Chapter 40 When I finally reached home and pushed the door open , the sound of Adeline's sobs filled the living room . She sat on the sofa , trembling as she cried in Brian's arms . " Brian , I don't want to go through with the arranged marriage . I don't want to marry that lunatic . He's cruel and brutal . The women from previous arranged marriages ... they all died ! Why does it have to be me and not Lilian? " } Brian stroked her back gently . His voice was soothing and tender as he said , " Don't worry . With me here , no one will dare force you . It doesn't matter who has to go through with the arranged marriage . It won't be you . " My parents immediately chimed in , their voices full of reassurance as they said , " Don't worry , sweetheart . We would never agree to let you go . We'll protect you . " N I stood silently at the doorway . No one turned to look at me . Without a word , I walked straight to my room . The moment the door clicked shut , memories flooded my mind like a relentless tide . I remembered the time I casually mentioned wanting to see the sunrise . That very night , Brian chartered a private jet to fly me to a remote island . He even built a special observation deck so I could watch the sunrise in comfort . Just to make me smile , he spent hundreds of millions creating a paradise for me . He took me skiing in the Alps , chased the aurora by my side , cooked my favorite dishes again and again and traveled with me to the farthest corners of the world . Brian documented every moment we spent together , as if each memory was a treasure . Back then , I truly believed he was my one and only . But now I understood that he barely loved me . It was because I was just a passing novelty , a distraction . I quickly wiped my tears away while I pulled a small recorder from my pocket and took out the memory card . I placed it , along with the prison's CCTV footage , into an envelope and sent it to my friend . " As I stared at the files on the screen , a bitter taste rose in my throat . At first , I'd only planned to record Adeline pretending to be pitiful in front of Brian and my parents . But in the end , I had also captured proof of her ordering the prisoners to beat me . " The moment the files were successfully sent , I heard familiar footsteps outside my door . " My heart tightened . The door opened quietly . Brian's tall figure appeared in the doorway . Before I could react , he crossed the room in a few strides and pulled me tightly into his arms . The scent of cedar still clung to him , but it only made me feel suffocated now . Brian looked at me as if he was heartbroken . He then rested his chin gently on top of my head before he weakly whispered , " Forgive me , Lilian . " I couldn't help but be stunned in his embrace . My lips pressed together , unable to speak . But Brian didn't seem to mind my silence . He continued speaking softly , as though nothing had happened, " Don't be so hard on Adeline anymore . She's different from you . You're the Wyatt Family's biological daughter . You already have everything . Besides , I'll marry you one day . " * But Adeline ... she has nothing . It's normal for her to be sensitive . You should try to understand her , to be more patient with her . " " I have everything ... " I muttered those words that tasted bitter , which made me want to vomit . So , this was his apology . He didn't come here to truly say sorry . Instead , he came to make excuses for Adeline and to demand that I keep indulging her . " Brian thought that a hug and a few soft words would be enough to erase everything . That no matter how deeply he hurt me , I would forgive him like always . Even if just yesterday , he had sent me home bruised , broken and covered in blood . It seemed that Brian believed he could slap me ninety - nine times ... and then hand me a single piece of bones to make me wag my tail and come crawling back . " I lifted my head and looked at his face . My heart ached so fiercely it felt as if it might shatter into pieces . Sadly , he was wrong .