Free Web NovelChapter 1326: Chapter 1323: In My Heart, You Are Incomparable
One month later, Vatican.
Griffith Squire and Aurora Coldwell were holding their wedding in the Vatican. The preparations turned out to be far more complicated than expected. As for the bride’s side, because Ian Coldwell was gravely ill, and her mother’s family was in such dire straits, plus Aurora had been rather closed off these past years, there were almost no guests attending from her side.
The groom’s guests, on the other hand, were far too many, and every one of them had a sensitive identity, with frequent friction among them.
Griffith Squire looked at the long guest list, then waved his hand and slashed half the people off, lest the guests started fighting halfway through the ceremony.
Most of the wedding arrangements were handled by dedicated people, and besides, in Italy he had a godfather who was like a real "Godfather." The Elvis Family enthusiastically took almost everything onto their shoulders.
Griffith Squire was only responsible for eating and drinking, taking Aurora to pick out the wedding dress, the rings, confirming the guest list, and other trivial matters like what kind of carpet to buy for the house in the future.
As for Leah Squire, she was even more relaxed. Her only job was to cast a vote whenever everyone fell into decision paralysis, and the rest of the time she rode a bicycle around the city every day, watching sunsets, fountains, and pigeons.
Delphine had already told her about Richard Shaw’s scandal; it was all Ignatius Leclair’s idea, and Delphine had cursed Ignatius out so hard his ancestors probably heard it.
Leah had basically guessed most of it.
Richard Shaw was the kind of man who drew a very clear line between right and wrong. Maybe it was because he came from a powerful family and was raised as a golden boy since childhood; his personality was straightforward, without the slickness of the business world, or the scheming of politics. When he liked someone, he liked them; when he didn’t, he would never force himself.
Leah thought of how cold he’d been to her back then, barely coming home once a year. Yet now he checked in morning, noon, and night, and even mobilized everyone around him to plead on his behalf, so anxious and insecure it was almost pitiful. But given his special status, going abroad meant going through layer upon layer of review.
Leah therefore felt no pressure at all. Taking advantage of Griffith Squire’s wedding, she deliberately kept him at arm’s length.
On the day of the wedding, before dawn, Delphine dragged Leah out of bed. The two of them stayed with the nervous Aurora, watching her get her makeup done and put on her wedding dress, waiting for Griffith Squire to come pick up his bride and take her to the church.
Aurora was tense the whole time. Delphine stayed by her side chatting to keep her calm, while Leah seized the chance—when everyone was too busy to care—to slip out of the small villa. She stood under the wall lamp in the courtyard, lit a cigarette, inhaled the faint smell of tobacco, but didn’t actually smoke it.
It was still early; the morning light pierced out from deep within the clouds, and a thin layer of mist shrouded the small villa, dreamlike and hazy.
The man walked toward her through the mist, in black combat boots and an army-green overcoat. His handsome face was a touch thinner, his features sharply cut. He came up to her, took the slim lady’s cigarette from between her fingers, crushed it out, and said in a deep voice, "Good girls don’t smoke."
Leah gave him a faint smile, looked at his familiar face, and said calmly, "You know I’m not a good girl."
She remembered that year he’d come back to the Imperial City, when she’d snatched a cigarette from his hand and smoked it. Richard Shaw’s expression back then was truly indescribable, and he even smacked her butt. The man could be so stiff and boring sometimes, yet he was also ridiculously adorable.
"In my heart, you’re incomparable." Richard Shaw said lowly. Because it was sweet talk, and because they hadn’t seen each other in days, the tips of his ears were a little red, his heart beating faster, uneasy and restless.
This past month, every time he felt upset, he’d fly to Southeast Asia to use Ignatius as a punching bag. Now, whenever Ignatius saw him, his face turned stormy green, and every few days he’d fly to the Vatican to complain to Delphine.
Since Richard Shaw couldn’t get permission to leave the country, he could only stay in the Imperial City, silently and stubbornly continuing to explain himself to Leah, torturing himself for a whole month, until today—Griffith Squire’s wedding day—when he finally got to the Vatican.
"What are you doing in the Vatican?" Leah squinted at him and asked. He’d crushed her cigarette, but she wasn’t mad; she hadn’t really wanted to smoke anyway, just lit one up because she was irritated and needed something to jolt her awake.
"I’m here to attend my future brother-in-law’s wedding." The man’s face didn’t change as he spoke. His tea-colored eyes looked deeply at her, and he restrained himself from pulling her into his arms. For the past month, he’d been going mad thinking of her, but now that he was actually standing in front of her, he suddenly felt hesitant to move forward.
Shameless. Leah’s lips curled as she continued coolly, "Weren’t you not allowed to go abroad?"
"So I could attend my brother-in-law’s wedding, I went back to take up my post. In a while, I’ll be promoted to Vice Admiral. This trip is official business." Richard Shaw gave a light cough. So-called "official business" was nothing but a cover; coming to chase his wife was the main mission.
He hadn’t been idle this past month either. Since the higher-ups blocked his request to go abroad, the man got angry. If they were so worried about him leaving the country, then he might as well go back and continue being a Major General with real power. And so, the Shaw Family gate, which hadn’t really moved in decades, stirred, causing quite a spectacular commotion.
In just a month, Richard Shaw returned to the Military District, and some of the forces that tried to stand in his way ended up losing both the bride and their soldiers—suffering a double loss.
He glossed over all of that. Seeing Leah in a pink dress, a snow-white fur jacket over it, her large black-and-white eyes looking up at him, pure and stunning, made his old face flush slightly. He reached out and took her hand, then pulled her into his arms, pressed his chin against the top of her head, and called out hoarsely, "Leah."
Leah was held tightly in his embrace. She was just about to tell him not to mess up her hair, when she realized the man was practically squeezing her waist in half and, in the end, all he could do was call her name. Not a word of explanation, not a single sweet nothing—she couldn’t help but smile.
This was the Richard Shaw she knew. Over ten years, he hadn’t changed at all. He looked stiff and unbending, yet he was the most steadfast, loyal man.
She liked this kind of upright, dull, taciturn man. With him around, it felt like even if the sky fell, he would hold it up for her.
"Blockhead Shaw, why is it you never change your heart?" Leah asked softly.
"Maybe I’m too boring. Aside from Leah, no other girl would like me." The man’s voice was low, his tea-colored eyes full of laughter. Maybe in the eyes of the world, the sons of the Shaw Family were low-key and mysterious, their power sky-high. But what those people saw was only the hard shell he showed on the outside. All these years, his soft heart had only ever opened for her. Only she could enter the depths of his soul, and only she could stand by his side, holding up this century-old family with him, and accompany him to the end.
Richard Shaw was a lonely man, one who carried far too many responsibilities on his shoulders.
"I don’t like you at all." Leah snorted.
"I’m the one who likes you." Richard Shaw’s voice grew even lower, and he let out a quiet laugh.
"Leah, go check if Griffith Squire’s here yet?" Delphine hurriedly called as she came out of the small villa. "He called ten minutes ago saying he was at the gate, but we still haven’t seen him."
Delphine was caught off guard by the sight of the two of them embracing under the wall lamp. Seeing the tall, steady man practically wrapping Leah entirely in his arms, she froze for a second, then her eyes curved with a smile as she said, "I didn’t see anything. You two carry on. Uh, maybe pick another spot to cuddle— the groom’s about to arrive to pick up his bride."
