The call ended abruptly.
Don’t tter yourself.
Those words echoed in her mind like a haunting curse, repeating endlessly.
Thalia felt utterly deste, all the tender affection that Asher had oncevished upon her now draining away, moment by moment.
Outside the window, the snow fell more heavily, fierce northern winds howling, shaking the tree branches.
Thalia stared nkly at the swirling snowfall beyond the ss.
After a moment of silence, her phone began ringing again, insistently.
With tears still drying on her face, the morous ringtone suddenly made her feel profoundly weary.
It was Randolph calling.
“Thalia, the ckwood family came to dissolve the engagement today.”
Her heart had already grown numb with pain. Thalia responded with a faint acknowledgment.
Randolph hesitated, seemingly reluctant to continue. “Have you seen the gossip about Asher and that actress?” –
Thalía remained silent.
Randolph went on: “Tomorrow I’ll arrange for a press conference to publicly announce the termination of our engagement with the ckwood family. The responsibility for this falls entirely on them. Thalia, they’re the ones at fault here–don’t let this weigh on you. There’s no shame in a broken engagement. I’ll find you someone far more suitable in future. My beautiful, aplished daughter could have any man she desires.”
Thalia continued her silence.
She didn’t know how to respond.
She hadn’t expected the ckwoods to move so quickly–Asher had broken up with her justst night, and today they had alreadye to officially end the engagement.
Were they really so eager?
Recalling the alluring female voice on the phone earlier, Thalia felt a crushing pain in her chest. Was Asher in such a rush to distance himself from her because he wanted to make things official with Laurina?
15:18
Your Gold Diever is AL
98.2<b>% </b>
“Thalia, get some rest. After tomorrow’s press conference, I’ll send a car to bring you home.”
Once the press conference was over, the Winters family would have no further connection to the ckwoods. Surely then Malfoy would stop targeting them.
With this thought, Randolph added a few moreforting words, urging her not to let heartbreak damage her
health.
Thalia responded with vague, perfunctory acknowledgments.
In a dimly lit private room at an exclusive club.
Drake Ashcroft sat on the sofa, his face hidden in shadows, his expression unreadable.
Around him, people drank, chatted, and flirted, but Drake remained disinterested. The revelry had nothing to do
with him; he only wanted to sit alone in the corner, lost in his thoughts.
In recent days, Thalia had disappeared.
After being discharged from hospital, he’d discovered she had moved. The adjacent apartment was already empty.
He had no idea where she’d gone, and her phone was unreachable.
It seemed that suddenly, Thalia had vanished from his world.
He’d fallen into a state of despair, numbing himself with alcohol daily.
Once, when particrly intoxicated, he’d imagined seeing Thalia return.
She’d been wearing the dress he had bought for her when they were together<b>, </b>smiling softly at him. “Drake.”
Overwhelmed with joy, he’d embraced her,ughing and crying simultaneously.
Thalia had gently touched his face, her eyes full of concern. “You really ought to stop drinking so much<i>. </i>It’s terribly bad for you. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
He’d covered her hand with his own, tilting his head to nuzzle against her palm<b>, </b>tears running down his cheeks. “Thalia, I truly regret everything. Won’t youe back to me?”
Thalia had smiled sweetly, her voice soft. “But I havee back, haven’t I<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Drake, red–eyed, had asked: “I swear I’ll only ever love you, only be good to you. Can we start again?”
Thalia’s gaze had been tender, full of affection. “Yes. I won’t leave again.”
“That’s wonderful,” he had mumbled. “I thought… I’d lost my chance forever…”
15:18
Your Gold Digger is Actually A True
98.4%
He had broken down, sobbing uncontrobly.
It was the emotion of recovering something precious,bined with remorse for past mistakes.
How wonderful.
His Thalia had returned to him.
Thalia had been all tenderness, gently wiping away his tears before leaning in to kiss him.
Desire had red, the atmosphere growing heated.
That night, he had taken her repeatedly.
Abandoned to passion, ecstatic.
However, when he’d opened his eyes the next morning, the naked woman lying beside him had actually been
Sienna!
In that moment, his world had copsed!
How could it be Sienna?
Last night, it had clearly been Thalia.
Humiliated and furious, he had harshly rebuked Sienna.
Far from being angry, Sienna had gazed at him with tearful eyes, biting her red lips, crying beautifully.
“Drake, you love Thalia Winters so much–I’ll imitate her. Didn’t you once say we look somewhat simr? I can copy her style, her makeup, her hairstyle. I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t send me away, please?”
Recalling the events of the previous night, he had hesitated.
Sienna,st night, had truly resembled Thalia!
Seeing his silence, Sienna had taken his hand, gently swaying it as she pleaded softly: “Drake, you enjoyedst night, didn’t you? Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“Let me stay with you. I’m willing to be Thalia’s substitute,” Sienna had begged quietly.
No man could resist a woman’s humble plea.
Especially a beautiful woman, a woman who loved him with all her heart!
Drake had rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply.
15:18
Your Gold Digger is Actually A True
98.6%
He missed Thalia desperately; in these days without seeing her, he’d nearly gone mad.
The moment Sienna had pressed against him and kissed him, Drake had surrendered.
He had thought defeatedly: without Thalia, a substitute was better than nothing.
From that day forward, Sienna had remained by his side.
Undeniably, she was apetent substitute. As promised, she had imitated Thalia’s style and hairstyle, even using Thalia’s preferred perfume.
Drake most enjoyed holding Sienna from behind, inhaling her scent. Their silhouettes were nearly identical, and they smelled exactly the same, which delighted him immensely.
Thus he deceived himself, gradually sinking deeper.
Yet a substitute, no matter how convincing, could never rece Thalia’s position in his heart.
She could never be Thalia.
Now, sitting on the sofa in this ambiguous atmosphere, his longing for Thalia grew like wild vines, spreading uncontrobly.
With an aching chest that made breathing difficult, he could only drink ss after ss, letting alcohol numb his
senses.
Someone mentioned, “Quick, look at Twitter–there’s absolute dynamite trending.”
Initially, Drake paid no attention.
He had no interest in such frivolity.
Until he heard Asher ckwood’s name.
He turned his head sharply, his gaze intense. “What did you just say about ckwood?”
The girl looked up at him. “He’s been spotted with actress Laurina Kensington! It’s trending on Twitter. Paparazzi caught them entering a hotel together, and insiders im they’re dating. Laurina’s a proper A–lister–this is massive gossip!”
Celine interjected: “Isn’t Asher ckwood engaged to Thalia Winters? How could he…”
She paused meaningfully, looking up at Drake. “Drake, you and Thalia were close once. Has she broken up with him?”
Sienna’s expression stiffened, the dim lighting concealing her pallor.
15:18
Your Gold Digger is
A True
98.8%
“That’s absolutely impossible!” Sienna raised her voice unconsciously. “They were madly in love, about to be
married. You must be mistaken.”
She was so close to sess.
Drake was now insatiable for her body. Once she conceived an Ashcroft heir, she could use the child to secure her position in the family.
At this crucial juncture, she couldn’t allow anyplications!
Thalia and Asher couldn’t break up–Drake couldn’t be given an opportunity.
“Here, Sienna, see for yourself. It’s all over Twitter. We’re not making this up,” Celine said, extending her phone.
Before Sienna could touch it, Drake snatched it from her hand.
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