A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow?" Calliope asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Silas chuckled, "I missed you too much. Did you bring me the gift I wanted?"

"Yeah, I got it. You're back for good now, right? Not leaving again tomorrow?"

"When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me?" she continued, her questions spilling out as they walked hand in hand under the starlit sky, painting a picture of

serene romance.

Silas gently messed up her hair, his voice soft as a summer breeze, "I finished work early, just couldn't wait to see you."

Meanwhile, Gideon stood at a distance, watching them with a hollow feeling in his chest.

"Gideon, stop fooling yourself. I'm your best option," came Yvette's voice from behind him. "With Silas around, you know you can't compete. Even if I let you go, she'd never come back to you. And for the sake of the child I'm carrying, please, just let it go."

Gideon turned to Yvette, his expression unreadable.noveldrama

"Go home by yourself," he said flatly before driving away.

Yvette clenched her fists, frustration simmering beneath her skin.

"What are you doing out here in the cold? You don't want my grandchild catching a chill!" Fleur's voice interjected, her presence as commanding as ever. "I made you some soup for the baby. Drink it before you leave."

Fleur glanced in the direction Gideon had driven off. "You need to get used to it. Gideon will never only have eyes for you, nor will he always be by your side. If you're marrying into this family, you should be prepared."

Yvette frowned, disbelief etched on her face. "What do you mean by that?"

"In families like ours," Fleur continued, her tone matter-of-fact, "it's normal for men to have a few others on the side. I'm just giving you a heads-up. If Gideon finds someone else, keep your mouth shut. Don't think just because you're marrying him, you own him. You're his wife, but that doesn't give you the right to control him. Your job is to manage yourself and have the baby."

Fleur gave Yvette a pointed look. "I hope you weren't naïve enough to think you could have some fairy-tale

exclusive romance with Gideon. Wake up."

A small, cynical laugh escaped her lips. "Learn to turn a blind eye when necessary."

Yvette bit her lip, holding back words she wanted to say but didn't dare utter. The wedding hadn't even happened yet, and this was how

they treated her.

But she'd bide her time. Once married, she wouldn't be so easily pushed around. Especially not by Calliope!

At the bar, Gideon nursed his drink, the silence heavy around him. His friends watched him with concern.

"What's up with you, man?" one of them asked. "You're getting married tomorrow, why the long face?"

"Yeah, last time you weren't thrilled

about the wedding, but you didn't hit

the bottle like this. Aren't you

marrying the woman you wanted this time? What's there to be moody about?"

"Hey, you alright?"

"Pre-wedding jitters, maybe?"

Gideon finally looked up, his eyes meeting theirs.

"I regret it," he confessed.

"What do you regret?" They exchanged surprised glances. "Don't tell me you're regretting not marrying Calliope?"

"That can't be. You were never into her. It was always Yvette you wanted, and now you're getting her!"

"Yeah, if anyone should be sulking, it's us. We're still single, living the lonely life over here!"