Chapter 6
Alistair's fingers traced the sapphire cufflinks, his eyes shimmering with subtle light.
Mrs. Cortez chuckled behind her hand. "This boy is usually as cold as ice, but today he's like spring snow melting."
"Since Astrid arrived, even the corners of his eyes are filled with joy."
My mother patted the back of my hand. "This girl took three years to draw my design sketches. But when she heard about the engagement with Alistair, she came up with ten designs overnight."
"She even personally crafted the cufflink patterns. I, as her mother, have never enjoyed such treatment."
Amidst the laughter, I felt my ears burning.
The mahogany chair quietly moved closer, the warm fabric of his suit brushing against my arm.
"You didn't wear the jade bracelet from your grandmother?"
I leaned closer to his ear. "I want to save it for the wedding day, to match the dragon and phoenix gown."
His Adam's apple moved slightly, a smile spreading from his eyes to the corners of his lips.
His gaze made my heart tremble.
Memories from my past life were like shattered glass, with no trace of him to be found. The familiarity I felt when I drew his photo now turned into a mist lingering in my heart.
He suddenly pushed his ID card in front of me.
On the back of the transparent card holder was a faded ID photo—a little girl with pigtails, grinning with a missing front tooth.
"This is from my elementary school..."
The floodgates of memory burst open. A skinny boy with a southern accent, always cornered on his way home from school. I chased away those bullies with a branch, but he never spoke again.
When we parted, I gave him a plastic ring, soaking his shirt with my tears.
"Little Mute?"
He rotated the sandalwood beads on his wrist, his voice deep like an ancient zither. "After returning to Fujian, I always dreamed of you holding that branch."
"When I came back to find you at twenty-five, I saw you chasing Zephyr all over the city."
"I knelt in the temple for three days and nights. The abbot said I was still tied to the mortal world."
His finger traced my palm. "The day your father called was the final deadline."
His fingers, wrapped in sandalwood scent, suddenly tightened, interlacing with mine.
As the engagement gala ended, the blue lights of a police car cut through the night sky.
My parents and Alistair stood by my side as the lawyer presented surveillance footage and medical records to the police. The Ashcroft family was detained for seven days for illegal confinement and coercion.
Two weeks later, Alistair took me to see mansions across the city.
On our way back, the sky was painted with sunset hues. He was helping me fasten my seatbelt when the car suddenly braked.
Zephyr stood at the wrought iron gate, holding a bouquet of fiery roses, his suit wrinkled like pickled vegetables.
Alistair instantly shielded me.
"Mr. Ashcroft, are you switching careers to become a doorman?"
The roses were thrust toward me. Zephyr's eyes were bloodshot. "I've figured it out, Astrid! All those years when you said you loved me, my heart was actually racing!"
He suddenly knelt, holding up the faded plastic ring. "You proposed to me with this ring in sixth grade. I've kept it for fifteen years!"
Alistair let out a cold laugh. "Mr. Ashcroft, just last week you publicly declared you would only marry Seraphina."
"This is between us!" Zephyr roared, turning to me. "Please, just look at me once more..."
The plastic ring suddenly fell into my palm.
Under Zephyr's ecstatic gaze, I gently turned the inner ring—faded engravings formed a set of initials.
"Alistair," I held the ring up to the light. "Isn't this the farewell gift I engraved with your name?"
The sunset light passed over the ring, clearly revealing the letters "AC."