?Chapter 706:


    City lights shimmered in the puddles, weaving gold and violet ribbons through the shadows that swallowed every trace of the moon.


    Inside the car, an uneasy hush pressed down on everything.


    Richard kept his focus on the road, knuckles pale against the steering wheel, while Sandra sat rigid in the passenger seat, twisting her hands together in herp, fighting to steady her nerves.


    A quiet voice broke through the silence. “Richard…”


    Richard’s attention never wavered from the windshield. “What is it?”


    Doubt hovered in Sandra’s words. “Do you really believe Axell will be good to Rosanna?”


    Even as she spoke, a bitter taste filled her mouth — she’d already made peace with their decision, yet guilt wed at her heart.


    Sandra paused for a moment, as though pinpointing the root of her unease. As if offering an exnation for what she’d just said, she continued, “Even though Rosannamitted something we can’t excuse, she’s still our daughter.”


    Not a single word came from Richard. The possibility of turning back had long slipped away.


    The car rolled beneath a blinking streetlight, then another, rain-slicked roads stretching endlessly ahead.


    Only when the silence grew unbearable did Richard finally ease off the gas, guiding the car toward the curb with a heavy sigh.


    A cigarette found its way between his fingers, the lighter’s flick audible in the quiet.


    Rain pattered against the window as he cracked it open, letting smoke curl into the damp night.


    “We’re out of options,” he murmured, barely above a whisper. “There was never any real choice for Rosanna, either.”


    He paused, drawing in another breath of smoke, his voice rough and parched. “Given the state of her name now, no man from a wealthy and powerful family would take her in. And you know her character — she suffered enough in the slums back then and would never marry an ordinary man who can’t offer her an extravagant life. So, Axell is the only choice.”


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    Rain crept through the open window and snuffed out his cigarette before he could finish it.


    Richard flung it away, shut the window firmly, and fired the engine back to life.


    “Marrying Axell ensures a life wrapped infort and abundance,” Richard murmured. “It’s the wisest path forward for Rosanna.”


    Rain drummed against the windshield as their car carved through the slick streets.


    Sandra’s gaze drifted to her husband, catching the silver threads that had multiplied in his hair.


    Deep down, she recognized the truth in his words.


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