I'll see you again, Vanya," he muttered to himself, his eyes glinting with determination. "And next time, I won't be so easy to avoid."
As he spoke, Nolan's eyes met those of his father, Mr. Carter, who was standing in the doorway.
"Nolan, my boy," Mr. Carter said, his voice booming through the room. "I'm glad to see you're taking an interest in your bride-to-be. Maybe this marriage won't be so bad after all."
Nolan's eyes narrowed, his expression cold. "Don't get too excited, Father," he said. "I'm only doing this for the family. I don't care about Vanya or her family."
Mr. Carter's face fell, but Nolan just turned away, his eyes fixed on the window.
As for Nolan's stepmother, Catherine Carter, she stood in the corner of the room, watching her son with a mixture of sadness and concern. She knew that Nolan was only agreeing to this marriage because of his sense of duty to the family, and she worried about what the future held for him.
But Nolan didn't care about his her concerns. He didn't care about anyone's concerns. All he cared about was seeing Vanya's face, and making her pay for avoiding him.
As Vanya watched the Carter family leave, she couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness. She had managed to avoid Nolan again, but she knew that their encounter was far from over.
Elena, her cunning stepsister, was watching her with a smirk on her face. "You're quite the expert at avoiding him, aren't you?" Elena said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't trip over your own feet trying to get away from him."
Vanya rolled her eyes, trying to ignore Elena's jibe. But Elena was relentless, always trying to provoke her.
"What's wrong, Vanya?" Elena asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Afraid of little Nolan Carter? I hear he's quite the catch. Rich, handsome, and ....crippled. What more could a girl want?"
Vanya's eyes flashed with anger, but she tried to keep her cool. She knew that Elena was just trying to get a rise out of her.
"I'm not afraid of him, Elena," Vanya said, her voice calm and steady. "I just don't see the point in talking to him. He's made it clear that he doesn't want to marry me, and I don't want to marry him either."
Elena snorted, her expression incredulous. "You're not going to marry him?" she repeated. "Vanya, you're not exactly swimming in suitors. You should be grateful that Nolan Carter is even considering marrying you."
Vanya's eyes narrowed, she was surprised Elena was encouraging her to get married, she thought she'd try convincing her to accept Emrys but then again, Elena loved Emrys too.
As her anger simmering just below the surface. "I don't need your advice, Elena," she said, her voice cold and detached. "And I don't need Nolan Carter's charity either. I'll make my own way in life, without relying on anyone else."
Elena's smirk faltered for a moment, and Vanya saw a flash of anger in her eyes. But then Elena's expression smoothed out, and she smiled again.
"We'll see about that, Vanya," Elena said, her voice dripping with malice. "We'll see how long you last without anyone's help."
Vanya turned away from Elena, trying to ignore her stepsister's jibes. She walked back to the mansion, her mind racing with thoughts of Nolan and their upcoming wedding.
As she walked, Vanya couldn't help but think about her past life. She had never met Nolan, but she had heard stories about him. She knew that he had suddenly disappeared after Emrys became the richest person in the country. She remembered how Mrs. Carter had fallen ill due to the loss and died a year later.
Vanya's eyes narrowed as she thought about Nolan's words. He had said that he would never marry her, that he didn't love her. But Vanya wasn't affected by his words. She didn't love him either. In fact, she didn't even know him.
All Vanya wanted was to leave the William family and start a new life. She didn't want to be tied down to a family that was slowly falling apart. She didn't want to be responsible for their downfall but she'd definitely contribute.... She must make everyone who had hurt her pay.
As Vanya walked back to the mansion, she felt a sense of determination. She would play along with this charade, but she would not let Nolan or his family control her. She would leave them, and she would start a new life, free from the drama and the pain of the William family.