Chapter 9
Stella’s lips curled with bitter amusement as she forced herself to crawl toward the exit, ignoring the searing pain in her leg.
She’d be damned if she waited for Alaric’s “rescue.” She had to save herself.
Dragging herself downstairs, she found the first floor almost completely engulfed in flames.
Alaric was clearing a path to the exit. When he spotted Stella, his expression hardened.
“I told you to wait upstairs.”
But this wasn’t the time to argue. As he prepared to help Jenna out, she suddenly screamed.
“Watch out!”
A beam, weakened by the inferno, broke loose from the ceiling and plummeted down.
The first chunk of burning wood fell directly toward Stella.
“Stella!” Alaric shouted, instinctively moving toward her.
But in the next second-
CRACK!
Another beam broke free, hurtling toward Jenna.
In that split–second of choice, Alaric turned back, wrapping Jenna protectively in his arms.
The flaming beam crashed against his back. He grunted in pain but held firm.
Simultaneously, the other piece of debris struck Stella’s back.
Through waves of agony, she hazily looked up to see firefighters finally breaking through.
Alaric still cradled Jenna, his body positioned as a human shield.
Stella felt something inside her die completely.
Same story, different day.
When Stella regained consciousness, she was in a hospital bed.
Alaric stood before her, his own injuries bandaged, his expression unreadable.
Cand In Dant This Time I Chose To Reclaim My Own Life
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Chapter 9
Seeing her awake, he spoke mechanically.
“The doctors say our injuries are superficial. They won’t interfere with today’s wedding.”
Stella was almost impressed by his delusion. Even now, he assumed she would go through with it.
She didn’t waste breath explaining. She simply swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“I’m checking out.”
Today was the launch day for the Nebula Initiative–her real future.
She wouldn’t miss it for anything or anyone.
Alaric mistook her urgency as eagerness for the wedding.
Something in his posture relaxed.
Of course. The drama was over.
Stella was still the same desperate woman who’d do anything to marry him.
Strangely, this thought brought him relief–even a flicker of satisfaction.
Confused by his own reaction, he hardened his expression.
“I’m heading to the venue. Don’t be late.”
The moment Alaric left, Stella called her driver.
“Miss Forbes, shall I take you to the wedding?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Stella replied: “The airport. Now.”
After retrieving her packed bags and meeting Professor Lockwood at the terminal, her phone exploded with messages from Alaric:
[Where the hell are you?]
[The makeup artist is waiting. Do you even want this wedding?]
[Ten minutes, Stella. Then I’m done.]
Alaric’s calls began pouring in.
Stella stared at his name flashing on her screen. With deliberate calm, she powered off the phone, removed the SIM card, and dropped it into a trash bin.
As she boarded the plane, she felt no regret, no doubt–only a profound sense of liberation.
Goodbye, Alaric.
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Chapter 9
This life belongs to me alone.
