Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 A wave of jealousy surged up, burying Dominic before he could brace himself. His tone shifted sharply. Dominic hadn't wanted to marry Margaery before, always thinking she was beneath Tessa. ་ But now that Dashnell had his eyes on Margaery, Dominic couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he wasn't good enough for her-and worse, that Margaery had discarded him first. Dominic couldn't swallow that. Even if this engagement was going to break, it had to be on his terms, not with Margaery stepping all over his pride. Dominic wondered. 'Am I really that indifferent to Margaery?' The jealousy burning in his chest made it hard to be sure. In the end, Dominic gritted his teeth and said bluntly, "Fine, I'll go. prepare the proposal right away." Even if Margaery had to die, she'd die in my bed,' Dominic thought. "Good. No time to waste. Prince Dashnell just sent Lady Serena's jeweled hairpin to Margaery. The message couldn't be clearer. We need to move before they do." Raul gave his orders and waved Dominic off. "I'll take my leave then." Dominic gave a respectful bow, turned, and left the study. As he stepped into the courtyard, Dominic trudged through the snow, sinking deep with every step as he headed toward the main gates. The wind outside howled mercilessly, but it couldn't scatter the chaos in Dominic's mind. He couldn't let go of Margaery, but he couldn't let go of Tessa either. And with Tessa's health being what it was, if she found out about this, she'd be devastated. Then Dominic spun around and made his way straight to Sunbeam Court, heading to see Tessa. Inside Sunbeam Court, Paige had just gotten word. She stood by the door, eyeing Tessa with a flattering smile, ready to fuel her resentment. "Lady Tessa, if Lord Dominic really marries Lady Margaery, what are you supposed to do? "He told you before he liked you and was planning to break off the engagement with Lady Margaery. How can he go back to his word now? Tessa clenched her fists tightly, her face darkening. "Is this news true?" "Would I lie to you? Paige stomped her foot, fuming. "You should've seen the smug look at Lady Margaery's maid, Amber. She's over the moon." Tessa's brows knitted together as her thoughts tangled in her mind. She didn't want Dominic to marry Margaery, but she couldn't find a good reason to stop him. And if Tessa confronted him herself, it'd go against the delicate, fragile image she had so carefully crafted-people would start asking questions. For now, Tessa could only wait for Dominic to come to her. But she was sure Dominic wouldn't let her go. He would come back. Actually, Tessa knew Dominic too well. Sure, Dominic and Margaery had been betrothed since childhood. 1/3 10:57 Thu, 21 Aug O C Chapter 27 46% - But Margaery had always been the Chancellor's estate's little darling, pampered and spoiled. She was sweet and playful, which was entertaining if you kept her as a canary in a cage. But as a wife? That was a different story. No man wanted to worship a goddess at home. Dominic was no exception. He wanted a woman who would submit to him, who would be delicate and rely on his protection. That way, Dominic could feel like a true hero and feed that fragile little ego of his. So, the one Dominic really needed-was her. Tessa slowly relaxed and cast a sideways glance at Paige. "Don't make a fuss. Dominic will give me an answer for this." Sure enough, as soon as those words left her mouth, Dominic came rushing up the stairs and barged into the room, calling her name. "Tessa!" Dominic had run so fast that he was gasping for air in the dead of winter, his cheeks flushed bright red from the cold. Tessa allowed a faint smile of triumph to tug at her lips, but it vanished in an instant. She shot Dominic a glance and then pulled on a frail, sorrowful expression, coughing weakly behind her hand. Only then did she speak, her voice barely a whisper, "Dominic, Amber said you're marrying my sister on December 8th?" Tessa's words trembled at the end, as if a single poke would make her burst into tears. Dominic looked at her, his heart twisting. He walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, gently propping her up against him. With a troubled sigh, Dominic muttered, "It's something I can't avoid. Dashnell has his eyes on her. If I don't marry Margaery, he'll make his move. "If Dashnell marries her, with the way she and the Chancellor's estate look at me now, we're going to be in deep trouble." Dominic tried to comfort Tessa, though his own thoughts were tangled. He thought, 'If Dashnell married Margaery, it would be a public slap in my face. From then on, whenever I met Margaery, if she was kind, I'd have to bow politely. If she wasn't, I'd be forced to grovel. If things got to that point, where would I hide my face? So Margaery had to marry me. Even if she had to die, she'd die in the Hadley family's backyard. Tessa felt his arms around her, but she knew his mind had already wandered elsewhere. A wave of bitterness swelled in her chest. With a soft sob, Tessa murmured, "So even Prince Dashnell has fallen for Margaery. No wonder. Margaery's always been the darling of the Chancellor's estate, everyone's favorite. And everyone wants her. Unlike me. I grew up in the countryside. Even after coming back, I'm still just a country girl. I really envy Margaery. She's got Prince Dashnell's favor and you. Meanwhile, you're willing to marry her with a grand wedding procession." Tessa lifted her small tear-streaked face, her voice trembling. "So from now on, you won't visit me anymore, will you? "I don't want to let you go. But there's nothing I can do. After all, Margaery is your fiancée." With those words, Tessa covered her face and broke into sobs. "But no matter what, you will always be in my heart. If you ever turn around, you'll see me standing right here." Dominic's heart softened. He suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace and said, "Tessa, don't worry. Even if I marry her, I will never treat you unfairly. 2/3 105 Thu "11 nin Chapter 27 "Just wait. I'll go beg my father and Lord Raul to let you marry me as well. All my love, Tessa, will belong to you Swept up in emotion, Dominic couldn't help but cup her face and kiss her They were entangled, lost in the moment, when a figure dressed in red stormed into the room. "Tessa-" The voice cut off abruptly. "Dominic? What the hell are you two doing?" མ%46%% Dominic and Tessa were startled, nearly biting each other's tongues as they scrambled apart and turned their heads. Seeing who was at the door, Dominic froze. "Phillipa..." Tessa stiffened as well, her voice faltering. "Phillipa, you- Phillipa stood in the doorway, her sharp eyes locking onto Dominic and Tessa. She cut them off coldly. "Aren't you ashamed of yourselves? One is Margaery's fiance, the other her sister, and you're here doing something so disgusting" She turned to Tessa, her face filled with disdain. "If I had known you were this filthy, I would've let you die in that bed. I wouldn't have wasted my time bringing you medicine. Gross!" With a loud crash. Phillipa hurled the bottle of medicine into the courtyard. The glass shattered, and the liquid inside spilled everywhere, not a single drop left. By the time Dominic and Tessa snapped out of it, Phillipa was already storming down the stairs. "And Joshua still thinks I'd marry into this family? Dream on!" "Phillipa." Dominic panicked, releasing Tessa and chasing after her in a hurry. "Phillipa, wait. Please." 3/3 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!