Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Missing Mom a Little

"Did you hit Joel?"

Joseph Shaw tilted his head to look at Sophie Shaw in the back seat. freewebnσvel.cѳm

His accusatory tone and gaze made her heart sink.

She turned her face away, ignoring Joseph Shaw’s words. She wiped away a tear and stared out the car window.

The atmosphere inside the car was suffocating.

Joseph Shaw suppressed his anger and pulled Joel Kane into the front seat.

After buckling the boy’s seatbelt, he started the car again.

When they arrived at the Kane residence, he carried Joel out of the car and strode into the house.

Sophie Shaw limped along behind them, all alone. Although her sprained right foot was wrapped in a compression bandage, she had walked too much today, and a large swelling had formed on her ankle.

Every step sent a piercing pain through her.

She forced herself into the house and stood in the entryway, steadying herself against the shoe cabinet by the door. As far as she could see, Joseph Shaw was already coaxing Joel Kane into the living room, about to head upstairs.

A bitter feeling welled up inside her.

Ever since Joseph Shaw’s second marriage, it felt like gaining a stepmother meant she’d also gained a stepfather.

She couldn’t help but remember when her mother was still alive. No matter how busy she was with work, she never neglected her. A few times, her mother had even brought her along to company meetings.

Before her mother passed away, she had said her father’s love was so great that he would love Sophie for the both of them, forever.

’But people’s love can change, can be redirected.’

’Now, all of Joseph Shaw’s love and attention were focused on Joel Kane. What did that make her?’

Watching Joseph Shaw’s back as he went upstairs, an indescribable bitterness washed over Sophie Shaw.

’I miss Mom.’

’She’s been gone for fifteen years. Her face and smile are already starting to blur in my memory.’

Sophie Shaw fought back the stinging in her nose and slowly limped forward.

Her hair was a mess, her forehead was beaded with cold sweat from the pain, and her eyes were bloodshot. She couldn’t have looked more wretched.

The sight was somewhat jarring to Damian Morgan.

He hesitated for a moment before walking over. He placed one hand on her back and slid the other under her knees, intending to lift her into his arms.

She instinctively pushed against his shoulder and took a step back. "You don’t have to. Thank you."

"Look at how swollen your foot is."

"I can walk on my own."

She declined Damian Morgan’s kind offer and slowly made her way upstairs, gripping the handrail.

Back in her room, she sat on the edge of the bed, unwrapped the bandage on her foot, and took the medicine prescribed by the doctor, spraying it all over her swollen, painful ankle.

The smell was pungent, making her choke and cough a few times.

She rubbed the medicine into her ankle, shuffled into the bathroom to wash her face, then returned to sit dazedly on the edge of her bed. Suddenly, she had an overwhelming urge to see her mother.

She took out a photo of Mina Ford from her nightstand drawer.

Her mother was gentle and beautiful, with two sweet dimples when she smiled.

She had inherited this from her mother; she also had two dimples when she smiled.

But right now, she couldn’t bring herself to smile at all. As she looked at Mina Ford’s picture, it was as if a thin veil had fallen over her eyes, making everything hazy.

She curled up on the bed, clutching her mother’s photograph as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, wetting her temples.

—

「The next morning.」

Joseph Shaw knocked on her door and returned her confiscated phone.

As soon as she got her phone back, Sophie Shaw contacted the police.

That same day, the police came to her home to get her side of the story before heading to Joel’s school to inquire further.

However, there were no security cameras in the classroom, and Joel couldn’t provide any more information other than that the necklace was in his bag. The police investigation had no leads, and the lost necklace was deemed unlikely to be recovered.

Sophie Shaw’s mood remained low for several days. Even though Joseph Shaw tried to comfort her afterward, her heart had already been wounded. It was a gaping hole that would be difficult to mend.

On the last day of Anne’s vacation, Sophie Shaw contacted Alaric Blackwood to suggest a wedding rehearsal.

