He Chose Another Bride During the Ritual—So I Chose a New Groom Instead Chapter 08

He Chose Another Bride During the Ritual—So I Chose a New Groom Instead Chapter 08

After returning to the city, I forced myself to stop dwelling on the disaster that had unfolded back in Blackwood Valley.

Life moved on.

I started my new position as planned, threw myself into work, and gradually settled into a routine.

As for Ian and me, our relationship became more natural with each passing day.

What surprised me most was how thoughtful he was.

Every morning and evening, without fail, he drove me to and from work. Rain or shine, he was always there.

Knowing how demanding my job was as the lead designer on multiple projects, he cooked for me every single day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal was warm, nutritious, and packed neatly into elegant insulated containers.

Whenever deadlines piled up and I found myself stuck in the office late into the night, Ian never complained.

He would simply sit quietly in the break room or the client lounge, reading financial reports while he waited.

He never rushed me.

Never interrupted me.

Never made me feel guilty for working.

My coworkers noticed.

The marketing team especially loved teasing me whenever we gathered during breaks.

“You seriously found the perfect fiancé.”

“Does this guy even have flaws?”

“Where do we order one like him?”

Everyone envied me.

But deep down, a wall still remained inside my heart.

No matter how kind Ian was, I couldn’t fully return his feelings.

I understood our situation better than anyone.

The only reason we were together was because our parents had signed an old marriage agreement decades ago in Blackwood Valley.

There wasn’t an eight-year love story between us.

There wasn’t a deep emotional foundation.

The day I agreed to marry him in that old barn, I hadn’t done it because I was in love with him.

I had done it because I wanted closure.

I wanted to cut off the eight-year obsession I’d carried for Ethan.

I wanted to walk away with my dignity intact.

That was all.

Because of that guilt, I always kept a careful distance between Ian and me.

Polite.

Respectful.

But distant.

Everything changed one night.

A major advertising campaign was nearing completion, and I was the only employee left in the entire skyscraper.

Hours later, after finally wrapping up the project, I walked out of my office while rubbing my aching neck.

That’s when I saw Ian.

He had fallen asleep on a sofa in the reception area while waiting for me.

Exhaustion was written all over his face.

His phone lay on the coffee table beside him.

The screen was still on, likely because a notification had arrived.

I quietly approached, intending to lock the screen so the light wouldn’t disturb his sleep.

The moment my finger touched the display, I froze.

My entire body went rigid.

The wallpaper was a photograph of me.

Not a recent one.

It was me at twenty years old.

A college student.

I stood beneath a row of sycamore trees on campus, dressed in a simple white shirt, smiling brightly at the camera.

My heart skipped.

Without thinking, I opened the photo gallery.

The next second, I couldn’t breathe.

Every photo was of me.

There were pictures of me studying late in high school.

Photos of me staring out classroom windows during college lectures.

Pictures of me wandering through spring flower festivals and walking through winter snowfalls.

There were even candid shots from the years I’d spent chasing after Ethan.

Moments of heartbreak.

Moments of disappointment.

Moments I hadn’t realized anyone had seen.

The collection stretched across years.

Ian had never disappeared from my life.

He had simply remained hidden in the background.

Watching.

Remembering.

Quietly protecting me from afar.

Questions flooded my mind.

If he’d cared about me for so many years…

Why had he never come to find me?

Then a memory surfaced.

Back when we were kids playing by the creek in Blackwood Valley, the older women in town loved teasing us.

They always joked that Ian followed me around like a loyal shadow.

Like my future little husband.

At the time, I’d hated hearing it.

I couldn’t stand the idea of an arranged marriage.

I wanted freedom.

I wanted choices.

I remembered standing there with my hands on my hips, shouting at everyone around me.

“I am not marrying some guy from Blackwood Valley! When I grow up, I’m leaving this town! I’ll find my own love story!”

The realization hit me all at once.

Because of that one childish declaration…

Ian had spent eight years suppressing his feelings.

Eight years standing in the shadows.

Eight years never crossing a line because he thought I didn’t want him.

Just then, he stirred awake.

His sleepy eyes blinked open.

“Finished working?”

I quickly locked his phone and forced down the emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “I’m done.”

Ian stretched and stood.

“You must be starving.” His voice carried its usual warmth. “Let’s grab dinner. French food? Italian? Japanese? What are you in the mood for?”

Normally, I either told him I didn’t care or declined altogether.

But this time was different.

I looked directly at him and named a restaurant.

For a second, Ian simply stared.

Then a huge grin spread across his face.

His eyes lit up.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then let’s go.”

It was the first time I’d ever seen him so happy over something so small.

He looked like a kid who’d just been handed the greatest gift in the world.

A few days later, one of my coworkers came running toward my desk.

“Ava! You need to get downstairs right now!”

“What happened?”

“Some woman is causing a scene in the lobby. She’s demanding to see you!”