Chapter 700 You’re One of My People
Her words transported Dexter to the night the rain poured down endlessly.
He closed his eyes, and the image of Liana reaching out her hands to him in the rain was as clear as day in his mind. Her presence had been like a beacon of hope in his life.
But she stood before him with a new identity after so many years, and he failed to recognize her. He even sent her away and made her life miserable.
“Leanne,” he finally uttered.
Heather’s ears perked up.
“Wouldn’t you like to have a life of comfort and stability, staying with the Olsen family and marrying a kind and proper gentleman?” He looked into her dark, beady eyes and asked sincerely.
Heather’s eyes were like two pools of darkness, filled with sadness and regret. “I must have really missed out on you,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Even the slightest spark of hope can ignite a fire in the heart. Heather had never dared to dream of being with Dexter, knowing that they were from different worlds. But as they talked about the past, she couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine.
Dexter didn’t respond.
་།།
“I remember the night before I started middle school, you promised to show me around the school, and you promised Grandpa that you would take care of me. But everything has changed in the ten years we’ve been apart.”
Heather’s eyes twinkled as she reminisced about the past, sharing with Dexter the memories he had long kept hidden. It was as if the Liana he knew had never gone away.
Dexter’s fingers grazed the cigarette box on the table. He took out a cigarette and held it between his thumb and forefinger, his knuckles white with tension.
“The time when we were as close as soulmates is now only a fragment of our history, isn’t it?”
The glowing embers of the cigarette were so close to his fingertips that he could feel the heat radiating from them. He tapped the cigarette against the ashtray, knocking the ashes off before they could burn him.
“Leanne, we’re both adults now. I’m really sorry for the things I did. I’ll make it up to you from now on,” he said, his eyebrows twitching.
“This is not what I want, Dex. You know it all along.”
Dexter had no way of avoiding the topic. “What do you want?” he asked.
Their eyes were locked on each other for a long time, the silence hanging heavy in the air. Heather didn’t say a word in response.
Dexter looked at the door. The contrast between the lively scene outside and the suffocating tension in the room was jarring. “Find a good man,” he said finally, his voice thick with emotion. “Don’t find someone like me.”
Heather forced a smile. “What do you consider to be a good man?”
“A good man has a strong moral compass, a stable career, and the financial means to support a family. He will treat you with respect and love, and his family will welcome you into their home with open arms,” Dexter rambled after thinking for a moment.
“I’m not good enough for a man like that.”
“In what way are you lacking? You’re one of my people. You could be Natasha Rostova if you wanted.”
“Natasha? I don’t have the looks or charisma to win the prince’s heart,” Heather replied. “I think I’m more like Sonya, who is treated poorly by the man she likes.”
Dexter’s eyes clouded over,
and the lines on his forehead deepened.
Dexter was convinced that Heather had sent the photo to Josie, so he brought her to Heaven on Earth to humiliate her. His plan didn’t work out as he had intended. Nonetheless, Heather was left feeling deeply hurt.
The
memory of that day was seared into her mind.
“I was just teasing you, Dex,” Heather chirped, her eyes glinting. The corners of her lips turned up in a smile, and she didn’t seem bothered.
The hurt that had been caused could not be easily undone.
“I swear I’ll never treat you that way again,” Dexter said solemnly. The anchor of his sins would continue to exist within his heart.
Dexter’s voice was soft, but his tone had a steely determination.
He would not cause Liana any further pain because of Josie. D
“You’ll be in a tight spot if there’s a misunderstanding about our relationship,” Heather said,
her eyes flashing with concern. She knew how complicated things were, and she didn’t want to see Dexter get hurt. “Dex, I promise I won’t cause you any more problems.”
The cigarette was a charred stub, its contents long since consumed. It was still clutched in his hand, but he hadn’t even taken a puff. After he left, Mark called him, his voice dripping with false concern. “Dexter, I didn’t get to talk to you much today. We’ll catch up again next time.”
He left the event early, and Mark was quick to notice. Dexter could see right through Mark’s act. Although he was courteous and showed respect, his intentions were evidently questionable.
