Chapter 743:

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She attempted to dismiss them, but her eyes swept the hall searching for Julian. Despite the crowd pressing around her, he had vanished completely.

Had he fled the scene?

She endured the remainder of the evening in distracted numbness.

The night stretched on, endlessly black and bitter with cold.

Katherine had changed into practical clothing for her departure, but Cayson intercepted her path.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Cayson spoke with measured formality.

“Ms. Clarke, if you could spare a moment. Mr. Nash requests a private audience.”

Katherine had expected this confrontation.

She followed Cayson to the threshold of a room. The moment she pushed the door open, strong fingers seized her wrist and yanked her into the shadows beyond.

Katherine instinctively covered her abdomen, ready to fight back, but the fire in her faded the instant she caught sight of Julian’s cold expression.

He stood close, but the warmth she once knew was gone. His stare was sharp, unforgiving, and the hand gripping her throat spoke of restrained fury.

“You owe me an explanation,” he said through clenched teeth. His pulse pounded against her fragile skin. “Tell me, Katherine, why did you marry me?”

The question left her stunned. Though he had her life in his hands, fear did not come—only an aching numbness.

“You’ve questioned me about that before.”

“This time, I want the truth.”

A sharp pain twisted inside her chest. What truth could she offer now? Once, she had loved him with everything she had. Then that love had been reduced to pieces too jagged to put back together. Whether she still felt anything or not, what did it matter now? Everything was beyond repair.

Still, the look in his eyes told her he hadn’t moved on.

She met his gaze and spoke softly.

“You already know. Why force me to say it?”

Julian gripped her throat tighter. His voice cracked—loud and raw.

“You chose me because I resembled him, didn’t you? Was I nothing more than a stand-in?”

Katherine’s lips trembled as she whispered,

“Yes.”

Now his last flicker of hope had been snuffed out completely. He slowly released her, lips pulling into a crooked, bitter smile.

“You thought he died, so you came to me. Now that he’s returned, you didn’t hesitate to leave me. So tell me, after everything we’ve been through, what did I ever mean to you? Did you never love me at all?”

Katherine’s lashes trembled. The truth floated on her tongue, but she forced it back down, letting silence stretch between them. Bitterness rose like a tide, choking her from the inside.

Julian looked like he was about to lose control and drag her into his chaos at any moment. But there was also a desperate, quiet plea in his eyes, begging her to say something.

She glanced downward, and tears slipped down her cheeks, landing on his hand.

“Please… let me go.”

It felt like someone had plunged a dagger into his chest. Maybe she had loved him once—but only because his face reminded her of Colten’s.

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