FULL NOVELXO Chapter Mountein 140
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As the last well wishes faded, the screen flickered once more. This time, it wasn't a simulation, but a live feed of the actual wedding ceremony. The air thrummed with the joyous melody of a string quartet, each note a celebration echoing through the manicured gardens of Seattle's illustrious Edward Prince Estate. Scarlet rose petals rained down from the hands of bridesmaids and groomsmen, painting a vibrant path against the lush emerald lawns. It was a spectacle of opulence, designed to leave every witness breathless.
Aiden and Ethan, their faces drawn and pale, watched as the live feed on the screen flickered to life, capturing the scene unfolding a continent away. The fairytale castle, a monument to wealth and grandeur, loomed in the background, its stone facade softened by cascading ivy.
Charles, a vision of masculine elegance in a crisp white suit, rode into view atop a magnificent white stallion. Behind him, a horse-drawn carriage, gilded and ornate, glided along the rose-petal path, its windows draped in ivory silk, concealing the bride within.
The procession halted at the castle's grand entrance. Charles, with a
practiced grace that bespoke years of equestrian skill, dismounted. He turned, his
hand extended towards the carriage, and for a heart-stopping moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, Violet emerged.
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A collective gasp echoed through the room at the Foster Estate. Violet, Menu
radiant in a gown of ivory lace that shimmered like moonlight, placed her hand in Charles's. He lifted her effortlessly, his gaze locked on hers, a silent promise exchanged in the depths of their eyes.
Step by deliberate step, Charles carried her towards the castle, the weight of their future resting on his broad shoulders. It was a scene of such poignant beauty, such unwavering certainty, that it felt like a knife twisting in Aiden's gut. Ethan slammed his fist on the table, the force of the blow rattling the silverware, and grabbed his jacket, his movements fueled by a desperate urgency. He didn't even spare Aiden a glance as he stormed out, his mind a whirlwind of betrayal and rage.
Plans, strategies, all of it faded into insignificance. All that mattered was getting to me, stopping this charade, even if it was the last thing he did. His car roared to life, tearing through the manicured streets with reckless. abandon. He had to get to me, had to make me see reason, even if it meant stopping the ceremony itself.
Lost in his despair, Ethan failed to notice the oncoming car, its headlights.
like the eyes of a predator in the gathering darkness. The impact was deafening,
metal screaming against metal, and then darkness swallowed him whole.
He was vaguely aware of a searing pain in his leg, a numbness that spread 12:40
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like ice through his limbs. Blood, warm and sticky, trickled down his forehead,
and for a terrifying moment, he thought he was going to die.
His fingers, trembling, reached for his phone. He had to call me, had to explain, had to beg for forgiveness. But even as he dialed my number, he remembered. I'd blocked him.
The call went straight to voicemail.
Aiden, following close behind, witnessed the accident with a sickening lurch
in his gut. His own world felt as though it was crumbling around him, but Ethan... Ethan needed him. With a Herculean effort, he pushed his own despair aside and focused on his friend.
As he sped towards the hospital, Aiden clung to a desperate hope. The wedding, as extravagant and meticulously planned as it was, was just a ceremony. It could be undone. Our shared history, the years of laughter and whispered secrets, those were the bonds that mattered. Charles might have won this battle, but the war for my heart was far from over.
The surgery to save Ethan's leg was long and grueling. By the time his mother arrived, her face etched with worry, the last strains of music from my wedding had faded into the night.
Aiden, his eyes bloodshot, his body running on fumes and adrenaline, paced
the sterile hallway, the weight of his failure a crushing burden on his shoulders. 7:12:40
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Ethan would live, but his leg... that was still uncertain. The racing career he'd been born for, the one promise he'd made to Hannah that he'd keep, was over before it had truly begun. And as much as it pained him to admit it, a part of Aiden couldn't help but feel a perverse sense of relief.
He was out of the race. And in this twisted game of love and loss, that was the only victory any of them could hope for. 100.0%
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