I Signed Away My First Love, Then Married Someone Else Chapter 09

I Signed Away My First Love, Then Married Someone Else Chapter 09

A flood of memories hit Nate.

He remembered the year Claire returned to the Whitmore estate. She’d been timid and hadn’t

known anyone.

She used to trail after him, calling him “Natey” until his ears turned red.

He showed her around, climbed trees with her, and helped her sneak peaches from the neighboring

estate.

She’d told him the rural town where her kidnappers kept her was nothing like these beautiful

estates.

He’d puffed out his chest and promised that the ripest peaches in the orchard would always be hers

When had he started taking everyone else’s side against her?

Probably the year Claire’s mother died.

His closest friend, Grant, had started to change.

Grant had begun putting profit ahead of people.

And Nate had always been easy to sway.

After hearing Grant complain often enough that his sister was impossible, Nate’s own judgment

had twisted with his.

Then there was Madeline, always calling his name in that soft, gentle voice.

She would ask, “Claire’s upset again. What are we going to do?”

And Nate would decide Claire had caused yet another problem.

He had found her exhausting.

He’d forgotten the girl who once stood atop the orchard wall and tossed the biggest, ripest peach

into his hands.

Her eyes had crinkled with her smile as she said, “Natey, this one’s for you.”

Nate stood frozen, with no words left.

Grant came hurrying up behind him.

He grabbed Ethan’s other arm.

“Ethan, calm down. Everyone in Manhattan society is watching. Go back and finish the ceremony.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?”

“I can’t say, ‘I do.‘”

Grant stared at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Ethan shook him off and offered no explanation.

He took out his phone. The screen was empty.

There were no messages.

He would’ve settled for a single threat ordering him not to marry Madeline, just like before.

But there was nothing. Not one word.

Their last conversation had been three months ago.

He stared at the screen until someone nearby suddenly shouted.

“Holy shit. Check the news. Right now!”

“What happened?”

“The Mercer family just released an announcement. Julian Mercer got married today at his grandmother’s estate in Italy!”

“Julian Mercer? Which Julian Mercer?”

“How many do you think there are? The one from the cover of that business magazine last month!”

“When did he get married? And to whom?”

The man held up his phone. The groom’s name appeared in black and white.

Beside it was a photograph of the bride from behind, her figure deliberately blurred.

Someone zoomed in over and over, then screamed.

“Wait… That looks like…”

The entire garden went quiet.

Nate whipped around to look at Ethan.

“Is that her?”

Ethan raised his head.

He stared at the blurred figure in the photograph.

He recognized the earring.

It was part of the last jewelry set Claire’s mother had left her, designed to match the

constellation–beaded gown.

A single teardrop diamond, simple and elegant. Claire wore it only for the most important

occasions.

Now she was wearing it to marry someone else.

The man who’d called it an AI voice clone the night before understood first. His voice cracked.

“Oh my God… The man who called her honey… That was really him?”