When the Wind Brought Clarity

After six years of dating, Selena Yane is about to marry Zachary Xenakis. However, her long-lost younger sister is found and brought back to the family. While Selena tries her best to make it up to Lucine Yane, Lucine doesn't appreciate her efforts. Not only does Lucine accuse Selena of being jealous and stealing their parents' love, but she even sets her sights on Zachary. With everyone standing against Selena, even Zachary advises her, "Lucine's about to marry into the Chiton family soon. It's only right that we make it up to her as best as we can." Hence, he even takes a family photo with Lucine and buys a necklace for her—the limited-edition necklace that should have been Selena's. He then abandons Selena on a deserted road, where she nearly becomes food for the wild animals. Even so, Zachary still feels like he owes it to Lucine. It isn't till the day of the wedding that Zachary finally learns it isn't Lucine marrying into the Chiton family. It's Selena. He tries desperately to stop the wedding convoy, but Selena doesn't even look back once. Chapter 1 Rays of light filtered through the windows to illuminate the lavish interior of a villa, casting Selena Yane in varying shades of darkness. She tightly clutched the piece of paper that had the word "marry" written on it, her fingers turning white from the force. Her mother, Martha Tonks, stepped forward to gently pat her shoulder. "Selena, since you drew the lot to marry, you should get ready. In a week—" Before she could finish, she was cut off by Selena, whose eyes had started tearing up. "But I already got engaged to Zachary a while ago! Why am I now being asked to marry into the Chiton family instead? And through such a sloppy method as drawing lots?" Martha didn't get a chance to respond before Liam Yane, Selena's father, approached her with a stony expression. "The Yane family's marriage with the Chiton family is bound to happen! We only just found your sister not long ago. Could you bear to have her marry off to someplace so far away? "Michael Chiton is known for his unpredictable moods, and Lucine is nothing like you. How could she possibly handle him when she's so innocent? "Besides, if you hadn't kept an eye on her back then, how could she have gone missing? Shouldn't you compensate her for all these missing years?" Each word struck Selena's heart like a heavy blow. Both she and Lucine Yane were his daughters. He couldn't bear to have Lucine marry into such circumstances, yet he didn't mind Selena in the same situation. For the past 20 years, everyone had been blaming her for losing Lucine, yet she had only been six at the time. If Liam hadn't left them alone at the playground, heading off somewhere for a business deal, this wouldn't have happened. However, she was the one who became the target of public scorn, leaving her swimming in guilt for all these years. Seeing how Selena stubbornly refused to agree, Martha dealt one last heavy blow. "Selena, you know that Zachary's feelings toward you have changed. Why do you insist on clinging to him?" In an instant, Selena's nose tingled as bitterness rose in her. She wanted to retort, but didn't know where to even begin. After Lucine was found and brought back, Liam and Martha's world practically revolved around her. Feeling apologetic to the sister she had lost for 20 years, Selena had tried her best to make it up to Lucine. The costly jewelry and beautiful clothing she had gifted Lucine could fill the latter's entire bedroom. Nonetheless, Lucine remained hostile toward her. Not only did she claim that Selena was deliberately gifting her expensive things to suppress her, but she always put on a show of Selena hurting her. Eventually, Martha and Liam started to distance themselves from Selena. Only her childhood sweetheart, Zachary Xenakis, remained firmly on her side. However, Selena wasn't sure when it started, but Zachary had also begun to change. He started bringing up Lucine more often. "Lucine sure does know how to torment people. Can't she head to the exhibition hall herself? Why did she have to insist on my driving her there? Selena, you're so much more understanding. She can't compare to you at all." Though it sounded like he was complaining, his actions betrayed him. He began to willingly help Lucine with anything she asked of him. It got to the point where he would abandon Selena for Lucine, time and again. When Selena remained silent, Liam grew restless. Furrowing his brows tightly, he began to pace around the living room. Several times, he moved as though to light a cigarette, but every time, he would stop himself. The reason was simple. Lucine hated the smell of cigarette smoke. Selena had been trying to get him to stop smoking for ages, yet he had never bothered to heed her words. However, Lucine had easily done so. A moment later, Liam spoke up coldly. "I'll give you five billion as your dowry. Other than that, you can request anything from me. This is the most I will concede." Selena raised her gaze, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions that Liam couldn't decipher. In the next second, Selena's phone chimed with a message. It was a photo from Lucine of two hands wearing matching rings. There was no way Selena would mistake the other hand—it was