Love's Perfect Match

"I'd like to mend our relationship, as well as your relationship with Callum."

"There's nothing worth mending," Edmund retorted stiffly.

"I know you're still affected by the fact that I ran away from the altar. Even though you act as if you're completely fine about it, I know it made you upset. I just never found the time to talk to you about it."

Edmund was a little flustered at the mention of this incident. His hostility dissipated and was replaced by evasiveness. It was as if he wanted to avoid this topic.

"Actually, I—"

"Actually, I know that you begrudge the way things played out, so I want to give you a proper apology. I'm truly sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry that I couldn't return your feelings. I'm sure you'll meet someone else who's better than me, but the woman earlier is certainly not her."

While listening to Elspeth, Edmund's feelings were complicated.

It went without saying that he had indeed been affected by the whole situation.

When she ran away from the altar, he didn't pursue the matter. Instead, he scrounged up an excuse on her behalf and protected her reputation.

That was because he knew that she was never in love with him. Even if he did marry her, he couldn't change that.

Thus, he hoped she would find happiness, even if he weren't the one for her.

His expression became a little awkward when Elspeth mentioned the woman. "Stop talking about her."

"But this isn't like you."

At the end of the day, Elspeth never truly detested Edmund. She could accept his sharp tongue as him simply being a blunt and straightforward person, but she was caught off guard by what she saw today.

To numb oneself was also a form of reckless abandon.

it again." Yet, after answering her, Edmund realized that he seemed like an errant child who'd just

him, she cleared her throat and refuted, "I'm not.

"Fine. Are you done?"

with me,

again and stated, "Now, it's time to talk about you and

you stop bringing him up? It's good enough that I'm not engaging in any form of conflict with him. Don't get yourself involved in this mess." Edmund eyed her coolly, but

the Winthrop Family now. This counts as

situation must be resolved. You misunderstand

so you see him through rose-tinted glasses, but that's no

an attempt to absolve him, huh? Edmund, you're running the Cole Family's business,

the situation from a different

the abrupt change in topic. He

to stand firm and allow the business to grow so rapidly because of your unparalleled excellence?

and say what was the truth, but

moments before he figured out the

having a hard time surviving in the Cole Family

of all this. She couldn't help but curse his foolishness on

in secret. He turned

all those things for you. You don't need to feel like you owe him anything, either." Elspeth stared at the man with flashing eyes. "But I don't want to see you harboring misunderstandings about him when he has done so much for all of you in secret. I don't want him to be so unfortunate as

and asked, "What do you

fans, and whenever the paparazzi take photos of him on a date, Callum pays them

right? I'm part of the Winthrop Family now. This counts as a family matter of mine as

"As for Max's invitation to train in Wohler, Callum paid

…

things Callum had done for his brothers. His eyes

same, he was in turmoil on the

never mentioned these things to any