Marrying the Man in the Dark

Chapter 1074 Matching Knife Wound "Did you hear? Ariana paid a visit to Trent's new abode with her partner today! "Eight years, nearly on the brink of matrimony, yet what's to show? All of his family members are oblivious to your existence! "All those years of toil, stacking coins to pave Trent's collegiate path and not a whisper to his folks about you! "They still believe he's a lone ranger! "Recall when he jetted off for New Year's last time? "Word was, he cut his visit short to rendezvous with the village chief's daughter for a blind liaison! "And now, she's twiddling her thumbs, awaiting his return to finish the marriage procedures! "Sav, please wake up and sever your ties with him. Don't let him string you along any further!" Stella's admonitions only deepened Savannah's unease, already exacerbated by the alcohol coursing through her veins.

Tears trickled down silently, "He and I... have parted ways," Savannah said.

She ought to have seen it coming... For eight long years, the man had been by her side, yet he had never once brought her to visit his family for reasons now painfully clear...

"It's for the best that you've split up!" Stella exhaled heavily, "Just stick with Steve! Though that lad might not be your typical heartthrob, and he might have a one-track mind, he's genuinely smitten with you! You won't stumble upon another soul as blindly dedicated as him!" Stella's words were sincere, devoid of malice, yet they struck a discordant note when Steve overheard them.

Snatching up the phone, he demanded, "What do you mean by that?" Caught off guard, Stella gaped, her eyes meeting Steve's through the video call. She saw that Savannah was nestled against his shoulder, "Uh...uh...I never called! Bye!" And with that, she hastily terminated the call. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

A flush of crimson stained Steve's cheeks.

Meanwhile, across the table, Cherise was seated and watching the spectacle before her. She laughed uproariously until tears cascaded down her cheeks.

That evening, she indulged in copious amounts of alcohol.

It wasn't merely due to the resurgence of her memories but also in celebration of her high school companions finding their footing and the conclusive resolution between Sebastian and Gwenn.

As the night wore on and her consumption escalated, she becso inebriated that the details of her whereabouts faded into a distant memory.

All she retained was the faint recollection of Damien escorting her back to her quarters.

Beyond that point, her memory was a blank canvas.

Throughout that night, she traversed the expanse of a lengthy dream, one where she found herself abruptly torn from Damien. Within this dream realm, she becensnared in a dimly-lit abyss, devoid of any attentive souls, with no echo to her pleas. Frantically, she cried out Damien's name, yet her desperate calls fell on deaf ears, each reverberation fading into the silent void. Cherise surfaced from her slumber, gasping for air, her heart hammering fiercely against her ribcage.

"Bad dream?" the man cradling her inquired, a faint furrow marring his brow.

"Mhm..." She pressed her lips together, seeking solace in his embrace, and was poised to speak when a knock reverberated through the door.

The door creaked open, revealing a contingent of uniformed police officers.

"Ms. Shaw, we're from the Calais Police Department, and we have reason to believe you're linked to a homicide case. We have to take you back with us for questioning one of the officers stated gravely. Cherise's brow furrowed, but before she could interject, Damien swiftly positioned himself in front of her. "She's not involved in this." The officer persisted, "But..." His gaze shifted back to Cherise, his expression stern. "The fatal wound found on Sebastian matches the type inflicted by the surgical knife Ms. Shaw is known to carry." Cherise stared incredulously at the officer before her, her mouth agape in disbelief, rendered momentarily speechless by the revelation.

"You're saying... Sebastian, he...

"He's...been found dead!?" The police officer's frown deepened, casting a frigid glare at Cherise. "Indeed." Cherise vehemently shook her head. "But... wasn't he taken into custody by the police yesterday?" The previous day, she distinctly recalled witnessing Trent, Gwenn, and Sebastian being escorted away by law enforcement.

mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1