared to finally place Vance in her memory. ” Mr. Bradford, right?”
“Vance Bradford. We met a couple of days ago, ” he affirmed, standing next to Catherine like a pillar of support.
His gaze swept past Rebecca, laden with meanings that she couldn’t grasp. Joyce nodded, turning to Sean. ” Mr. Bradford is discussing a project with you, right? Whether to proceed or terminate it, it’s your call. However, I don’t think much of this woman. My party doesn’t need a guest like her. ” In truth, Vance’s invitation to Arelmoor for these negotiations already attested to his substantial influence and capabilities. Yet he was also notorious as a man enslaved by love, willing to sacrifice everything for his beloved woman.
Rebecca watched impassively as Vance helped Catherine up, maintaining his composure and grace as he took his leave, ” I sincerely apologize for any trouble caused at tonight’s banquet. I’ll take my companion to leave now. You guys enjoy yourselves. 11 He guided the tear – streaked Catherine away from the scene, with Aiden following closely in their wake. Midway through their exit, Aiden turned back, casting a venomous glare at Rebecca. Once again, the blame fell squarely on her. ” Let’s not let those unpleasant folks spoil the mood, Rebecca.
The banquet goes on, ” Joyce said, tugging her along with a warm smile. Joyce had just introduced her as Desmond’s lifesaver, but Rebecca racked her brain and couldn’t recall any heroic act worthy of such praise. She didn’t dare claim undeserved credit. ” It’s perfectly normal that you don’t remember, ” Joyce said gently. ” Someday, let Desmond fill you in himself.”
“I didn’t do anything earth – shattering, right? ” Rebecca joked lightly. ” Otherwise, I’d surely recall it. ” Joyce squeezed her hand.
“Saving someone doesn’t always mean pulling them from the jaws of death or a blazing inferno. Sometimes, when a person is trapped in their deepest despair, unable to find any reason to go on, even the faintest glimmer of light can reignite their hope. ” Rebecca froze, the words sinking in like a revelation. She wasn’t sure if everyone endured such profound darkness, but in her own bleakest moments, her light had been dancing itself and the memory of her once – vibrant, shining self. The thought always brought a sting of tears to her eyes.
Throughout the evening, Joyce and the rest of the family enveloped Rebecca in kindness, going out of their way to make her feel cared for and included. As the banquet wound down, Desmond offered to escort her back. Stepping out of the venue and descending the grand steps, Rebecca spotted Vance waiting at the bottom.
Hadn’t Vance left with his crew? Why was he still here? He remained in his tuxedo, blending seamlessly among the elite crowd, though his hair was slightly disheveled now. He stood motionless on the lowest step, as if patiently awaiting Rebecca’s descent. ” Shall we take this side path instead? ” Desmond suggested, noticing her hesitation. Rebecca nodded in agreement. But just as they veered away, Vance bounded up the steps, blocking her path with deliberate calm. ” You see me now, yet you’re still planning to leave with someone else?” His voice was steady, but his eyes held an inscrutable intensity. The night’s events had clearly shaken him deeply. If resentment brewed, he’d likely direct it at her, as he always did. Rebecca offered a wry smile. ” Didn’t you want me to pretend I don’t know you?”
“When did I ever say that? ” he countered sharply. She found the back – and – forth exhausting. Pointless accusations without proof could loop endlessly. ” Excuse me, Mr. Bradford, ” she murmured, dipping her head to slip past him.
But in a move that caught her off guard, Vance scooped her into his arms, his grip firm and unyielding. ” What are you doing? ” she exclaimed, her heart racing in surprise. Not responding, he carried her down the steps with purposeful strides. The banquet had just ended, and guests lingered everywhere ; making a scene would only humiliate her further. She couldn’t afford that kind of attention. Vance leaned in close, his voice a low warning. ” You’re my wife. You’d better make sure Desmond knows his boundaries. I’m an outsider here, and I can afford to lose face if I snap.
But can the Mueller heir handle the scandal of pursuing another man’s wife? 11 ” Not everyone is as shameless as you, ” she shot back. Yet she truly didn’t want Desmond entangled in any gossip because of her, so she signaled him to hold back. She was going back anyway. It didn’t matter who she went back with. Vance had driven that night, his car parked right at the base of the steps. He carried her straight to it, yanked open the door, and deposited her inside with little ceremony. ” Where are you staying? ” he demanded once behind the wheel.
Rebecca pressed her lips together, refusing to answer. ” Fine, keep it to yourself, ” he muttered, starting the engine and pulling away. She had no clue where he was headed, but jumping from a moving car was out of the question. Her legs could not bear any more injuries. She wasn’t worried that much. A dignified man like him would not truly harm her. Objectively speaking, he wasn’t a villain. For five years, he’d treated her well enough. On their wedding day, he’d vowed before Josette to care for Rebecca lifelong, never to betray her trust.
And in the days that followed, he had kept that promise, bringing in renowned doctors to treat her leg and showering her with gifts regardless of CL need or cost. If she coughed even once at night, he’d instruct Nancy to take her to the hospital and prepare medicine. Such gestures were innumerable. Without them, she wouldn’t have endured five years until Catherine’s return. If there was one fault he had, it was that he didn’t love her. That absence tilted every balance toward those he truly cherished.
Vance drove straight to a hotel and parked smoothly before circling to her side, opening the door, and lifting her out. ” Should I carry you inside, or can you walk on your own? ” he asked, his arms still cradling her.
“I’ll walk, ” Rebecca replied, her brow furrowed in confusion and unease. What was he playing at, bringing her to a hotel? But she saw no point in a futile escape. With her limp, outrunning him was impossible. He proceeded to book a room, leaving her staring in disbelief. ” Don’t tell me this is for me.”
“Exactly.”
