Chapter 201
He didn’t have the patience to let Selene Thompson finish. The moment Harrison Vaughn realized Selene had also tumbled down the slope, irritation churned inside him.
His eyes, cold and distant, flicked over Felicity Thompson before he turned to Selene. “Are you saying Felicity pushed you and Altair down the hill?”
“Yes,” Selene replied without hesitation.
“But neither you nor Altair were hurt, were you?” Harrison’s voice was flat, giving nothing away.
If there were no injuries, what was the point of blaming Felicity?
If no one was harmed, then as far as he was concerned, the incident might as well have never happened.
Selene stared at him, the sunlight falling just so, making the distance between them–barely a step–feel like a chasm. Out of everyone present, only she and Felicity looked truly disheveled.
Thankfully, Luke Holloway had taught her some self–defense. As she rolled down the slope clutching Altair Vaughn, she did her best to shield both of them.
Felicity, on the other hand, looked more like the one who’d gotten seriously hurt.
Harrison positioned himself protectively in front of Felicity, even though he already knew she was the one who started all this by pushing Selene and Altair down that slope.
And still, Harrison chose to shield Felicity.
The absurdity of it all made Selene want to laugh.
*
“Selene! The Vaughn family has agreed to fully fund your studies. You’d better make the most of this opportunity!”
She could still remember/Mr. White’s excitement when he rushed over to share the
news.
She’d asked, puzzled, “The Vaughn family? Was it Academician Vaughn who sponsored me?”
“No, not Academician Vaughn. It’s his nephew, Harrison–the family’s heir,” Mr.
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Chapter 201
White had explained, barely able to contain himself. “Harrison must have heard about you from Academician Vaughn. He approached the university and offered to cover all your tuition for four years. Plus, you’ll get a generous monthly stipend.”
Mr. White broke into a grin. “Harrison only has one condition: you must finish every class at the top of your year.”
He laughed, “But you already are number one! Academician Vaughn believes in you, and now the Vaughn family’s heir wants to support you. Don’t let them down!”
She’d asked Mr. White to help her get Harrison’s work email.
Wanting to show her gratitude, Selene only ever sent him polite holiday greetings–birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s.
Sometimes Harrison would reply, asking if she needed anything, but she always responded formally, assuring him that with Vaughn Enterprises‘ support, she was doing perfectly well.
Their correspondence never went further than that.
She finally met Harrison in person at a family reception.
He’d been like a knight, leading Selene into the upper circles of Capital City society.
Their relationship had been at its best before she married Harrison.
That year, her adoptive father fell seriously ill. Snow blanketed the world outside. The ambulance never arrived, so she carried her father down the stairs herself and drove him to the hospital.
But on the way, she got caught in a massive traffic jam.
Thick snowflakes were falling, piling up around the tires, threatening to strand them completely.
Trapped in the car, helpless, she watched her father sprawled across the backseat, his face pale and tinged with blue beneath the portable oxygen mask.
She called Victor Thompson, but he offered nothing but helplessness.
Luke Holloway and Leo Vaughn were both out of town. She scrolled through her contacts, desperate.
She tried calling Harrison.
The moment he picked up, his voice was calm and steady. “Stay in the car. Don’t be
afraid. I’m coming “
Chapter 201
He’d arrived in a hulking G–Class SUV, snow chains crunching over the drifts, a police escort leading the way.
He leapt nimbly from the car, opened her back door, and carried her father into the G–Wagon.
“Mr. Vaughn, please, get my father to the hospital first-”
Before she could finish, Harrison had already pulled open the driver’s door.
“I’m taking you both,” he said.
He swept her up and settled her gently in the car.
His long wool coat, still warm with his body heat, was draped over her shoulders.
She turned to look at him–his dark hair dusted with snow, strong brows flecked
with white.
The winter storm hadn’t diminished him at all; if anything, he seemed to burn all the brighter, kindling a fire in her heart on that frigid night.
But even the fiercest fire eventually burns down to ash.
The man who’d taught her what it meant to love–he’d also taught her never to trust in love again.
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