Chapter 364 THE WEDDING
I noticed then that Carter’s attitude toward Yael had softened a little.
Maybe now that he understood more about the Blackwells and Amber, he no longer saw Yael the same way. Yael had never personally taken part in trying to kill me. And Carter, who had always longed for real family warmth, seemed just a little more willing to treat him kindly.
The next day was Whitney’s wedding.
I found her downstairs with the Morrigans. Greg’s head was wrapped in bandages, and Josh had taken his medicine. After resting for a night, they looked much better. Kate glanced at me carefully, but Josh and Greg still held themselves with that same proud, irritating attitude.
They kept looking at me from time to time.
Waiting.
They were waiting for me to apologize, just like I always used to. In the past, whenever I was blamed for something, I was the one who bent first just to keep the peace.
But that Elena was gone.
I didn’t even spare them a glance.
I walked straight to Whitney.
“The wedding staff just arrived with the bouquets,” I told her. “Come see which one you like.”
Josh gave a cold snort the moment he realized I was ignoring them.
“Your brother is injured, and you can’t even pretend to care?”
“Care?” I said flatly. “I think Carl didn’t hit him hard enough. He should have knocked out a few of Greg’s teeth so he’d finally stop talking.”
“Elena, you’re being unreasonable!”
I turned and looked at him at last.
“Am I? Maybe I should knock out a few of yours too.”
Kate hurriedly stepped in. “Elena, maybe we were wrong. But for the past six months, I haven’t had a single peaceful night because of your death. We’ve already suffered enough. We’re family. Don’t hold a grudge anymore. Go apologize to your father and brother.”
Before I could lose my temper, Whitney quickly grabbed my arm.
“Elena, come help me choose a bouquet.”
“Sure,” I said at once. “Let’s go.”
“Elena, come back here!”
Come back?
The Elena they knew was long gone.
I didn’t even turn my head as I walked away with Whitney.
After we got some distance, Whitney bit her lip and looked at me apologetically.
“Elena, I’m sorry. It’s my fault your relationship with them turned out like this.”
“Don’t blame yourself for everything,” I said quietly. “None of this is our fault. It’s theirs. I won’t stop you from being kind to them, but to me, they’re not family anymore. Let’s not talk about it.”
I held her hand as we walked. In the back of my mind, one thought kept bothering me. After the wedding, would Vito really let the Morrigans go? Or would he keep them as leverage so Whitney couldn’t leave?
Still, seeing her family again had clearly lifted her spirits.
In the past, Vito always made the decisions and Whitney simply followed. But today was different. Today she was choosing things for herself, even picking the dress Kate would wear.
For Whitney, just having her family close again was enough to make her happy.
And like I had said before, this might be the only wedding she ever had. Of course she wanted to know what it felt like to truly be a bride.
Her attitude toward Vito was softer too.
I watched her hold his arm and say, “What if I wear this jewelry tomorrow? You gave it to me on my birthday two years ago.”
Vito’s eyes lit up instantly.
“You remember that?”
“Of course I remember everything you’ve given me,” Whitney said softly. “And this bow too. You gave it to me when I was five.”
Vito smiled and gently fixed the hairpin in her hair.
“I remember,” he said. “You cried so hard after the flood washed away the one your brother gave you. I went through more than two thousand designs to find one that looked just like it.”
So Yael had been right.
Vito really had been spoiling Whitney all these years in his own twisted way.
Whitney gave him a small smile and nudged his arm.
“Tomorrow is our wedding, but my family hasn’t bathed in forever. They smell awful. Can you let them clean up?”
Vito’s smile faded a little.
“So this is really about them?”
“I’m thinking about us too,” she said quickly. “If they smell bad on our big day, it’ll ruin the mood. Don’t you think?”
Then she pouted and added softly, “Please, Tay.”
Vito quickly covered her mouth.
“Don’t call me that,” he muttered. “Elena is still here.”
I could see the tips of his ears turning red.
I cleared my throat and looked away.
“You two continue. Don’t mind me.”
I quietly walked out, no longer wanting to stand in the middle of their moment.
As I stepped away, I could still hear Whitney’s playful voice drifting behind me.
“Tay, won’t you help your future in-laws?”
Whitney really gave everything she had for the Morrigans. She never held anything back when it came to them, even when they didn’t deserve it at all.
Because of her, Vito finally arranged for them to bathe that night. It was such a small thing, something most people would barely think about, but for Whitney, it mattered deeply. Even after everything that had happened, she still couldn’t stop caring about them. No matter how much pain they had caused her, that bond in her heart refused to fade and htta is why she is who she is.
Amber, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested in the Morrigans at all. Their situation didn’t appear to concern her in the slightest. Maybe she was simply too tired after dealing with me these past few days. Or maybe she just didn’t care enough to stay involved. Either way, she packed up quietly and returned to the Doltons overnight. After that, I didn’t see her again for the rest of the day which should have been a good sign.