Chapter 263
Nobody expected Zachary’s tenacity, in which he had so much faith, to crumble so quickly.
After the accident occurred, he became panicked and terrified. When his parents asked him to cut ties with Rosalie immediately, he did so without hesitation.
It was not until then that he suddenly understood that what he had initially mistaken for love ultimately could not stand a chance against his own future. Rosalie was not worth sacrificing his future for.
As the glorious son of the Xanthos family was the ability to remain his love for Rosalie. It was also a prerequisite. When that became impossible, his so-called love would vanish as well.
Over the years, he had occasionally felt guilty, but whenever he felt guilty, he would tell himself that everything was Rosalie’s fault.
They would not have ended up this way if Rosalie had not driven under the influence and hit Melanie with the car. She brought it on herself.
Thinking in that way seemed to be the only way to put him at ease.
He initially saw himself and Rosalie as two parallel lines that would never intersect again. However, it appeared that she would gradually influence his life again.
First, it was Zendaya’s legs, and now it was his wife’s family’s shopping mall. All of that happened because of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the person behind Rosalie.
“Zachary?” Yvette’s voice broke his reverie.
Hearing that, Zachary regained his composure and looked at the lovely lady in front of him, who was the polar opposite of Rosalie. She was an A-list celebrity in the film and television industries, a prominent socialite, the goddess of many men, and the Hamilton family’s future heir. She was the perfect match for him as his wife.
“The person I love is you, of course! Even if there hadn’t been that car accident back then, she and I wouldn’t have ended up together. We were never meant to be,” Zachary replied.
“How about we get married?” Yvette inquired unexpectedly. They referred to each other as husband and wife after their engagement, and in their upper-class circle, engagement was almost synonymous with marriage. Even though the only thing they lacked was a marriage certificate, engagement was still not the same as marriage in the end, which made her feel a bit restless.
Zachary was taken aback for a moment. “Why are you suddenly bringing up marriage? Didn’t you say you are at the pinnacle of your career and that getting married would be detrimental to it? Besides, if we really want to get married, we need to settle our companies’ business issues first.”
After all, for people like them, their marriage involved not only the two of them but also the interests of the two corporations and their families.
“You’re right,” Yvette said, her mind becoming clearer. “I was too hasty. Let’s stick to the original plan for marriage. But Zachary… Yvette suddenly paused, her gaze fixed firmly on him. “You must promise me that you will devote yourself to me. Whatever I do, it is all for you, and you must never let me down.”
Her gaze caused Zachary to hold his breath as if she were implying something, but soon he mocked himself for overthinking things.
After all, women were prone to saying such things, always seeking men’s commitment.
“Of course, I will never let you down. You are my wife and the future lady of the Xanthos family!” Zachary replied.
When Yvette heard that, she finally smiled in satisfaction and snuggled into Zachary’s embrace.
The moment she buried her beautiful face in his chest, her expression darkened. Rosalie’s name was like a thorn in her flesh. That was the case back then, and it was still the case right then. “Even if Jonathan is supporting Rosalie currently, it’s likely that she won’t be able to stay by his side in the future. After all, some secrets are powerful enough to shatter Rosalie’s current worldview,” she remarked inwardly.
Rosalie was actually quite familiar with attending banquets because she had previously accompanied Zachary to banquets. However, her current self was not the same as her previous self.
After more than three years of imprisonment, she hadn’t taken care of her skin well. Her hands were calloused, and her skin had gotten even rougher than before. Even her once-silky hair had lost some of its smoothness.
However, as if to allay her concerns, a dedicated stylist and makeup artist showed up at the Youngblood residence in the afternoon to get Rosalie ready for the banquet.
The light purple evening gown she wore was elegant and luxurious. The crystals and diamonds on the gown caught
everyone’s attention.
Such a gown was undoubtedly expensive.
“Ms. Leighton, Mr. Youngblood prepared this gown for you. He told us that this gown is a perfect fit for your size,” the stylist said to Rosalie.
When Rosalie heard that, she blushed.
He appeared to be well aware of her size.
After Rosalie changed into the gown, she couldn’t help but admire Jonathan’s ability to choose clothes in suitable sizes for her. The gown fit her perfectly, neither too tight nor too loose, and the color complemented her skin tone beautifully.
Despite the fact that she had not yet applied makeup, the gown had significantly improved her complexion.
Next, the stylist styled Rosalie’s hair. Her hair on both sides was braided into princess braids and tied into a bun, and the hair in the back was left loose and permed, giving her a cheery and feminine look.
Rosalie looked at herself in the mirror, somewhat dazed, after the makeup artist finished her makeup.
Instead of applying heavy makeup, the makeup artist concentrated only on her eyes and lips. The light makeup emphasized her natural features.
The makeup made her feel as if she had returned to the most vibrant period of her life.
After a brief moment of reflection, she concluded that she looked even more stunning than before.
“You’re so beautiful.” A soft voice spoke into Rosalie’s ear.
Instantly, Rosalie snapped back to reality and saw Jonathan’s reflection in the mirror. He was standing behind her, and his hands were gently resting on her shoulder. His enticing gaze was drawn to her reflection in the mirror.
Only then did Rosalie realize that the makeup artist and stylist had left the room.
“Where did they go?” she asked in surprise.
“I asked them to leave,” Jonathan said, leaning in closer to her. Then, as his face got closer to hers, he asked softly, “Do you like this gown? I knew the moment I saw it that it was made for you.”
