The Mistress Is Reborn As The Fiancée
Chapter 39: I… Love You

Chapter 39: I... Love You

The heavy oak doors of the Ryu mansion slammed shut with a resounding thud, echoing Vernon’s fury throughout the grand foyer. He stormed through the house, his face a mask of rage, his footsteps pounding on the polished marble floors. The humiliation he had suffered at the company, at the hands of his own mother, burned within him, a searing wound to his pride.

He burst into the house, rudely pushing past the staff as they tried to greet him. When he got to his own wing and stepped into the living room, his eyes blazing, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Alice and Ma-ri looked up in surprise, their faces reflecting the shock of his sudden entrance.

"Vernon, what happened?" Alice asked, her voice laced with concern. "You look... upset."

"Upset?" Vernon snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "Upset is an understatement. That... that old witch humiliated me! In front of the entire company!"

He paced back and forth, his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling with anger. "She suspended me! Suspended! Like some... some common employee!"

Ma-ri, her eyes wide with apprehension, watched her father’s outburst with a mixture of fear and confusion. "But... why, Father?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"That... that Flynn," Vernon spat, his voice filled with loathing. "He is behind this. Barely a month of being in this family and he has turned her against me. She’s blinded by his charm, his... his supposed honesty."

Alice, her face pale, tried to calm him down. "Vernon, please, you’re scaring Ma-ri. Tell us what happened."

Vernon stopped pacing and turned to his wife and daughter, his eyes filled with a dark, menacing glint. "She sided with him," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "She chose him over me. Her own son!"

He recounted the events of the day, his voice growing louder and more agitated with each passing moment. He described how Flynn had been waiting in his office, how his mother had arrived unexpectedly, how she had publicly reprimanded him, and how she had ultimately suspended him from his position.

Alice and Ma-ri listened in stunned silence, their faces reflecting the shock and disbelief that Vernon felt. They had never seen Grandma Jia act so decisively, so ruthlessly.

"That... that is outrageous," Alice said, her voice trembling. "She can’t do this to you, Vernon. You’re her son."

"She already has," Vernon snarled, his eyes filled with a cold, hard rage. "And she’s not finished yet. She’s giving that... that interloper everything. She will give him my inheritance!"

He turned to Ma-ri, his eyes narrowing, his expression hardening. "This is your fault," he accused, his voice sharp and accusatory.

Ma-ri recoiled, her eyes wide with fear. "My fault? But... but Father—"

"You’re supposed to be charming him," Vernon interrupted, his voice laced with contempt. "You’re supposed to be seducing him, turning him against her. But you’ve done nothing! You’ve let him steal my inheritance!"

Ma-ri’s eyes filled with tears. "I haven’t had time to try, Father," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "He is always with Noelle."

"Then try harder!" Vernon roared, his voice echoing through the room. "You have to get him away from her. You have to make him want you. You have to make him forget about her!"

He paced back and forth, his mind racing, his anger fueling his desperation. "He is now an obstacle," he muttered, his voice low and menacing. "He is standing between me and everything I deserve."

He stopped pacing and turned to Ma-ri, his eyes filled with a dark, determined glint. "You have to succeed, Ma-ri," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. "You have to get him on your side. You have to make him ours."

Ma-ri, her face pale and her eyes filled with fear, nodded silently. She knew that her father’s demands were not a request, but an order. She knew that her future, and her family’s future, depended on her success.

"I’ll try, Father," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I’ll do everything I can."

Vernon nodded, his eyes filled with a dark satisfaction. "Good," he said, his voice laced with a cold, hard determination. "Because if you fail, you’ll regret it. We all will."

He turned to Alice, his expression softening slightly. "Alice," he said, his voice calmer, but still laced with a hint of desperation, "we have to find a way to get rid of him. We have to find a way to get my mother to see the truth."

Alice nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. She knew that her husband’s anger was not just about money, but about power, about control. She knew that he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

"We’ll find a way, Vernon," she said, her voice firm. "We always do."

Vernon nodded, his eyes filled with a dark, determined glint. He knew that his mother’s decision had changed everything. He knew that he was now fighting for his survival, for his legacy. He knew that he had to act quickly, decisively, ruthlessly. He had to eliminate Flynn, to reclaim his rightful place at the head of the Jia family. He would let nothing, and no one, stand in his way.

*

The cacophony of excited screams and flashing cameras faded as Noelle finally escaped the throng of adoring fans. The meet-and-greet, a grueling marathon of smiles and handshakes, had taken its toll. Her body ached, the lingering pain from her recent accident a constant, throbbing reminder of her vulnerability. Yet, she maintained her composure, her face a mask of serene professionalism, as she made her way towards the waiting limousine.

The mall, a sprawling labyrinth of glittering storefronts and chattering crowds, was beginning to empty, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the polished floors. Noelle, her head held high, navigated the thinning crowd, her new manager, Irene, trailing close behind.

She was eager to reach the sanctuary of the car, to escape the relentless glare of public attention and the suffocating pressure of her manufactured persona. But just as she reached the exit, a figure stepped into her path, blocking her way.

It was Evan, his face etched with a mixture of anger and confusion. His presence, so unexpected, sent a jolt of unease through Noelle. She had hoped to avoid him.

"Evan," she said, her voice cool and composed, "what do you want?"

"I want an explanation," he demanded, his voice low and tense. "What was that I saw?"

Noelle raised an eyebrow, her expression questioning. "What exactly are you referring to?"

"Your... your husband," Evan stammered, his eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and betrayal. "That... that homeless guy. I saw you with him. At your grandmother’s house."

Noelle’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Ah, yes," she said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "My new husband, Flynn. What about him?"

"Don’t play coy with me, Noelle," Evan snapped, his voice rising. "I know it’s fake. I know it’s some kind of... stunt."

Noelle’s smile faded, replaced by a look of cool indifference. "And if it is?" she asked, her voice sharp. "What business is it of yours?"

"What business is it of mine?" Evan echoed, his voice filled with incredulity. "You’re my... you’re my fiancée, Noelle. I am supposed to be married to you, not him."

"Fiancée?" Noelle scoffed, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You have no right to question my decisions, infact you should be happy I have given you your much needed freedom."

"Happy?" Evan exclaimed, his voice filled with frustration. "How can I be happy when you’re making a fool of yourself? Marrying some... some nobody for some ridiculous reason?"

Noelle’s patience was wearing thin. She was tired of the constant scrutiny, the endless judgment, the relentless pressure to conform to other people’s expectations.

"It is none of your business, Evan," she said, her voice cold and hard. "My marriage is my decision. And I don’t need your approval."

She paused, her eyes narrowing, her gaze piercing. "Besides," she added, her voice laced with a hint of malice, "shouldn’t you be happy? Now you have your chance with Ma-ri. She’s always been the one you truly liked, hasn’t she?"

Evan’s face flushed, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "That’s... that’s not true," he stammered, his voice barely audible.

"Isn’t it?" Noelle asked, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "You’ve always been drawn to her, to her... shall we say, more conventional charms. Now that I’m out of the picture, you’re free to pursue her. So, congratulations, Evan. You got what you wanted."

She turned to leave, her eyes filled with a cold, hard determination. She had no time for his petty jealousy, his misplaced concern. She had her own battles to fight, her own demons to conquer.

"Noelle, wait!" Evan called after her, his voice filled with a desperate plea.

Noelle stopped, but she didn’t turn around. "What is it, Evan?" she asked, her voice devoid of emotion.

"I... love you." Evan said in a quivering voice.

Without turning, Noelle walked into the car, leaving him standing in the parking lot.

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