Chapter 1260:


    Karson’s eyes darkened with quiet worry.


    Ste leaned gently on his shoulder, her voice light and cheerful. “Grandpa, don’t say that. It’s not like I’m going far. I’ll visit often. And Marc said we’ll bothe see you together.”


    Her words were sweet and sincere. She had only recently learned they were her family, yet she already felt deeply connected to them.


    Karson had prepared an extravagant dowry for her—eight million in cash, along with jewelry, a house, and two cars. He wanted her marriage to look glorious, no matter what.


    Now, seeing the worry etched across Karson’s face, Ste only thought her grandfather and brother were getting sentimental—typical family emotions before a wedding. She believed their concern came from not wanting to let her go.


    So she smiled softly and tried to reassure them, over and over, telling them how much she trusted Marc, how excited she was to start this new chapter.


    Her bright, innocent smile lit up the room—yet to Lance and Karson, it felt like a thousand tiny needles piercing their hearts.


    They could only watch, helpless, their chests tightening with pain.


    They didn’t have the heart to destroy her illusion of happiness, not when she looked so certain, so content. So they swallowed their unease, forcing themselves to stay silent, to wait.


    Tomorrow woulde soon enough.


    Just then, faint voices echoed from the hall downstairs—quick, hurried, and unfamiliar. A smallmotion broke the quiet, snapping them all out of their thoughts.


    The servant came in to announce Nina’s return.


    Nina’s unexpected arrival made the air in the living room tighten at once.


    d in a sharply cut ck suit, she carried an expression tangled with emotions tooplex to name.


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    Her eyes instantly locked on Ste, who was chatting softly with their grandfather. The sight of that bright, contented face wrapped in quiet joy made Nina’s lips curl in silent mockery.


    When she noticed Ste’s elegant outfit, wless even for a casual day at home, bitterness welled up inside her. Tomorrow, Ste would be radiant at her grand wedding, while she herself had been crawling through the dark, weighed down by secrets and guilt.


    She had driven the man she loved most into endless torment. The realization made a surge of resentment rise like a storm within her.


    Ste’s eyes caught sight of Nina, and for a moment, surprise flickered across her face.


    In her recollection, this cousin was little more than a name. She had only recently heard from the family that Nina had been living overseas.


    Out of courtesy, Ste rose from her seat, her expression warm and polite. “You must be Nina, right? Hello. I’ve only been back with the Carter family for a short while. It’s good to finally meet you.”


    When Ste looked at her with that calm, almost kind expression, the hatred in Nina’s chest red even hotter.


    She knew Ste’s memory had been wiped clean by the drug, yet watching those clear, untroubled eyes look at her without a hint of recognition sent a jagged resentment through her chest. The mixture of rage and hatred she felt was almost too much to contain.


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    Message from Noah: Have a great week dear readers. God loves you, and Noah wishes you all the best. (?O?=)? ?


    P.S. I’ll keep you updated through the galn0vels WhatsAppmunity, but I’m sooo excited because there are so many amazing novelsing that I truly think you’re going to love. Plus, there are audiobooks/audionovels on the way that I sincerely hope you enjoy as much as I do. ?(?? ? ??)


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