I Came Back And They All Chose Her Over Me Chapter 06

I Came Back And They All Chose Her Over Me Chapter 06

On the night of the welcome reception, The Ridge Club was blazing with light.

I changed into the silver-gray gown we had finally settled on and pinned Lucien’s lily-of-the-valley brooch

over my heart.

“Not bad.”

“Just not bad?”

“If I tell you how beautiful you look, it’ll go straight to your head.”

A laugh rose in my throat, but before I could answer, Lucien was already walking toward me from the other

end of the hall.

He wore a black tuxedo that night, the clean line of his shoulders making him look even more remote than

usual. Yet the moment he saw me, that coolness softened.

“Sera.”

“Hmm?”

He lowered his head and straightened the brooch for me, his touch so gentle it was almost careful.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

My mother gave an exaggerated tsk beside us and turned to leave. “All right, I’ll stop interrupting you two.”

The reception began soon after.

The guests that night included more than the elders from both families. There were longtime family friends, business partners, and familiar faces from our social circle.

The Ashbourne family had always valued propriety, so every part of the event had been arranged with

almost ceremonial formality.

I stood in the receiving area with my parents, greeting the guests as they arrived.

Evander came with Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore. He stood not far away, and when he saw Lucien beside me, his

expression still looked a little stiff.

Dashiell, Cassian, and Soren clearly did not know the whole story yet. All they knew was Evander’s vague

comment from the night before, [She has someone now], and from that, they seemed to have sensed that something was wrong.

Dashiell tried to come over and talk to me several times, but my mother blocked him each time with effortless grace.

Once most of the guests had arrived, my father finally stepped onto the stage and lifted his glass.

The ballroom gradually quieted.

“Thank you all for joining us tonight.” The moment my father spoke, the room settled around him.

“First, we are here to welcome Mr. Lucien Beaumont and his family after their long journey. Second, we

would like to take this opportunity to formally share a family matter with everyone.”

I stood below the stage, and when I heard those words, I still could not help tightening my fingers.

The next second, Lucien came to my side and took my hand. His palm was steady.

“My daughter, Seraphina Ashbourne, and Lucien Beaumont are now officially engaged,” my father said, his

tone calm and assured. “After discussion between both families, their wedding date will be announced soon.

We invited all of you here tonight because we wanted you to witness this with us.”

For a brief moment, the ballroom fell silent. Then surprise rippled through the guests, followed by applause

that could no longer be held back.

I clearly saw the expressions on the four men’s faces change little by little.

Dashiell froze first, as if he had not fully understood what he had just heard.

Cassian’s face darkened almost instantly.

Soren’s fingers tightened slightly around his wineglass.

Evander looked as if he had been prepared for it and still could not make himself accept it.

Lucien took the microphone. His English was clear enough that, for one moment, I almost wanted to smile.

“Thank you, everyone,” he said. “I learned English because of Sera. I came to New York because of Sera.”

He turned his head to look at me, his features deepened by the light above us.

“To me, Sera is not a convenient match, and she is not a compromise.”

“She is the woman I chose.”

The ballroom filled with good-natured laughter, applause, and soft cheers.

But in that moment, I could hardly hear any of it.

The hurt I had held down for days, the heaviness of being misunderstood, the composure I had forced myself

to keep again and again, all of it seemed to loosen quietly because of that one word.

Choice.

After the toasts, my mother pushed me toward the lounge to touch up my makeup.

I had just reached the entrance to the side lounge when Dashiell caught up to me.

“Sera.”

I stopped and turned back to look at him.

He must have hurried all the way over, because he was still catching his breath. The careless charm he usually wore was gone, leaving only a kind of bewildered panic.

“You’re really getting married?”

“Wasn’t that obvious?”

Dashiell’s throat moved, and his voice came out rough. “Then what about us?”

When the question left his mouth, I was not surprised.

I only found it almost funny.

“Us?”

I repeated the word softly and lifted my eyes to him. “Dashiell, we were never what you thought we were.”

The color slowly drained from his face.

I continued, “I used to think of you as my friends.”

“And now?”

“Now I still do.” I paused, my tone calm. “Just not the kind who matter that much anymore.

At the other end of the hall, Cassian and Soren had both stopped. Clearly, they had heard me.

Dashiell’s eyes reddened, but he kept his voice low. “But you were clearly…”

“Clearly what?”

“You grew up with us.’

“)

>>

My lips curved faintly, though there was no real humor in it. “That’s why I still don’t understand how you could be the first ones to suspect me.”

No one spoke.

ones

The space outside the side hall became unbearably quiet.

Looking at those familiar faces in front of me, I suddenly felt the last trace of unwillingness in my heart fade

away.

“You’re free to like whoever you like and stand with whoever you choose,” I said. “Just leave me out of it from now on.”

The moment I finished speaking, Lucien had already come to my side.

He asked nothing. He only took my hand naturally, as if he had always known I could handle this on my own, but he would come anyway.

“Excuse us.” He looked at the men across from him, his voice so calm it gave nothing away. “My fiancée still has guests to attend to.”