Shadows Gathered Under Fading Lights by Nyx Rowan novel Chapter 28

Chapter 17

“You expect me to hand over Whitmore Group–to him!?”

Chase nearly lost it. Across from him, Dominic remained calm, giving a faint nod. “Do you have any other

option?”

Nora leaned into Dominic, calm and composed–untouched by Chase’s outburst.

“Chase, no one’s trying to ruin you. You did this to yourself.”

“I did it to win you back!!” Chase was frantic. A thought struck him and he quickly said, “If I merge the

company, does that mean you’ll forgive me? That you’ll come back to me?”

“I will never go back to you.”

Nora’s voice was cold. “Because I’m pregnant–with Dominic’s child. Chase, it’s over.”

The double blow nearly drove Chase insane. He lunged at Dominic, and the two ended up in a scuffle.

But he was no match. Dominic beat him down, leaving his face bloodied and swollen.

“Chase, if it weren’t for the fact that you once saved my fiancée’s life, I swear I’d beat you to death right here.”

Dominic looked down at him with chilling disgust. “After what you did to her, you don’t deserve prison–you

deserve damnation.”

The Whitmore Group crumbled. In the end, Chase was forced to merge it into the Faulkner Group, where it

became just a subsidiary.

Soon after, he was arrested for spreading illegal videos online.

“Mr. Whitmore, you’re under investigation for coercing an abortion against the woman’s will. Please come

with us.”

After a thorough investigation confirmed the facts, Chase was officially detained.

At his repeated requests, Nora agreed to see him one last time in prison.

He held the prison phone in his hands, silent for a long time.

Nora finally asked, “Why call me here, Chase?”

Chase shook his head, his eyes turning red. “I just wanted to see you one more time.”

After a pause, he suddenly said, “Nora… I did love you. I didn’t just marry you for the financial crisis. I really

did have feelings for you.”

Chanter 17

24 35%

It was a sentence Nora had waited seven years to hear.

For seven years, she’d longed for him to say he loved her–for him to say their marriage was more than just a business move.

But during those seven years, Chase never once said it. So she always assumed she was nothing more than

a pawn to him.

“I just… couldn’t admit it. I didn’t want people thinking I used a woman to climb back up, so I kept pushing you

away, kept acting cold. Nora, I was wrong. I know that now…”

Nora turned her face away, her voice muffled. “Enough. I get it.”

“No, you don’t,” Chase said, choking up. “I really, truly loved you. I never remembered our anniversary–not because I forgot, but because every time it came around, it reminded me of how shameful our wedding day

was. I couldn’t bear to face it.”

“But every single year, I still prepared a gift for you. All seven years. They’re all in the attic at the Whitmore

estate. Everything you like…”

Nora stared at him, disbelief flickering in her eyes, her shoulders trembling faintly.

For seven years, he’d never once remembered their anniversary–always brushing it off as forgetfulness or

work pressure.

She never imagined he’d actually prepared gifts for her every single year.

Had he… really loved her all along?

Her lashes fluttered, and a tear welled up–but didn’t fall.

But the visit was over.

As the guards escorted her away, Chase looked after her with desperation, then suddenly mouthed something with all his strength.

Nora understood.

He was asking, “Do you still love me?”

A single tear traced down her cheek. But her lips curled into a soft, decisive smile. She shook her head.

“No.”

Not anymore.

Not for a long, long time.