Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 18

"Mr. Cromwell, my wife has made herself very clear. Please leave," Elijah said coldly at last, watching Thaddeus clutch Louisa's hand.

Thaddeus's bloodshot eyes turned icy as he stared back. "This has nothing to do with you, Elijah. Let go of my woman."

Thaddeus reached out to grab Elijah's arm, but Louisa stepped in front of him. "Thaddeus, Elijah is my partner now. He's the man I'll spend my life with. Don't you dare touch him."

Thaddeus' face was drained of color.

One time, he had gotten into a fight with someone else, and she had protected him the same way. Back then, she had claimed him as hers, saying that no one was allowed to touch him.

Now, the one she was protecting was no longer him.

It felt as though Thaddeus had been thrown into an icy ocean. Every nerve and every cell in his body ached as if pierced by sharp needles. "Lou…"

"Thaddeus, you should leave. People are watching. At least save yourself some dignity," Louisa reminded.

Thaddeus' eyes, veined with red, trembled. Suddenly, he turned toward Elijah's parents. "Mr. Albert, Mrs. Holten, you know this.

"Louisa is my assistant and my woman. Today, I ask you to step in and let me take her away."

"Mr. Cromwell, Louisa is now my daughter-in-law, since she's Elijah's wife. If you wish to stay and have a drink at the wedding, you're welcome. But if you intend to do anything else, I won't allow it," Albert said calmly.

Louisa's eyes instantly filled with tears. Those were tears of joy from being protected.

Orphaned from a young age, she had been bullied countless times at school. She wished she had parents to stand up for her back then, but she didn't.

She never expected that this unexpected marriage would give her someone who truly stood up for her.

Her fingers tightened slightly in Elijah's grasp. She glanced at him, then stepped forward with steady determination.

She was not someone who made reckless decisions. Since she had taken this step today, she would not turn back.

"Louisa, then take my life with you as you finish this wedding!" In her resolute silence, Thaddeus slammed himself into a nearby pillar.

A dull bang echoed through the air, followed by gasps from the crowd.

Louisa shuddered violently, as if something had shattered inside her chest. She stopped, and Elijah stopped with her. They both turned around.

In the next second, a pair of large hands covered Louisa's eyes. Even so, in the instant before her vision went dark, she saw Thaddues' face drenched in blood.