Zachary's. Taking a deep breath, Selena looked up once more. This time, her eyes were clear and cold. "I agree to marry into the Chiton family, so transfer the five billion to my account tomorrow. Also, don't tell Zachary that I'm the one being married off." The usually stern Liam finally smiled. "But of course." Chapter 2 After receiving an affirmative answer, Selena left the house without looking back. It was drizzling outside. Her tears fused seamlessly with the falling droplets, perfectly concealing her misery. Upon arriving home, Selena had only just changed out of her dripping clothes when Zachary returned. He was humming softly, seemingly in a good mood. However, his happiness vanished the moment he raised his head and spotted Selena. He took a startled step back while hiding his hand behind his back. There was a hint of awkwardness in his smile as he asked, "You're back so soon? Didn't Mr. and Mrs. Yane say they had something to discuss with you?" Selena didn't respond, her gaze focused on Zachary's left hand, the one he was hiding behind his back. Slowly stepping forward, she pulled his hand out from behind his back. The glimmering ring on his ring finger was a heartbreaking sight. "Hah! You're already wearing matching rings. What's your next step, getting your marriage certificate?" Zachary subconsciously rubbed the tip of his nose. This simple action caused Selena's heart to clench painfully. Having known him since they were practically babies, she was more than familiar with his every little action. "You two have already gotten your marriage certificate, haven't you?" Selena let out a long sigh. Even though she had already mentally prepared herself to leave him, her heart still broke when she realized her fiance had gone behind her back to register his marriage with her sister. Unwilling to continue this topic, she turned and headed for the bathroom. She had been in the rain earlier, so she would fall sick if she didn't take a hot shower soon. Zachary grabbed her wrist, explaining, "Selena, please listen to me. I know you've always felt guilty about what happened to Lucy. That's why I'm doing all this. It's to help you make it up to her. "She's going to marry Michael Chiton soon, and we all know what sort of man he is. She definitely won't be happy there. I only want to help you do something for her before she leaves. "When the time is right, I'll naturally divorce her. As for this ring, it's just for show, so you don't have to take it to heart. The woman I love most is you. Don't we even have this bit of trust between us?" Selena could only stare at the self-righteous man before her, suddenly realizing she didn't know him at all. She didn't know when Zachary had started to address Lucine so intimately as "Lucy", just like how she didn't know when his feelings toward her had started to change. Her tone sounded distant when she said, "I was in the rain, so I'm going to shower now." The Zachary before her was no longer the observant and caring man who used to love her. Now, he only had eyes for Lucine. Only after she mentioned it did Zachary notice that her hair was wet. A flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Selena. I should've gone to pick you up. Even so, you're already an adult, yet you still don't know how to take care of yourself. If the rain was too heavy, you should've just taken a taxi back home." Selena ignored him and entered the bathroom without looking back. The bathroom was soon filled with thick mist as water poured relentlessly from the showerhead onto Selena's head. Selena shut her eyes tightly, visions of their past love playing in her mind's eye. Zachary had once said he was her knight, and with him around, she could be a child forever. As it turned out, "forever" only lasted six years for him. When Selena emerged from the bathroom, Zachary hurriedly approached with the hairdryer. He thoughtfully started to dry her hair for her. "Selena, I was in the wrong earlier for neglecting you. I've booked us a table at an award-winning restaurant. After the meal, we can go shopping. The ten-carat pink diamond necklace that caught your eye previously has finally arrived." Before Zachary could say anything more, both of their phones chimed simultaneously. Chapter 3 Zachary turned slightly to glance at his phone. When he saw the message, a delighted look flashed across his face. Selena, on the other hand, appeared calm as she stared at the message she received. It was from Lucine. The message read, "Selena, Zach's already spent quite a long while with you. Time for me to get him back." Even through the screen, Selena could imagine the smug look on Lucine's face. She didn't reply to the message and just turned off her phone screen. When she raised her head again, her gaze met Zachary's. He gave her an apologetic look. "Selena, there's unfortunately an emergency meeting at the company, so I have to head over there now. Once the meeting is over, I'll return immediately, okay?" Though the words sounded like a question, his tone implied there wasn't any room for her to refuse. Letting out a self-mocking laugh, she stared earnestly into Zachary's eyes and asked, "Do you have to go?" Zachary hesitated for the briefest moment before nodding seriously. "Yes, I absolutely have to." "Alright." Upon hearing how easily she agreed, Zachary was rather surprised and a little uncertain. