No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Chapter 396

His face was tight and cold, a stark contrast to any other time I'd seen him.

"Huh?" The man looked at me again, surprised. "Mistaken? No way, your fiancée is stunning. How could I..."

"My fiancée is at home with my parents," Conrad said, then strode off with long steps.

"Huh? It's not..." The man was still in shock, staring at my face, but as Conrad walked away, he hurried after him, muttering, "How can they look so alike? They could be the same person."

Conrad had left, sparing me the embarrassment of a lie, a move I hadn't anticipated.

Given his nature, I expected him to just admit the truth, embarrassing both me and Ernest even more.

But he didn't.

Even as he passed by me, he was indifferent, as if he truly didn't recognize me.

This Conrad seemed different, changed from before.

Gone was the impatience that flared at the slightest provocation, now able to feign ignorance and pass me by without a word.

Since his return, aside from that one time he showed up beneath my apartment, he hadn't sought me out.

It seemed he had moved on.

Lost in my thoughts, Ernest had already guided me into the elevator.

Coming back to the present, I looked at him. His expression was unreadable, but thinking of the scene we'd just left, I felt he must be uncomfortable too.

I reached for him, but before I could speak, Ernest's other hand gently tousled my hair. "It's alright. Things like this might happen again."

He was right. Whether here or back in Seabreeze City, scenarios like today's were inevitable.

The chance encounter could have been avoided had I remembered the hotel was arranged by Jefferson. Conrad and Jefferson were close friends; it was unlikely he'd miss his match.

But we were already here, and changing hotels now would seem too deliberate.

Yet Conrad's appearance had cast a silence between Ernest and me all the way to our room.

As the door opened and I stepped inside, I was suddenly pulled back, and then came Ernest's overwhelming kiss.

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Ernest finally broke the kiss, gasping for air, and rested his forehead against mine. I looked at his heaving chest. "Ernest, you're bothered by my past with Conrad, aren't you?"

His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice husky. "I mind that he once had you."

I froze, unable to refute the truth.

I had loved Conrad for ten years, planning a future together. That was unchangeable.

"If you're holding onto that," I started, then paused.

"What?" Ernest's eyes suddenly narrowed, looking both deep and intense.

My heart skipped, and I swallowed hard.

"Hmm?" He pressed closer, "You think we should break up, is that it?"

His intense look made my heart race, and I looked down at his chest. "I can't change the past, so..."

"Felicia Hudson!" Ernest cut me off, calling my full name. He was angry.

"Don't you dare think of leaving me," he said, his voice heavy.

My lips quivered, showing my hurt. "But your jealousy, your concerns, what can I do?"

"This is my burden to bear," Ernest paused, "It's on me for not finding you sooner."

His words pained my heart.

I raised my hand to his face, then leaned in for a kiss...

In that moment, actions spoke louder than words.

Ernest and tumbled onto the bed, our long-missed intimacy spiraling out of control. And somehow, Conrad's brief intrusion seemed to drive Ernest even more, pushing him to a fervor unlike any before.

So fierce that even my incessantly ringing phone couldn't make him stop.