A Night of Desire

With his mind in turmoil, Sierra Sutton unconsciously tightened his grip. Autumn Shelby’s arm throbbed in pain. Growing angry, she bit her lip and struggled. "Sierra Sutton, you’re hurting me!"

Sierra Sutton snapped back to his senses. He didn’t let her go, but his grip loosened significantly.

Autumn Shelby seized the chance to wrench her arm free. Her gaze turned icy again as her voice rose slightly. "Yes, I lied to you! If I hadn’t, would you have ever let me come back?"

Sierra Sutton suddenly let out a laugh, but it was tinged with sorrow. He spoke slowly, "You never even tried. How would you know I wouldn’t have let you come back?"

His words stunned Autumn Shelby for a moment, but she quickly reverted to her cold, somber expression. "I couldn’t risk it."

"Hah, so you ’couldn’t risk it’! Autumn, we’ve known each other for eighteen years, and I’ve loved you for just as long. You should know what kind of person I am! Is returning to Novaria really that important to you?"

"Of course it’s important!" Autumn Shelby’s expression suddenly twisted in pain. "I’ve loved Seth Quinn for twenty-four years. He’s about to marry another woman, and I refuse to accept it! Of course I had to come back to stop it!"

"So when all is said and done, he’s still the one you love the most!" Sierra Sutton’s voice rose uncontrollably. "Then what am I to you? Was there ever any room for me in your heart?"

Perhaps because his voice was too loud, the baby in the crib suddenly let out a few soft whimpers and then rolled over.

They both instinctively looked over. The baby had rolled onto its side and then went still, as if having fallen soundly asleep again.

Autumn Shelby turned back to Sierra Sutton, exhaled, and said, "We should talk outside. Let’s not wake the baby."

With that, she avoided his gaze and led the way out of the room.

A glimmer of hope suddenly sparked in Sierra Sutton’s heart. ’Autumn is afraid of waking the baby... Maybe, deep down, she really does love our child.’

’As long as she can’t let go of the baby, she’ll come back to us one day, right? Back to me and our child?’

With that thought, Sierra Sutton glanced at the baby a few more times before following her out.

Autumn Shelby had calmed down considerably and looked up as Sierra Sutton walked out.

Sierra Sutton felt he had been too emotional earlier. He opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could say a word, Autumn Shelby spoke first.

"Sierra, you say you’ve loved me for eighteen years, but I’ve loved Seth Quinn for twenty-four years. That’s a six-year difference.

"Maybe the depth of love shouldn’t be measured in years, but for those six years you were absent, my world, my life... it was all about Seth Quinn!

"I truly loved him back then. I really, really loved him! And I thought I would marry him, have his children, and spend my entire life with him."

As she said this, Autumn Shelby gave a sad little laugh and added, "If only I hadn’t been so greedy... demanding he love me back with the same passion!"

"You know, Sierra, in my opinion, you’re not inferior to Seth Quinn. He’s handsome, and you’re not far behind.

"Besides, Seth Quinn is cold and rigid, whereas you’ve always been gentle and refined. He’s indifferent toward me, but you’re warm and considerate. In his eyes, I’m probably disposable, but in your heart, you treat me like a treasure.

"If my parents hadn’t drilled it into my head from a young age that I had to marry Seth Quinn... if I hadn’t actually fallen in love with him later... if you had been brought back to the Shelby Family sooner...

"Maybe... everything would be different today!