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately grabbed his coat and left without another word. Just like that, Selena was left alone in the room, which now felt empty. She thought of the pink diamond necklace Zachary had just mentioned. She really did like it and had been waiting for so long for it, so she decided she might as well buy it back now. After getting herself ready, Selena left the house. She had only just stepped into the jewelry store when she spotted two familiar figures. Lucine and Zachary. In Lucine's hands was none other than the pink diamond necklace Selena had come here for. Striding forward, Selena said to the store employee, "If I remember correctly, that necklace is the last of that series, and I happened to pre-order it half a year ago." The employee's gaze darted between the three of them warily. Clearly, she was unsure what their relationship with each other was. It had only been half a year, yet the woman beside Zachary had changed. Zachary hadn't expected Selena not to wait at home for him. He stammered as he tried to explain, "I was here picking a gift for a client and coincidentally bumped into Lucy, so I—" Selena ignored him and continued talking to the store employee. "Please wrap up that necklace for me." A conflicted expression appeared on the employee's face. "Ms. Yane, this necklace was pre-ordered using Mr. Xenakis' name back then, so…" Before Selena could respond, Lucine placed the necklace back on the viewing tray with red-rimmed eyes. "This was originally supposed to be yours anyway, so I shouldn't have expected anything. It's my fault for not knowing my place. It's just that I never really had any nice things for the 20 years I was lost outside. That's why I couldn't tear my eyes away from this necklace. Sorry to put you in a difficult position, Zach." As expected, the moment Zachary heard that, his heart broke for Lucine. He turned to Selena, a displeased look in his eyes. "Selena, as the older sister, isn't it only right for you to give in to your younger sister? You've always gotten whatever you wanted for all these years. Do you have to fight with her over a necklace? She's already had a tough life, so you should be more understanding." With that said, he instructed the store employee, "Wrap it up for me, please." After Zachary paid for the necklace, Lucine's eyes were practically glued to it. She said to Zachary sweetly, "Thanks, Zach. Can you help me put it on?" "Of course." Zachary carefully brushed away Lucine's hair before helping her put on the million-dollar necklace. While he was doing that, Lucine raised an eyebrow and shot Selena a disdainful smile. Selena spun on her heel to leave, but then Lucine's voice rang out again, sounding aggrieved. "Selena, where are you going? Are you angry with me?" Chapter 4 Zachary instantly frowned when he heard that. Meanwhile, tears were already glistening in Lucine's eyes. "Selena, please don't be upset. I'll give you the necklace. I don't want our relationship to sour because of this." As she spoke, Lucine made as if to take off the necklace. However, she had only just touched the clasp when Zachary stopped her. "This is my gift to you. You don't have to take it off." He then shot an icy glare at Selena. "Lucine was lost out there for 20 years and is used to being timid, so stop throwing a tantrum. You're well aware she values family more than anything, yet you're still treating her like this. You—" "Are you done?" Selena interrupted him. "If you are, I'm leaving. I don't have time to see you two acting all lovey-dovey." A hint of panic instantly surfaced on Zachary's face. He hurriedly grabbed Selena's arm tightly. "Selena, it's not like that between Lucy and me! How could you say that in public? Are you trying to falsely paint her as someone who interfered in her sister's relationship? How could she possibly withstand that accusation?" Selena simply thought the anxious manner in which Zachary tried to explain himself was laughable. "Did she not interfere?" "Of course not!" While answering, Zachary increased the force of his grip, causing Selena to gasp in pain. However, he didn't notice at all. "You better not say such things again in public! This is the last time!" With that, Zachary flung Selena's arm away before returning to Lucine's side, where he began gently comforting her. He even picked out other expensive jewelry and thoughtfully put them on for her to try. He would pay for anything that caught her fancy. When Lucine smiled, Zachary did the same, his eyes filled with tenderness. Selena let out a self-deprecating laugh at the sight. Just as she was about to leave, an announcement rang out in the mall, warning that the mall's roof was collapsing. As the trio got ready to evacuate, the ceiling above them trembled as debris rained down on them. In that critical moment when the ceiling was about to collapse on them, Lucine shoved Zachary out before yanking Selena to her side. Zechary spun around, only to see a large chunk of debris crushing Lucine's leg. Blood trickled from the wound incessantly. "Lucine, are you okay? How could you be so foolish? I should've been the one protecting you! Why did you push me away?" Lucine put on a strained