CHAPTER 175: TORN BY THE OUTSIDE WORLD
The silence after the door shut was deafening.
James didn't speak. He didn't move. He just stared at the drink in his hand like it held the answers he'd been searching for.
Jared lingered by the door, the only one who hadn't followed the others out.
Finally, he spoke. Quiet. Direct.
"She loves you, you know."
James didn't respond.
"She messed up, yeah. We all know that. But you're not the only one bleeding here."
James let out a bitter breath through his nose, eyes still fixed on the untouched glass.
"Don't," he muttered. "Don't defend her."
"I'm not," Jared replied, stepping closer. "I'm not defending what she did. I'm telling you why she did it. Fear. Pressure. Shame. That stupid instinct to fix things alone because she didn't want to drag you down with her."
"She lied to me, Jared." James's voice cut through the air like a blade. His hand tightened around the glass until it cracked.
"I asked her. I gave her a way out. And she still, still went ahead and made me look like a damn fool."
Jared nodded slowly, watching him.
"She lied. No excuses for that. But do you know what she didn't do?"
James looked up, his expression sharp.
"She didn't stop loving you, bro," Jared said. "She didn't stop protecting you, even when it meant hurting herself. Even when it meant letting herself bleed in silence."
James stood now, pacing slowly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"No, you don't want to feel it anymore," Jared shot back. "You think being angry is easier? That it makes you stronger? James, I've known you my whole life, you don't get to shut down like this when the woman you love is literally crumbling for you!"
James stopped in his tracks,then turned, his voice low and dangerous.
"She took off our ring, Jared."
The silence that followed was heavy.
"She took it off," James repeated, his voice cracking just slightly. "As if our marriage… was a costume. A disguise she could drop anytime it didn't serve her."
Jared's jaw tensed.
"And you nearly killed her for it."
That one hit.
James flinched, guilt slashing through him like a whip.
"You didn't mean to. I know that," Jared added gently. "But you did. The power you carry isn't just strength, James, it's a responsibility. You lose control again, and next time, no one gets out alive. Not even you."
James ran both hands over his face, torn between rage, heartbreak, and regret.
"I can't forgive her yet," he muttered.
"Then don't," Jared said. "Take your time. But don't stop loving her. Don't make the mistake of thinking distance is the cure for betrayal. It's not. It just makes the silence between you louder."
James stared into the fireplace, lost in thought.
Jared placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"We've got enemies, James. Real ones. Ruthless ones. This thing between you two? Fix it. Because we *can't afford to have our strongest man distracted by heartbreak when war is at our doorstep."
James said nothing.
But the tear that slipped down his cheek,silent and slow was all Jared needed to know the message landed.
He didn't say another word as he left the room.
James stood alone in the quiet, that same cracked glass still in his hand.
His greatest enemy might not be Daryl.
It might be the war he's now fighting inside.
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The Next Morning
The next morning after the party, the world outside their walls was on fire.
Headlines flooded the media like a storm with no mercy:
"Clinched by the Billionaire: Fairy Tale or Fallacy?"
"James Deniro Alfred and Diana Margaret Alfred: A Marriage to Last the Times or Bound to Scatter Before It Begins?"
"The Tales and Woes of Diana Margaret Alfred"
"Husband Snatcher or Legally Married? The Internet Is Divided"
"James Swooping in to Save the Day: Coincidence or a Well-Planned Scene?"
"Toby Champion and the Wrath of the Ruthless Billionaire"
"Stranger at the Party: Friend or Foe?"
"When Myths Come to Life. Who Exactly Is James Deniro Alfred?"
The media was in a full-blown frenzy. Blog posts, vlogs, gossip sites, business journals, even mainstream news anchors were speculating endlessly.
Online comments were even worse:
"That Diana girl planned this whole thing. She's a social climber if I ever saw one."
"I don't care what y'all say, that man LOVES her. Did you see the way he put that ring on her like it was war?"
"The new guy at the party gave me literal chills. This isn't a scandal, it's a movie plot!"
"James Alfred really said 'mine' and shut the whole damn world up. We need this man to lead the United Nations."
"I still don't believe she's actually married to him. This is PR, and they fumbled it."
"Toby is FINISHED. How do you come back after being publicly wiped like that?"
And yet, within the walls of Holland Gardens, insulated from the madness, James and Diana were unaware of just how loudly the world was speaking.
—
Inside the Study
James lay back in his leather chair, one arm flung over his eyes, the other lazily resting on his chest. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, tie long forgotten, hair a tousled mess. His phone buzzed once, then again.
Grumbling, he reached out toward the table with a sluggish hand. Without checking the caller ID, he swiped up and held the phone to his ear.
"Hello," he said, voice gravelly, sharp.
There was a pause on the other end. Then—
"Son… I'm sorry to disturb your beauty sleep."
James blinked once. Then twice.
He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the screen.
Raymond.
His father-in-law.
He sat up straighter.
"Hello, Dad," he said again, quieter this time. "I'm sorry, you didn't disturb anything. How can I help you?"
Raymond smiled faintly on the other end. His voice was warm, yet weighted.
"You don't know how happy I am to hear you still call me Dad."
There was a pause.
"Anyway, I'm calling about what happened yesterday… at the party."
James remained silent, listening.
"James, I promise you, my daughter is not that kind of woman. We did not raise her to be that way. She had a serious lapse in judgment. One I can't explain, but… I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to be the one affected so badly."
He sighed.
"Me personally, I know how I would feel if my wife embarrassed me like that in public. I'd feel betrayed. Unloved. And yet, you still stood by her. Protected her. Claimed her. You didn't let the world tear her apart. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, but…"
Another pause. This one longer.
"I'm sorry. On her behalf. Her mother's been crying since I told her everything. And… if you no longer want her, I will understand. You can return her to us, James. We won't question your decision. But..."
He hesitated, voice faltering with emotion.
"If there is still even an atom of love left in your heart for her… please, I beg you—find a way to move past this. Take her back. We'll understand whatever choice you make. But please… if there's still hope, don't throw her away just yet."