Chapter 5 Embers Of Resilience

Time ticked away, each second feeling like an eternity as Chelsey remained as still as a statue on the sofa.

No one could tell how long she had been there until Trevor sauntered in with a plate of spaghetti, breaking the eerie silence. He looked at her bewildered expression, asking casually, "Aren't you hungry?"

Chelsey was taken aback, not expecting Trevor to stick around for the night.

As she gazed at the plate of tantalizing spaghetti, her expression morphed into a whirlwind of emotions.

Trevor caught her look and quipped, "Killian whipped this up."

Chelsey nodded silently. She didn't envision Trevor as a chef, not in a million years, and perhaps especially not for her!

With hunger gnawing at her insides after what felt like ages without food, Chelsey finally lowered her head to eat, while Trevor ambled off to the balcony, lighting a cigarette.

Feeling recharged after the meal, Chelsey looked at the suitcases across the hallway, reminiscing about Gabriella's words back at the Morris Mansion.

When Trevor reentered from the balcony, he found her squatting beside one of the suitcases, hastily stuffing belongings into it, most likely the items she had forgotten earlier.

There were numerous things she had left behind in the house, all of them purchased by Trevor.

She only took her personal effects, leaving behind valuables.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Closing the suitcase, Chelsey kept her back to Trevor. "I refuse to be the other woman."

"Huh?" Trevor seemed to miss her words.

Taking a deep breath, Chelsey clarified, "You're tying the knot, yet here I am. Am I supposed to play the part of the mistress?"

She feared Trevor would respond with a dismissive, "If that's how you see it, then so be it."

But Trevor retorted, "You're reading too much into it."

That was hardly reassuring if one asked her.

"Reading too much into it?" Chelsey echoed, straightening up and facing the man she had loved for years, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

"Grandpa set up an arrangement, didn't he?"

It was the first time she had questioned him with such intensity.

Her voice quivered, betraying the emotions she was trying to suppress.

"Yes," Trevor confirmed without hesitation.

Chelsey couldn't hold back the tears anymore, turning away. Her throat felt like it was being constricted as she uttered, "Then what am I to you? A plaything?"

Trevor furrowed his brow. "I told you, you're overthinking it. Nothing's gonna change."

How could he be so nonchalant about it?

"So you think nothing is going to change?!" Chelsey snapped the suitcase shut, clutching the handle tightly. Her eyes were red, but she fought back the tears. "Because to you, I'm insignificant!"

"Can you just stop?" Trevor grabbed her arm, his grip firm.

Chelsey couldn't shake off the words he had uttered back at the Morris Mansion.

Refusing to release her hold on the suitcase, Chelsey felt a sense of impending doom. Even now, he thought that she was being unreasonable!

"Trevor Morris!" She met his gaze, a single tear teetering on the edge, unwilling to fall, a pained glare in her eyes.

She locked eyes with Trevor, trying hard to fight back her tears. "What if I said I don't want you to get hitched?"

Knowing it was a futile question, she couldn't help but grasp at the slimmest of chances.

Trevor's expression darkened noticeably.

Chelsey forced a self-deprecating smile.

Trevor's fingers curled around her chin, tilting her face upwards. He caught the fleeting shadow of disappointment in her eyes, a flicker of emotion he couldn't ignore.

With a sneer playing on his lips, he taunted, "So, is it that you don't want me to tie the knot, or you just can't stand the thought of me marrying someone else? Chelsey, think about what you're asking. What's the answer you're really looking for? Do you even know what you want?"

His words hit her like a bucket of cold water, jolting her out of her reverie.

Their relationship, hidden away from the light of day, felt no different from being entangled in an affair.

He was right—marriage wouldn't change a thing between them.

Reality came crashing down on Chelsey, stabbing at her heart, and draining the color from her face.

Trevor's lips tightened, his gaze unwavering.

In a barely audible murmur, Chelsey confessed, "Two years ago, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have hooked up with you!"

Trevor, peering down at her, spoke with a chilling edge. "Are you regretting it now?"

Emotions surged within Chelsey, tears welling up in her eyes. But she refused to look away. "Yes, I regret it!"

A wry chuckle escaped Trevor as he lifted her chin even higher, his demeanor mocking. "It's a little too late for regrets now."

The spacious hall seemed to constrict around them, the tension thick in the air, suffocating.

Just then, the jarring sound of Trevor's phone shattered the silence.

Trevor let go of her chin, causing her tears to spill out of control. After answering the phone, he walked out onto the balcony.

A woman's voice drifted through the air, barely audible.

Whatever she said, Trevor remained silent, his expression unreadable.

He ended the call, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with one hand while sitting on the couch. His grim visage was lit up by the flame like the nighttime peaks of mountains.

A wind blow caused the flame to flicker before going out.

He scowled, turned, and slid the sliding door open angrily.

He paused as he passed Chelsey, but said nothing, opened the door, and walked out.

Trevor was praised for his prowess and his ability to manage the Morris family with finesse despite his youth. He had mastered the art of hiding his emotions, seldom letting anything ruffle his composure.

Was the woman on the phone his fiancée?

A pang of jealousy pricked at Chelsey's heart, souring her mood momentarily.

Trevor likely wouldn't return. Chelsey didn't retreat to her room; instead, she settled onto the sofa, resigning herself to spending the night there.

The room was suffused with Trevor's scent, a constant reminder of him.

As she lay there, memories of the past two years with Trevor replayed in her mind, each one a painful reminder of his impending marriage.

With each passing moment, her resolve strengthened. She could only manage to drift into a fitful sleep around dawn, her mind clouded with uncertainty.

It wasn't until her phone rang, jolting her awake, that she realized it wasn't a dream.

It was a call from her deputy director, summoning her for a business trip to a city over five hundred kilometres away.

The vacation resort project she oversaw had hit a snag, requiring her presence for negotiations spanning three days.

In those three days, Trevor did not attempt to contact her, and she refrained from reaching out to him.

However, on the day of her departure, Killian informed her that Trevor had bought her a car which was in the garage.

The car was modest, its price tag hovering around thirty thousand. While Trevor's casual choices often surpassed this, for Chelsey, it was fitting.

Trevor had considered her feelings, opting for a car that didn't flaunt his wealth.

Yet, Chelsey couldn't bring herself to accept it.

How could she keep it when she was bent on cutting him off?

Upon returning from her business trip to Kerton, she intended to head home and catch up on much-needed rest. But then, Gabriella's call came, filling her in on the time and location of her blind date.

Gabriella had mentioned matchmaking during their last conversation. Just as Chelsey contemplated declining, the doorbell rang.