Anne drove to the Kane residence to pick her up and take her to the grand hotel where the wedding banquet would be held.

Alaric Blackwood, his best man Jaden, and the wedding emcee were already there.

Since it was a traditional Chinese wedding, Sophie Shaw would have to wear a bridal veil, which would obstruct her vision. Therefore, during the procession, she was supposed to be escorted by Joseph Shaw all the way to Alaric Blackwood, who would then place her hand in Alaric’s.

"Could my maid of honor do this part instead?" she asked the emcee.

He was taken aback for a moment. "Wouldn’t it be better to have your father do it?"

It’s traditional for the father to give his daughter’s hand to the groom.

"I want my best friend to do it."

Anne could see something was troubling her and said to the emcee, "Then I’ll do it."

"Alright, we’ll respect the bride’s wishes."

During the run-through, a red cloth was draped over Sophie Shaw’s head as she walked down the red carpet step by step, supported by Anne, toward Alaric Blackwood.

Although her foot injury had healed a lot, her pace was very slow.

She came to a stop beside Alaric Blackwood. First, they bowed together. Then, the groom lifted the veil, followed by the ceremonial drink with their arms intertwined. The best man and maid of honor presented the rings, and they exchanged them.

"And finally, the groom kisses the bride."

As soon as the emcee said this, Sophie Shaw’s face burned.

She looked at Alaric Blackwood. The corners of his lips curved into a roguish smile. He suddenly cupped her face and pecked her on the lips.

It happened so fast that before Sophie Shaw could even react, the man’s cool lips had already left hers.

’That was her... first kiss!’

’Stolen so carelessly by Alaric Blackwood...’

The emcee chuckled. "Mr. Blackwood, this is just the rehearsal, so it doesn’t matter how you kiss her. But on the wedding day, you’ll have to be a bit more serious about it."

"Even if you try to get away with a quick one, I guarantee the friends and family in the audience will start catcalling."

The emcee had seen this sort of thing many times.

Alaric Blackwood pressed his lips together. There was a faint scent of orange.

The flavor of Sophie Shaw’s lip balm.

He put his hands in his pockets, his charming eyes crinkling with a smile as he glanced at Sophie Shaw, his gaze unconsciously fixing on her lips.

’Not too thin, not too thick. A beautiful shape. Kissing them felt cool, and so soft...’

From just that one quick peck, the woman’s face turned visibly red.

The blush spread to the tips of her ears and all the way down her neck.

"That’s the whole ceremony. Do you need to run through it a few more times? Just to get familiar with it."

Before Alaric Blackwood could speak, Sophie Shaw, her face beet-red, quickly interjected, "No, that’s okay! I’ve already memorized the procedure."

But Alaric Blackwood just had to be contrary. "I haven’t memorized it. Let’s do it again."

"..."

Sophie Shaw had no choice but to return to the other end of the red carpet, put the veil back on, and walk down the aisle a second time with Anne’s help.

"Sophie, is that ring a real diamond?" Anne whispered.

"It should be."

’With Alaric Blackwood’s family background and status, he wouldn’t buy a fake diamond.’

"He really is from a rich family. So extravagant."

It was Anne’s first time seeing a twenty-carat diamond ring. It was enormous, almost blinding her.

She led Sophie Shaw down the red carpet to Alaric Blackwood and, like a proper "father of the bride," carefully placed Sophie’s hand, which was linked through her arm, into Alaric’s.

The man held Sophie Shaw’s hand tightly, his other hand resting gently on the small of her back as he led her through the three bows: first to heaven and earth, then to their elders, and finally to each other.

With the ceremony complete, he lifted her veil. After they drank from intertwined arms and exchanged rings, it was once again time for the final step.

The kiss! freeωebnovēl.c૦m

The blush on Sophie Shaw’s face hadn’t faded yet. When her eyes met Alaric Blackwood’s handsome, charming ones, she instantly felt like she was being roasted over a fire. It wasn’t just her face that was hot; her whole body was starting to burn up.