Chapter 29
Jaziel stared intently at the news reports of Charlotte’s grand wedding, his rage simmering as he fixated on Theodore’s image on his phone.
It was Theodore, wasn’t it? He must be behind this!
Convinced of his suspicion, Jaziel ignored Anne and Lucy’s attempts to stop him and stormed out of the hospital.
At the Washington estate, it was the first day of Theodore and Charlotte’s married life.
Theodore held Charlotte in his arms, enjoying a rare moment of intimacy on their bed.
The warm sunlight streaming through the windows and the fresh air outside were far less
captivating than the woman in his arms.
Suddenly, the peace was shattered by the urgent ringing of the doorbell.
Theodore frowned, irritated by the interruption. He threw on a robe and went to open the
door.
As soon as the door opened, Jaziel’s fist came flying toward him.
With a swift sidestep, Theodore dodged the punch and grabbed Jaziel’s fist, holding it
firmly.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Jaziel’s face was unkempt, dark circles under his eyes, and his stubble showing–his usual composed appearance completely absent.
His voice was as cold as ice:
“Theodore, taking Charlotte/wasn’t enough for you? Why did you have to target Nolan? He’s lying in a hospital bed, and whether he keeps his leg is still uncertain. You’ll pay for this!”
With that, Jaziel lunged at Theodore, and the two began to brawl.
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Despite Jaziel’s aggression, Theodore skillfully defended himself, blocking every move with ease. Between hits, he spoke calmly:
*
い
“Jaziel, I wouldn’t lower myself to such actions. I only arranged for someone to send you two back to Miami and distract your families with other issues to keep you away from
Charlotte and me.”
The commotion drew Charlotte from her room.
“Stop fighting!” she shouted, stepping between them. “I trust Theodore. Let’s settle this with
evidence.”
Hearing her voice, Jaziel finally calmed down.
It didn’t take long for the Washington family to investigate the accident. The results showed that the collision was caused by brake failure–an unfortunate accident entirely unrelated
to Theodore.
As Theodore had said, his men’s only task had been to subdue Jaziel and Nolan during their wedding–crashing attempt and send them back to Miami.
Meanwhile, efforts to suppress the Rogers and Collins families had already begun.
Lucy called Jaziel repeatedly, urging him to return to Miami. Even Nolan was transferred back there for treatment.
Theodore, having anticipated such conflicts before the wedding, had already set up a new company in Miami to directly compete with the Collins family.
With the Murphy family’s influence in Miami and their alliance with the Washington family, they began to tighten their grip on both the Collins and Rogers families.
When Nolan woke up, he found his leg tightly bound, and panic set in.
Jaziel, seated at his bedside, spoke coldly:
“Your leg is fine; it’s been saved. But you’ll need extensive rehabilitation, and racing? Forget
about it.”
Hearing this, Nolan’s despair deepened.
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He could accept giving up racing by choice, but being forced to quit was unbearable.
After a long recovery, Nolan finally regained the ability to walk.
Eager to return to driving, he sat behind the wheel of a car. But as soon as he tried to start the engine, cold sweat broke out all over his body.
The feeling of nearing death consumed him, and the shadow of his trauma loomed over
him like a stormcloud.
He couldn’t even drive a regular car, let alone race.
Shaking, drenched in sweat, and pale as a ghost, Nolan stumbled out of the car.
Jaziel caught him, steadying him without a word.
Nolan looked at Jaziel, his voice hoarse.
“Why are you still here with me? Don’t tell me you’ve given up on Charlotte.”
Jaziel’s distant gaze lingered on the horizon as he let out a long sigh.
“What else can I do but give up?”
During Nolan’s recovery, Jaziel had made countless attempts to win Charlotte back, all in
vain.
He wrote letters recounting their happiest memories together, hoping to rekindle something, but Charlotte never responded.
She had already shared everything with Theodore, including her childhood bond with Jaziel and Nolan. Their open communication left no room for jealousy or doubt.
Jaziel had seen it for himself–Charlotte’s love for Theodore was real and utterly different from anything she had shown him.
There was nothing left for him to do but let go.
Even if it pained him, what other choice did he have?
Forsaking the Years of Longing
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Nolan, hearing Jaziel’s resignation, felt all hope drain from him.
He was a “cripple” now, unable to race or compete. How could he ever measure up to
Theodore?
The two parted ways in silence.
Jaziel threw himself into his work, keeping himself too busy to think of anything else.
Nolan repeatedly tried to overcome his trauma, though success eluded him.
Over time, their meetings became less frequent, their conversations shorter.
The three who had once been so close drifted apart, their bond fading into quiet
estrangement.
