Sophie Walsh wasn’t afraid of death.
From the moment her father and grandfather had died and her family had been thrown into chaos, she had considered it. Yet, a sliver of regret lingered in her mind, tethering her to life-a fragile hope that refused to fade.
People choose death when they’ve lost all hope in life. But Sophie still had hope, and that hope was Kayden. He was the reason she had endured until now.
She had tried to escape twice, but both attempts had ended in failure, bringing her nothing but humiliation. She was no longer the sheltered princess she once was. In the Walsh family, she had been reduced to nothing more than a bargaining chip.
Compared to ordinary girls, Sophie Walsh now felt even less than them.
Her decision to keep living wasn’t for her own sake. It was for him. Her parents and grandfather had once been the anchors of her heart, but now they were gone. All that remained in her heart was Kayden.
Though their connection was shallow-just one meal and a single class she’d attended-it was enough. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she had been utterly captivated by the man since that day.
She was in love with him.
Her two escape attempts had been driven by her desire to find him.
Perhaps it was because Kayden had once protected her. At the Inassea restaurant, he had stepped forward, shielding her behind him. For the first time, she had felt the warmth of being protected, the comfort of relying on someone.
When her family fell apart, her mind clung to the thought of Kayden appearing again to save her, just as he had before.
But it was only a fantasy. Kayden would never appear. This was the Western Frontier, and he was likely in Inassea. The two were separated by an unimaginable distance. There was no way he could appear to rescue her.
Today, as Sophie Walsh stood here, she was prepared for the worst.
She would never agree to marry a fool. If she couldn’t escape today, she was ready to die. She would let her blood stain the wedding hall, leaving the Alfredson family in rage and forcing them to seek vengeance against Gavin.
Gavin-the despicable man who had secretly orchestrated her father’s and grandfather’s deaths. She might never have the chance to kill him herself, but she would do everything in her power to exact revenge.
She would not let Gavin live in peace. He would pay for what he had done.
This was Sophie’s resolve.
Once, she had been a pure and innocent girl, as untainted as a blank sheet of paper. But not anymore. She was no longer naive. She didn’t want to be.
Life had trampled over her purity, soiled her blank page beyond recognition. Now, all she wanted was to see those who had wronged her punished.
With that thought, Sophie slipped a dagger from the long sleeve of her gown.
It was the blade she had hidden earlier. Today, everything would be decided. If she couldn’t escape, she would die here.
Death no longer frightened her.
But in this lifetime, she would never see him again.
Her mind wandered back to the first time she met Kayden on the bus. The memory was vivid, as if it had happened yesterday. He had stood tall, fearless, resolving the trouble she had faced with swift decisiveness. Afterward, as the mob surrounded them, he had remained calm, gripping her hand tightly and pulling her behind him.
Perhaps it was in that moment that Sophie had fallen for him.
What followed felt like something out of a storybook. In the classroom, he had become her teacher, giving a lecture that seemed almost magical. She had waited an entire week at the Henderson family estate just to find him. At the restaurant, he had punched a scoundrel to protect her.
He was always the brave and righteous warrior, always standing in front of her.
If time could turn back, if she could relive those moments, she wouldn’t hesitate to run to him during that lecture. But time was merciless. It had slipped away, leaving only memories she could never reclaim.
This would be the last time she thought of him, the last time she allowed herself to recall those moments.
The past was painful to revisit, and the more she remembered, the harder it was to let go. Sophie was a sentimental soul, and every time she thought of these memories, tears would stream uncontrollably down her face.
“Mr. Scott, perhaps we’ll never meet again in this lifetime.”
This was the farewell she whispered to herself. It was her silent goodbye to Kayden, words he would likely never hear.
—
“Thank you all for coming to celebrate my grandson’s wedding! It is an honor to have you all here today. Thank you!” Zack Alfredson’s voice echoed through the hall as he addressed the crowd of guests, his hands clasped in a polite gesture.
The audience erupted into thunderous applause, everyone eager to show their congratulations.
As the applause faded, a man in a suit stood up, his voice loud and boastful. “Congratulations, Mr. Alfredson! Your grandson and the young lady truly make a perfect match-it’s a union made in heaven! To witness such a beautiful couple come together is a blessing for all of us!”
“Yes, yes! A perfect match! A union made in heaven!” others echoed enthusiastically.
It was nauseating.
Never mind that the Alfredson grandson was a fool. Even if he weren’t, he was far from handsome. Short and overweight, there was no way anyone could call him good-looking.
And yet, here they were, spouting nonsense about a perfect match, a union made in heaven, a golden couple.
It was the highest level of flattery-sickeningly so.
But that was how sycophants worked. If they weren’t singing praises, how could they call themselves sycophants?
Zack Alfredson laughed heartily. “To be honest, my grandson has had a difficult life. He lost his parents when he was young, and I raised him myself. A few years ago, he suddenly became… unwell. It pains me deeply. As parents, we all want the best for our children. As a grandfather, how could I want anything less?”
“Today’s wedding is a way to bring him some happiness. I hope that after this union, he can find his way back to normalcy. And Miss Walsh, she’s a perfect match for him. So, on this auspicious day, we celebrate this union-a joyous occasion for the Alfredson family!”
As Zack finished speaking, many in the crowd voiced their admiration for his devotion to his family.
“Truly worthy of being a great man of the Western Frontier! His dedication to his family is something we should all learn from.”
“Indeed! That’s why Mr. Alfredson is such a respected figure in the Western Frontier!”