smile. "I wasn't thinking. All I knew was that I didn't want you to get hurt." Zachary's expression was filled with heartache for her. He moved the debris on her before lifting her into his arms. "I'll take you to the hospital right away!" As the two disappeared into the distance, Zachary completely forgot about Selena. At that moment, Selena was nearly completely buried beneath the debris, with just some of her upper body peeking out. She wanted to shout for help, but found that she couldn't make a sound. The surrounding area was in chaos, so she could only rely on herself as she slowly crawled her way out from under the rubble. Her body was covered in wounds and dust, causing intense pain to shoot through her with every movement she made. The sharp corners of the debris sliced her skin, and the sight of her blood mixing with the rubble was gruesome. Selena had only just dragged herself out from the rubble when she received two messages, one from Lucine and another from Zachary. The one from Lucine was, "Selena, I won again this time." Meanwhile, the one from Zachary read, "The mall collapsed, so I'm sending Lucine to the hospital. You should head home first." He had overlooked her so completely that he didn't even realize she had been buried under the rubble, too. Chapter 5 Selena made her way to the hospital alone. When the nurse saw her injuries, she exclaimed, "Why are you so badly injured? Where's your family? Did you come alone?" Selena nodded lightly in response. She had been afraid of pain since young, yet at that moment, not a single tear was shed. Her tears had long since run dry. After her injuries were tended to, Selena walked past a hospital room on her way out. When she heard familiar voices coming from inside, she couldn't help but glance inside. Lucine was seated on the hospital bed, with Martha, Liam, and Zachary surrounding her. Martha was busily peeling an apple, while the usually stern-faced Liam had tears in his eyes. As for Zachary, he was tightly gripping Lucine's hand, concern starkly written across his face. A harmonious atmosphere surrounded them, and the heartwarming sight made Selena feel like an outsider. Just as she was about to leave, the nurse making her rounds spoke up, catching the attention of the occupants of the room. "Who are you? Are you here to visit a patient?" Everyone in the room turned to look in the direction of the door. Upon spotting Selena, Zachary instantly let go of Lucine's hand. Lucine's brow furrowed in response, a displeased look crossing her face, but it was gone in an instant. When she noticed the wounds on Selena, her eyes gleamed slyly. "Selena, why didn't you come in since you're already here? Don't worry, I don't blame you." The moment those words left her lips, not just everyone in the room, but even Selena was frozen to the spot in surprise. Zachary frowned slightly and asked, "Lucy, what do you mean by that?" Lucine pretended to shoot Selena a wary glance before hurriedly waving her hands. "I-It's nothing." Liam immediately said sternly, "I'm here, so you don't need to be scared." Pursing her lips, Lucine hesitated briefly before answering, "I took a liking to a necklace at the mall today, and Zach gifted it to me, which upset Selena. Soon after that, the mall's roof collapsed. I shoved Zach away and was originally able to escape, but Selena dragged me back…" She trailed off at the end, but there was no need to continue speaking. The aftermath of that was evident. Liam slammed his hand down on the table, the sheer force causing water to spill out of the glass on it. "Selena Yane, is it that impossible for you to accept your younger sister? You're not the only daughter of the Yane family!" Zachary jumped up from his seat and forcefully yanked Selena into the room. The harsh movement tugged at Selena's injuries, and she bit her lip tightly at the pain. "Selena, apologize to Lucy!" Their gazes locked, and that was when Zachary noticed the utterly repulsed look in her eyes. It was something he had never seen in her before. His heart skipped a beat, but he still ordered, "You've done something wrong, so it's only right that you apologize!" Selena jerked her arm out of his grip, saying, "Why should I apologize for what I didn't do?" Hearing that, Liam stepped forward and slapped Selena on the left cheek. The force of the blow was so powerful that Selena had to support herself with the end of the bed to remain standing. "It seems I've been too lenient all these years and spoiled you too much that you've become this arrogant! If I had known you would turn out like this, I wouldn't have allowed you to be born back then! Why couldn't it have been you who went missing?" Selena simply found the way Liam was treating her like his worst enemy utterly laughable. Wiping the blood trickling from the corner of her lips, she retorted, "I wish I had been the one to go missing." With that said, Selena left the room without looking back. It was only then that Zachary noticed the wounds on Selena's body and the blood seeping through the bandages. The bright red was a particularly jarring sight. He moved to chase after her, but was tugged back by Lucine grabbing his hand. Her brow was tightly furrowed, and a pained grimace crossed her face as she said, "Zach, my leg hurts." This one