Chapter 9
Just as this argument was escalating, a group of latecomers, including Xena, entered the room. They froze upon hearing the exchange.
When Charlie’s parents saw Xena in the group, they quickly pieced together the reason for his absence and their expressions darkened.
“Your little uncle’s flight was delayed in the Hong Kong transfer this morning. We sent you to pick up the bride, and what did you do? You ran off halfway and spent time with your troublemaking friends! What kind of behavior is, that?!”
“Today’s wedding, all the relatives from both the Spencer and Hall families are here except for you! If your Uncle Hall hadn’t stepped in to calm things down, your grandfather would’ve had you punished!”
“From now on, Jenna will be your little aunt. You better watch yourself and don’t do anything inappropriate. If your little uncle gets upset, no one will be able to protect you!”
As his parents scolded him, Charlie’s face turned ashen.
He had never imagined that one day Jenna would become his little aunt.
His shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably, and he closed his eyes in despair.
All those moments he had previously mocked, those memories now surged in front of his eyes.
Jenna, drenched in rain at the bar, still boldly clarified her position. The wedding ring she had designed for him, which was just a bit too small for him to wear, and the nervousness she always displayed whenever she heard his uncle’s name…
It was only in that moment that Charlie finally realized.
Everything was real. Jenna had never lied to him.
But he had been so absorbed in the memories of her chasing after him, he failed to notice the changes in her.
Since the day they got engaged, Jenna had already stopped being the same Jenna.
But how could the girl who was desperately clinging to him one day, demanding that they go through with this. marriage, suddenly seem like a completely different person overnight?
Maybe it wasn’t that she changed, but her attitude toward him did.
Had his past actions hurt her so deeply that she made this decision to let go?
Or was her marriage to his uncle just part of her strategy to make him chase after her?
Countless thoughts swirled in Charlie’s mind, and the pressure felt so intense it seemed like his head might explode.
38.1
Chapter 9
He tugged at his hair in a desperate attempt to make sense of it all.
When Xena saw him like this, her face filled with concern as she rushed to comfort him.
Just as Charlie’s parents were about to leave, they turned and saw Xena’s gesture. Their expressions instantly soured.
A servant’s daughter… thinking she could climb into the Spencer family’s ranks?
Jenna knew that Chad had feelings for her, but because the two had never truly interacted in the past lives, she still felt a hit uneasy when alone with him.
Chad noticed her discomfort and spoke gently, his tone softening.
“Do they all call you Jenna?”
Jenna hadn’t expected him to suddenly speak up. She gave a small nod, replying with a hint of uncertainty.
“Some of my grandparents call me Star. You can call me that too, if you’d like…”
Her words trailed off, and suddenly, she felt her face flush. Her thoughts wandered to that one letter she had seen only briefly–the one that made her feel guilty. Her eyes instinctively dropped to the floor.
For a moment, Chad’s eyes seemed to gleam with something, and his lips curled into a warm smile.
“Star? Like the stars in the sky, am I right?”
Jenna couldn’t help but feel a small flicker of delight in his voice.
Curiosity overtook her, and she instinctively turned her head, hoping to see if her guess was right. And at that moment, she found herself staring directly into his deep, dark eyes.
In that instant of contact, she felt an inexplicable pull, as if she were being drawn into the depths of his gaze.
The next second, she heard him say something that completely surpassed her understanding of him.
“Stars are nice, Jenna is good too, but… I think ‘wife‘ is the best. After all, it’s unique.”
Jenna’s heart raced like a drum at those last words. Her breath hitched.
She didn’t know how to respond to that. All she could manage was a soft “Mm,” as her face flushed even more, and she quickly averted her gaze, staring down at her lap.
Though the air conditioning in the car was on, she felt uncomfortably warm, beads of sweat forming on her skin. Her hand in his felt sticky.
Chad chuckled lightly, noticing her discomfort. He kindly lowered the temperature by a few degrees and handed her a handkerchief.
Jenna gratefully took it, dabbing at her forehead, while he continued speaking as if the conversation had never faltered.
Chapter 9
“Although there’s an age gap between us, and I’m seven years older than you, if you think about it, we’re more or less in the same generation.”
The driver, who had been working for the Spencer family for over thirty years, couldn’t hold back anymore. He chuckled from the front seat, unable to resist interjecting.
“Mr. Spencer, how do you figure that? That sounds a bit forced, doesn’t it?”
Chad glanced in the rearview mirror at the driver, who was grinning from ear to ear, and let out a soft sigh, his voice laced with helplessness.
Don’t ruin my moment.”
“Alright, alright! I won’t say another word! You carry on, you carry on!” The driver quickly relented, continuing to laugh.
With a small shake of his head, Chad turned his attention back to Jenna and picked up where he had left off.
“Although we didn’t have much to do with each other in the past, from now on, we’ll be husband and wife. You don’t have to be so wary of me. Just treat me like any other husband. You can speak your mind, and I’ll listen to you, just as any good husband should.”
It was the first time Jenna had heard him speak at such length. It was also the first time she saw him so relaxed and casual, speaking in such an easy–going manner in public.
For a moment, she wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this side of him. She couldn’t help but ask in a soft voice, still trying to adjust to the situation.
“Say whatever you want to say?”
When Chad nodded, she gathered her courage and asked a question that had been on her mind.
“Why did you agree to the marriage?”
