Chapter 4
By then, a nurse came in with my CT scans, looking hesitant:
“Dr. Vale, the mild concussion requires hospitalization for observation. I heard you just got married yesterday, how did this happen?”
“Got hit by a rabid dog.”
I smiled lightly.
Wasn’t that exactly what it was? Preston protecting Iris like some vicious guard dog protecting his food.
Suppressing the stab of pain in my chest, I called my parents to let them know I was safe, then started scrolling through Instagram out of boredom.
After just a few swipes, I saw Iris’s latest post–eight sweet photos with Preston from the wedding ceremony, with the last one showing a huge bouquet of bright red roses.
Caption: [Loving someone isn’t just words–it’s about what they actually do.]
I genuinely hit a “liked.”
Because that line was like a wake–up call, reminding me just how much Preston loved her.
Red roses were her favorite, and for the past two years, Preston had sent her a bouquet every single week without
fail.
They video–called daily. Preston thought it was perfectly normal–just friends chatting.
Every New Year’s Eve, he’d fly to London to be with her because she got lonely.
Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas… every holiday, gifts were never absent.
Whenever I questioned it, he’d always lecture me in that condescending tone:
‘Aria, marriage creates lasting responsibilities. We’ll be connected for life–it has nothing to do with love.”
But without love, what man would willingly shoulder that kind of burden?
Just as I was lost in thought, Iris suddenly sent me a voice message.
When I played it, her tearful voice came through-
“Preston, can we please not get divorced? You obviously still love me, so why agree to this arranged marriage?”
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bitched for His 1×7 Now 1 Ungraded to Someone Else’s True Love
Chapter 4
Preston sighed softly: “Grandfather gave me an ultimatum. He owes the Vale family a life debt and insists I marry Aria to repay that favor.”
“He hates owing debts more than anything. If I don’t agree to him, I’ll lose my right to inherit the family business and might even be kicked out of the family.”
Iris asked timidly, “So… do you like Aria?”
After a long silence, Preston’s voice was terrifyingly calm: “No.”
Suddenly, my chest clenched in agony.
Actually, I’d suspected he had no feelings for me, but every time I asked, he’d look at me with those cold eyes:
“Aria, can’t you feel how I treat you? Do I really need to spell it out? Fine–listen carefully! You are the love of my
life.”
Now I realized that “love of my life” was probably just emotionally neutral words to him.
My phone suddenly buzzed.
As soon as I answered, Cade’s voice came through–excited but nervous:
“Aria, the wedding’s already being planned. We agreed on one week from now, so don’t you dare bail on me!”
Before I could answer, he added threateningly:
‘If you try to back out, I’ll move into your hospital permanently, hire you as my private physician, and keep you so busy you’ll never be able to marry anyone else!”
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes:
‘Mr. Frost, you’ve been making empty threats since we were kids. When have you ever followed through?”
‘Miss Vale, you’ve been a smartass since childhood. Just wait till we’re married–I’ll show you!”
“Try me!”
‘Hmph!”
We both hung up simultaneously, but the next second I burst out laughing.
The Vale and Frost families were old friends, so Cade was basically my childhood sweetheart.
Every time we met, we either bickered or fought. When he suddenly confessed at eighteen, I thought it was a prank and rejected him outright.
Turns out he was serious, and he’d been chasing me ever since.
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Ditched for His F’x? Now 1 Uneraded to Someone Else’s True Love
2.5m
Chapter 4
Right up until my engagement to Preston, when he said with tears in his eyes:
“Aria, you’ll never get another guy as amazing as me.”
Yet yesterday, that stubborn fool still secretly showed up to crash my wedding.
Thinking about it made me smile.
Maybe marrying this guy I’d known forever, who could still make me laugh out loud, wouldn’t be such a bad choice
“BANG!”
The hospital room door was violently kicked open.
Preston stormed in with bloodshot eyes, grabbed my wrist, and started dragging me out:
O
“Aria! How dare you tattle to my grandfather?! Now he’s forcing Iris to leave USA!”
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