sentence successfully caused Zachary to stop in his tracks. Turning around, he continued to comfort Lucine. "Be good now. The doctor has already seen to your leg, so it'll stop hurting in a bit." After that, he turned to gaze in the direction Selena had left, an indecipherable look in his eyes. Chapter 6 Selena had only just returned home when she received a message from Zachary. "I have something to attend to tonight, so I won't be going back." Not wanting to see such irritating words, Selena deleted the message. After a brief calculation, she realized she didn't have much time left to get ready. Getting to work, she placed all her clothes into her luggage. Then, she moved on to cleaning out her drawer. That was when she spotted a love letter, yellowed with age. Zachary had written it for her years ago, when he was 20. Selena tossed the love letter into the fire, the flames instantly devouring it until nothing but ashes remained. Once she was done packing, Selena sent a message to her best friend, Vivian Brown. She was leaving this place soon and didn't know when she would get to see Vivian next. Hence, she wanted to take some photos to keep as mementos. The next day, when Selena and Vivian arrived at the studio, they happened to see the Yanes and Zachary. The four of them were smiling happily as they made various intimate poses under the direction of the photographer. Seeing Selena staring at them from afar, a studio employee approached her to ask, "Good day, miss. Are you here for a family photo shoot?" In response, Selena laughed lightly. So, they were taking a family photo shoot, one without her in it. However, she had long since stopped caring. Once the day of her wedding arrived and the Chiton family sent someone to fetch her, she would leave this detestable place behind forever. Along with her five billion, of course. "No, I'm here for a photo shoot with my best friend." At that moment, Lucine spotted Selena. "Selena, what a coincidence! It's fine if you don't want to talk to me, but how could you ignore Mom and Dad? Do you still blame me?" Once again, Lucine's eyes reddened, as though she were about to cry. Seeing that, Martha was instantly heartbroken. "Selena, you've been against Lucine ever since she returned to us. For the 20 years she was missing, she lacked familial love and warmth. All we want is to make it up to her." Frowning deeply, Liam said, "Don't bother wasting your breath on her. The older she gets, the less understanding she is." Zachary shook his head, his disappointment clear as he uttered, "Selena, you already have more than enough, so don't take things too far. "Today was originally supposed to be a family photoshoot with you four, but I thought it wouldn't be convenient for you since you were injured. That's why I came on your behalf." Selena was so infuriated that she wanted to laugh. She hadn't said a single word, yet everyone was criticizing her. She snapped, "So, should I be thanking you?" Zachary's expression instantly darkened. "Selena!" Not wanting to waste her time on such insignificant matters, Selena took Vivian's hand and headed for the innermost dressing room. Unexpectedly, Lucine abruptly burst into tears, dashing forward to grab Selena's hand. "Selena, please don't be mad. I won't take the family photos anymore. I won't ever do so again." Selena pushed her away, wanting to leave, but the other three came forward to block her way. "Selena Yane, hurry up and apologize to Lucy! Just how far are you going to push her?" This was the first time Zachary had addressed her by her full name. As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Lucine wiped away her tears and attempted to smooth things over. "That's enough. It's all my fault that you guys are scolding Selena. Please stop blaming her. It's only normal that she doesn't like me when someone else is suddenly taking away love and attention from her. How about we all go camping this weekend to get closer to each other?" Before Selena could respond, the other three had already nodded. "Ah, Lucine, you're the more sensible one, after all. This settles it." Nobody bothered asking for Selena's opinion before they happily agreed to go camping. After that, Lucine turned to Selena with a pitiful look on her face. "Selena, you'll come, right?" Chapter 7 Selena was about to refuse when she suddenly thought of something. Fishing out her phone, she sent a message. A second later, Liam's phone chimed with an incoming message. "If you don't want to disappoint her, transfer the five billion to my account right now." This five billion was originally supposed to be her dowry for when she married Michael, but Selena couldn't wait any longer. With how the situation was progressing, she was worried something unexpected might happen. When Liam didn't move to take out his phone, Selena thoughtfully reminded, "Dad, your phone rang with a notification. Aren't you going to check it?" The moment Liam saw the contents of the message, his expression changed. After a very brief moment of hesitation, he texted back succinctly, "Fine." Selena knew Liam was the sort of person who kept his word. Upon receiving a reply from him, she smiled at Lucine. "I'll go." After all the commotion, Selena had lost the mood to go ahead with the photo shoot. She led Vivian out