"Let them all follow; that should reassure you!"
Having said that, I didn't wait for the driver to respond; I headed straight to the square.
The fountain shot water into the air, startling a flock of pigeons into circling flight above.
The square, usually filled with the laughter of children, grew silent upon my arrival. The bodyguards, like police officers, set up a cordon that kept everyone away from me.
This spectacle drew many curious glances.
Through the mist of the fountain, I spotted a familiar figure.
He seemed isolated from the world, sitting quietly by the fountain's edge, feeding pigeons.
Seeing him again, I almost cried, thinking I would never see him again.
I walked over and sat beside him.
"Holly..." Just uttering his name choked me up, and I couldn't continue.
He looked up, smiled slightly, took my hand, and placed some pigeon feed in my palm. "Would you like to feed them?"
I nodded, my eyes brimming with tears.
"Are you pregnant?" Holly asked gently, looking at my swollen belly.
"Yes." I softly stroked my belly, feeling comfort and my mood lifted significantly.
"Live a good life with Evan," Holly said as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. His voice was serious, shedding its usual light-hearted tone.
"I'm with him because I was forced.If I have a choice,I would never be with him," I said, clutching Holly's hand earnestly.
Holly looked at our hands, then shook his head with a wry smile. "Avery, I know you. No one can force you into anything. Now that you two are expecting a child, try to move past the unpleasantness and don't be so stubborn. I just want you to be happy."
Holly's words weighed heavily on me. If I could choose, I would rather love him; it would be easier and happier.
"I'm sorry…" That seemed to be all I could offer him, though he deserved much more.
"There's nothing to apologize for. Don't feel guilty about anything; you've done nothing wrong. My kindness was freely given," Holly reassured me with a smile that hid his resignation.
His forced cheerfulness saddened me. Despite his usually carefree demeanor, I knew I had hurt him.
A flick to my forehead snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Don't look so sad; it's not like we're saying goodbye forever," Holly chided, pinching my cheek. "Be careful around Evan. That recent scandal wasn't as simple as it seemed."
"Was it you who did it?" I exclaimed, surprised.
"Do you really see me as someone who would fabricate facts and frame others?" Holly asked, half-joking.
"But how did those documents appear then?" I asked, shocked. Even if the evidence was fake, I recognized parts of it from the USB drive.
Holly stared at me intently, his expression serious. "The day once when I left the Villa, I threw the USB into the trash can in front of the villa."
So, someone must have found the USB and used its contents to fabricate the story.
Holly stepped in front of me, his tall frame blocking the sunlight. He leaned down and grasped my shoulders. "Stop being childish. Give the baby a home and both you and him a chance. He loves you.
It's always been you who walked away first; let me be the one to leave this time, or I'll never manage to let you go."
Before leaving, he slipped a small notebook into my hand, its cover emblazoned with 'Divorce Certificate,' effectively ending our sham marriage.
I sat there, watching his retreating figure, feeling a gentle ache in my heart. Those who have never let go don't know just how painful letting go can be, and I knew, Evan...
