Moonlit Mountain (Caleb and Sarah)

(Finding Forever After the Betrayal Chapter 26

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Ethan's eyes were bloodshot, his hands clenched into fists. He lunged at Charles, a roar ripping from his throat.

"Why him? I won't accept this! Violet, if you don't want to marry him, come

with me. We can go anywhere, do anything! We can go back to Los Angeles, or

disappear overseas. Whatever you want, we'll make it happen!"

Charles, who could have easily dodged the blow, merely turned his head

slightly, allowing Ethan's fist to graze his cheekbone. It wasn't a serious injury,

but it left a red mark blooming across his skin.

"Ahh..." Charles winced, his hand instinctively rising to his face. Even in

pain, his features held a captivating intensity.

Seeing the mark on Charles' face, my heart lurched. Panic swelled in my chest, and I reached for him, desperate to examine the damage.

"It's alright, I'm fine. It's nothing," he assured me, forcing a smile. But his

words did little to quell the anger that blazed through me.

"Ethan! How could you?" I rounded on him, my voice trembling with a

mixture of fury and disappointment. "What on earth possessed you to do that?

Since when did you become so violent?"

The accusation in my voice, the fact that I seemed more concerned with 12:39

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Charles' wellbeing than his own declaration, pushed Ethan over the edge. Menu

"I barely touched him! He's not hurt, Violet. You have to believe me! Come

on, let's go. He's not who you think he is," Ethan pleaded, reaching for my hand.

I yanked my hand away as if I'd been burned.

"This is my home, Ethan, and I'm not going anywhere with you," I spat, my

voice colder than I'd ever thought possible."I can't believe you would hit someone and then lie about it."

I turned my back on them, my stomach churning with a potent mix of disgust and disappointment.

"We're not friends anymore, Aiden, Ethan," I said, my voice firm."And you

are not welcome at my wedding. It's clear that neither of you has any intention of actually celebrating this day with me."

Without another word, I pulled Charles towards the house, the security

guards flanking us like watchful sentinels, blocking Aiden and Ethan from following.

Through the open doorway, I could see Aunt Sarah and Uncle Robert

waiting, their expressions grim. They exchanged a few tense words with the two men, their voices low but laced with steel.

"It's time for you both to leave. This is neither the time nor the place for this," 12:39

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Uncle Robert stated, his tone brooking no argument.

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"We don't want Violet anywhere near either of you," Aunt Sarah added, her

voice shaking with suppressed rage. "Once was more than enough. You had your

chance and you threw it away. Find someone else to torment."

Their pleas fell on deaf ears. Aiden and Ethan remained rooted to the spot,

their faces pale masks of despair. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Uncle Robert lost patience. With a curt nod to the guards, he sent them on their way, their retreating figures swallowed by the night.

Standing there, watching them go, I felt a strange sense of emptiness. The anger, the hurt, it all seemed to evaporate, leaving behind only a dull ache of loss. They'd been such a constant in my life, and now they were gone. And for the

first time, I realized that their absence, once unthinkable, came with an unexpected sense of relief.