of the studio, tossing all frustration and annoyances to the back of her mind. Once Selena got home, she fell into a deep sleep and started dreaming of her memories with Zachary. The piano piece he played for her during her birthday, waltzing together on the dance floor… All these images slowly dissipated, as if they were blown away by the wind. Through the haze of sleep, she thought she heard some shuffling sounds and assumed it was her dream. However, when she opened her eyes, she realized Zachary had returned home at some point. He was carefully placing a takeout container on the table, his movements slow and gentle. As their eyes locked, he jerked slightly in surprise, causing scalding hot beef stew to splash onto his hand. Hastily wiping his hand clean, he shot a smile at Selena. "You're awake? Come eat. I guessed you likely hadn't eaten yet today, so I went to the east side of the city to buy that beef stew you love." Since Selena was indeed hungry, she didn't refuse him. "Okay." Halfway through the meal, Zachary spoke up again. "Earlier at the studio, the air between you and Mr. Yane seemed rather off. Did something happen between you two?" "No," Selena answered shortly, not saying even one more word than necessary. Sighing softly, Zachary reached out to wipe Selena's mouth, where a tiny chunk of carrot had stuck to her lip. However, she avoided him. His hand hung in mid-air as he debated what to do. Several seconds later, he stiffly put his hand down. "Selena, I know you're still angry at me. But like I said, I'm only doing all this to compensate Lucy on your behalf. That's all. She's going to marry into the Chiton family soon, so all everyone wants to do is make it up to her before that." Selena interrupted, "So you think Mom and Dad's favoritism toward Lucine is because they're compensating her for having to marry into the Chiton family?" Stunned by the question, Zachary instinctively replied, "Isn't that it?" Selena didn't respond, though she scoffed inwardly. She was suddenly curious about what Zachary's reaction would be when he finally learned that she was marrying into the Chiton family instead, not Lucine. "Alright, don't stir up any more trouble for the next few days. Once Lucy is married off to the Chiton family, everything will be over." Selena remained silent, merely staring out the window at the withered leaves drifting to the ground. He was right. Everything was going to be over soon. The next day, Zachary woke up early. Previously, he would drive the car over whenever they went out together and stop right in front of the villa's front door. This was because he didn't want Selena to walk any further than she had to. However, this time, Selena stepped out of the villa, only to see Lucine sitting in the front passenger seat. Lucine shot her an innocent smile. "Selena, I get carsick easily, so I hope you won't mind me taking the front seat." "I don't mind." Selena's response surprised both Zachary and Lucine. Zachary had thought he would need to spare some effort explaining things to Selena. Unexpectedly, she was quick to agree. His lips quirked into a delighted smile, thinking that his words last night must have gotten through to her. Meanwhile, Lucine was frowning slightly. She kept shooting glances at Selena through the rearview mirror, assessing the latter with her gaze. Chapter 8 When Selena, Lucine, and Zachary reached the camping site, Martha and Liam still hadn't arrived yet. Selena, not wanting to stay with Lucine and Zachary, headed for the forest alone. Seeing Selena leave, Lucine shot Zachary a charming smile. "Zach, how about you stay here and set up the tents? I'll go keep Selena company." Zachary nodded in approval. "You're so considerate, Lucy." Half an hour later, Martha and Liam arrived. After glancing around, they asked, "Where's Lucine?" "She entered the forest, saying she would keep Selena company. They should be back soon." Upon hearing that, Martha couldn't help but shake her head. "Lucine is such a sweet child. Even though Selena is always picking on her, she still treats Selena like her older sister." At that moment, Selena stepped out of the forest. When Martha saw no one behind her, she hurried forward. "Why are you alone? Where's Lucine?" Confused, Selena responded, "How would I know where she is?" Zachary instantly leaped to his feet and strode toward Selena. "Lucy said she would keep you company on your walk. Didn't you see her?" Not liking the interrogative tone in his voice, Selena answered coldly, "No." This answer caused Martha to break down once again. She seized Selena's shoulder tightly, tears spilling down her cheeks as she cried, "Selena Yane, just what are you doing? You've already lost your sister once, so how could you lose her again? You just can't stand seeing her live well, can you?" Those words immediately infuriated Selena. "I've already told you, I didn't see her! She's an adult now, so am I still supposed to be responsible if she gets lost?" She had barely finished speaking when a hard slap landed on her left cheek. It was the first time in her 26 years of life that Martha had struck her. Martha's mouth dropped open slightly in surprise as she stared at her right hand. "Selena, I… I didn't mean to. I…" Zachary stepped forward and urged, "Come on, the most