Chapter 477 Broken Promises


    In the past, if Elsa had stumbled toward him like this, Simon would have easily avoided her. But tonight, after one shocking blow to his beliefs after another, he felt as if his very soul had been torn away. He didn’t even register her sudden lunge until she was already in his arms.


    The moment he realized it, instinct took over. His hands pushed her away with force, shoving her to the ground just to create distance.


    “Simon, I’ll change, I promise. I’ll never hurt you or disappoint you again. Please don’t—ah…”


    Elsa’s eyes widened in disbelief. Injured and weak as she was, she never imagined Simon would hurl her aside so ruthlessly.


    “Lizzy, I-”


    It was her own doing. Fate made the fall harsher: her temple struck the corner of the sink, and blood immediately spilled down her face.


    Simon hadn’t meant it. He just couldn’t bear her touch, couldn’t stomach the closeness of her skin against his. But seeing her bleeding, his dark eyes filled with panic.


    Still, even then, he refused to hold her himself and called for servants to lift her from the floor.


    “I didn’t mean to push you. I just…”


    Just couldn’t stand her scent, her embrace. The words hovered on his lips, but he swallowed them back–they were too cruel to say aloud.


    “Lizzy, please, don’t do this again. Once, you were the girl I trusted most, the sister of my heart. I’ll never refuse to help you if you truly need me. But from now on… not see each other for a while.”


    “Simon, you want to cut me offpletely?”


    let’s


    Her tears overflowed, her pride copsing into dust. “You swore you’d always be good to me. How can you break your word?<b>” </b>


    *


    He had sworn that once, long ago–when he still


    believed Lizzy was the warm, kind girl of his memories. But the sixteen years between then and now had twisted her beyond recognition.


    He didn’t answer. His gaze lingered only on the blood trickling down her face. “Take her to the hospital,” he ordered tly.


    Her body screamed with pain, but she refused to go. What she wanted wasn’t treatment–it was for him to soften, to promise her something, anything. But his voice was colder than she had ever heard, and the elders were even less forgiving. At Zoey’s signal, the servants dragged Elsa away, ignoring her feeble struggles.


    “Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt,” James said calmly, “I’ll take Lily home now.”


    It waste. Lily had spent the day recording in the studio, then wasted her strength in the fight with Elsa. James knew she was exhausted and needed rest.


    Zoey loved Lily dearly and wanted her to stay the night, but remembering her grandson’s long–awaited confession, she relented. Young couples wanted to be close, after all. She squeezed Lily’s hand, frowning when she noticed how red her palms were.


    “James,” Zoey instructed softly, “her hands are sore. Roll a warm boiled egg over them when you’re home, or put some ointment on?


    “I will,” James answered, already nning to.


    Zoey sighed, stroking Lily’s hand with pity. “What a


    grievance you’ve suffered tonight. All Simon’s fault- dragging every stray cat and dog into this house, blind to whether they’re human or beast.”


    Her sharp eyes cut to Simon. “You know what Elsa is now, don’t you? Stay away from her. Don’t you dare make a fool of yourself again!”


    Simon said nothing. He knew he wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes… but cutting Elsa offpletely? That, he still couldn’t bring himself to do.


    Zoey let them go, and the elders stood outside watching until James’s car disappeared into the night before heading back inside.


    But before long, headlights red behind James. Simon’s car sped up, tailing him until he forced him to stop.


    He jumped out, face tight, storming to the driver’s side window.


    “You said you didn’t like Lily, you even tried to force her into a divorce! How could you let her get pregnant?” His words came out like usations, broken and desperate.


    “I went on a date with her first… she…” His voice cracked, tumbling into incoherent fragments. “She took my first kiss! She even snuck nces at me in the bathroom…


    After everything she’s done to me, shouldn’t she take


    responsibility? How can you be with her?!”


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