Ascension Of The Villain

Chapter 147 - 147: In Another Lifetime

The music swelled as Iyana and Easton joined the waltzing couples, the firelight casting a warm, almost deceptive glow over their figures. The elegant rhythm of the dance did little to quell the unease gnawing at Iyana's thoughts.

As they moved in sync, Iyana broke the silence, her voice edged with quiet tension. "Where have you been, Your Imperial Highness? You have been absent since yesterday."

Easton met her gaze, and for a brief moment, an apology flickered in his eyes. "I apologize for my abrupt departure. Urgent matters required my attention in the capital—things that couldn't be delayed."

Iyana scrutinized his expression,

Oh, lord, how am I supposed to ever let her go even after all this—even after she has rejected me? How could I walk away knowing that she would never be mine?

The temptation to close the distance between them, to kiss her one last time, flickered in his mind.

But as he looked into her eyes—searching for someone else—Easton realized that doing so wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't make her love him, wouldn't erase the words she had just spoken. All it would do was leave them both with another memory tinged with regret.

So, instead of giving in to that fleeting impulse, he gently released her hand, his fingers brushing against hers one last time as if memorizing the feel of her skin.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was quieter, tinged with a sadness that he could no longer hide. "Iyana," he said softly, "I truly wish things could have been different between us. I wish maybe we could be together in another lifetime."

He took a small step back, giving her space, even as every fiber of his being screamed to pull her closer. But he knew better. Easton had always been the one who kept his emotions tightly controlled, and he wouldn't let them spill out now—not when it could only cause more pain.

"Goodbye," with that, Easton turned away and vowed to never falter again.

He would now dedicate himself entirely to his first and foremost duty, something he should have done from the first. Maybe that would have spared him the excruciating heartbreak.

But as he walked away, there was someone standing in the corner of the ball who gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh, my fucking God, there was supposed to be a kiss between the main leads," she muttered under her breath in shock. "How the hell did the story plot line change like this?"