important thing right now is to find Lucy. We can talk about the rest later." He patted Selena's shoulder in a pitiful imitation of consolation, not offering her any true comfort. Nonetheless, Selena was used to it by now and didn't harbor many expectations for them. To prove her innocence, Selena followed them into the forest. She wanted to confront Lucine face-to-face. The forest was dense and thick with vegetation, so Selena was soon separated from the group. Strangely enough, not even five minutes had passed since Selena lost sight of them when Lucine appeared before her. Selena frowned, but after a few seconds, she understood. "You did this on purpose?" Lucine laughed and answered, "It seems you aren't that stupid after all. But then, what does it matter if you know? Not like you can do anything about it. "20 years ago, you lost me. 20 years later, you deliberately left me in the woods. What would Mom and Dad think of you, I wonder? Do you think they'd be more inclined to believe me or you? "I heard about the situation. Since you're going to marry into the Chiton family soon and will no longer have anything to do with the Yane family, I won't hide certain things from you any longer. Think of the truth as your younger sister's wedding gift to you." With that, Lucine leaned forward to whisper into Selena's ear. Selena's eyes widened in surprise, disbelief written all over her face. "Is that all true?" Lucine twirled her hair playfully, her voice amused as she said, "Is there a need for me to lie?" The forest was silent, with only the whispering of the leaves brushing against each other as a gentle breeze blew past. Selena tightened her hands into fists, not expecting the truth of Lucine's disappearance 20 years ago to be this inconceivable. Chapter 9 Just then, the sound of footsteps and voices shouting rang out from somewhere close by. Lucine's expression changed as she swiftly picked up a rock at her feet, bringing it up to slash at her face. "Dad, Mom, Zach, I'm here!" When the three rushed over, the first thing they saw was Lucine collapsed on the floor with blood covering her face. Nearby, Selena stood rooted to the spot, a cold look on her face. At last, Zachary couldn't stand it anymore. He seized Selena's wrist in a vice grip, his eyes burning with rage. "Selena Yane! Just what do you want? Haven't I explained things last time? Can you live with yourself while tormenting Lucy like this?" Martha crouched anxiously beside Lucine, crying as she wiped the blood on Lucine's face away. "Lucine, what on earth happened to you? Tell me what happened!" "Mom, I'm so tired. I've been trying so hard to get along with Selena, so why did she still have to do this to me? "I finally found a way out of the trees and only just stepped out when I bumped into Selena. She used a rock to slash my face, saying there was no way I could use my looks to seduce Zach after this. "Since my return is causing everyone so much trouble, I might as well just die." Upon hearing Lucine's words, Martha was heartbroken. She blamed herself for not being able to protect her daughter. By the time the commotion was over, it was already getting dark. Liam and Martha departed with Lucine first, leaving Selena and Zachary behind. Zachary led Selena to his car, not saying a word at all. Likewise, Selena remained silent. The car crept along slowly, and 20 minutes later, Selena finally realized something was wrong. Furrowing her brow, she said, "This isn't the way home. Where are you taking me?" However, instead of answering, Zachary parked the car by the roadside before yanking Selena out of the vehicle. "I'm letting you have a taste of what it feels like to be abandoned. Otherwise, you'll never learn and change your ways. I'm doing all this for your own good." Before Selena could say anything, Zachary had already sped off, leaving her to inhale the thick fumes of his car exhaust. Since this was the middle of nowhere, Selena failed to see even a single car despite walking laboriously for several miles. The early autumn night breeze was chilly. Dressed only in a dress, Selena was so cold that she was shivering. The eerie cries of wild animals frightened her terribly, causing her to speed up. However, in a moment of carelessness, she accidentally stepped on a rock and twisted her ankle. Before she could get up, she spotted something approaching her from afar. Whatever it was had glowing green eyes. A beat later, she realized what it was—a pack of wolves! Selena's breathing sped up as she turned to run in a blind panic. Unexpectedly, she lost her footing and tumbled off a cliff. The wind roared past her ears as she fell. Selena was filled with indignant regret. She hadn't yet gotten to live her own life, so she couldn't accept that she would die just like this. Yet, as she fell further and further, the speed of her descent increasing, she could only accept her fate and close her eyes. If she could have a second chance at life, she didn't want to be a daughter born to the Yane family, nor did she want to meet Zachary again. When Selena opened her eyes, the familiar surroundings caused her to lapse into dazed confusion. Hadn't she fallen off a cliff? How was she in her room right now? It wasn't until her forehead throbbed with pain that she realized she wasn't dead. Sitting up with much difficulty, she heard Zachary talking on the balcony. He was on a phone call. He wasn't speaking loudly, so all Selena could hear was Lucine being mentioned now and then. Not wanting to hear about anything to do with them, Selena put on her earphones. That was when she received a message from an unfamiliar number. "Have you finished packing up? I'll personally come to fetch you on that day." Puzzled, she texted back, "Who are you?" The person swiftly replied, "Selena Yane's fiance." Upon seeing the word "fiance", Selena surprisingly felt her face flush. She didn't know how Michael had gotten her phone number, but it likely hadn't been hard for him. After all, finding out a phone number was child's play with the Chiton family's influence. Since Selena was wearing earphones, she didn't hear Zachary's footsteps at all. Only when Zachary plucked out her earphones did Selena snap back to reality. She instantly turned off her phone screen. Naturally, this didn't escape Zachary's notice. "Selena, what are you doing?" "Nothing, just chatting with a friend." Zachary narrowed his eyes at her, knowing she was lying. Nevertheless, he didn't expose her. "You've been unconscious for four days. How do you feel now?" Hearing that, Selena was stunned. She snapped her head around to look at the calendar on the wall. Seeing what date it was, she let out a long sigh of relief. Chapter 10 Fortunately, Selena hadn't missed the wedding. If she had woken up a day later, she had no idea what would've happened. Seeing her fall silent, Zachary continued, "I went to check out the bridal gowns yesterday. Shall we get married at the end of the month? I'm sure you'll be the most beautiful bride." Selena stared at Zachary, wondering how he remained so calm as if nothing had happened. "I know you're resentful of me. I didn't actually abandon you, because I was following you in the car. But the wolves targeted you when I was answering a call. Fortunately, I found you in time, or I can't imagine what would've happened." There were tear marks in the corners of Zachary's eyes as he spoke. "Don't be mad at Lucy. The Chiton family is coming to pick her up soon. Let's go down and see her off, okay? "Our lives will be back to normal after Lucy marries into the Chiton family. I'll definitely make things up to you. "Getting married is such an important moment. She wouldn't want to have regrets. I guess she wants you to be there too." Without hesitation, Selena rejected him. "I'm not going." "Selena, why do you have to go against Lucy? What has she done to you? She sees you as her closest family, but you keep resisting her. "It's fine if you refuse to go. I'll go myself. You'd better not regret it later," Zachary said. Selena chuckled. Why would she regret anything? She had long since given up on Zachary and the Yane family. From now on, she wouldn't care about anything related to them. Moreover, she had always been the one getting hurt, not Lucine. Zachary saw how resolute Selena was, so he could only go downstairs himself. Just as he headed downstairs, he was shocked to see that the villa hadn't been decorated at all. The villa looked dull without any traces of celebration. At the same time, Liam was drinking coffee and reading newspapers in the living room while Martha trimmed her plants. Just then, the butler happened to walk past, so Zachary grabbed his arm and asked anxiously, "Isn't Lucy getting married today? Why is it so quiet?" The butler was stunned. "Getting married? Ms. Lucine is still sleeping in the room. Who is she marrying?" Suddenly, Zachary struggled to catch his breath as a sense of foreboding flooded his mind. He hurriedly rushed down to see Liam and Martha. "Mr. and Mrs. Yane, why hasn't the house been decorated? Where's Lucy? It's time for her to get up. The Chitons aren't an ordinary family. It'd be rude if Lucy's still asleep when they arrive," Zachary said. Since Zachary had yet to know the truth, Liam and Martha avoided the topic and made up an excuse to distract him. "The Chitons called us and said that they'll be late because of the bad traffic. Go eat something in the dining room, and I'll call you when they arrive." As soon as they said that, a loud honk rang out outside the villa. Liam and Martha exchanged looks, and they could sense the anxiety in each other's gazes. Clad in a suit, Michael walked in. The morning light cast a gentle glow over his sharp nose, adding a touch of aloofness to his graceful appearance. "Mr. and Mrs. Yane, I'm here for—" Before Michael could finish his words, Zachary frowned and cut him off. "You can't just take Lucy away like this. The decorations in the house aren't done yet. Please wait for a moment." Michael leisurely tapped his fingers. It was the first time someone had told him to wait. Before Michael could say anything, Selena's voice rang out amid the crowd. "There's no need to wait. Let's go." Michael casually walked up to Selena and took the suitcase from her. Their intimate interaction made Zachary freeze in place. He strode forward and held the suitcase. "Isn't Lucy the one marrying into your family? What are you guys doing here?" Michael flashed a faint smile. His voice was nonchalant, but his words struck Zachary like a thunderbolt. "The person I'm marrying is Selena."