The wedding was imminent, the registration about to happen, yet her sister had run away at the last minute. Julia Bluen could easily imagine the Horne Family's rage.
Just yesterday, she had suffered a heartbreaking breakup, cruelly abandoned by her boyfriend, and was emotionally devastated—Glades Horne had even consoled her. Little did she know, fortune's wheel turns. Only a day later, it was Glades Horne who was brutally abandoned, betrayed by his own fiancée, her sister.
What a cruel joke fate had played!
The hand holding Glades Horne's cell phone slowly dropped. His face darkened, a mask of fury, his eyes, sharp as swords, filled with rage, but more than that, with pain and confusion.
If Ruby Bluen didn't want to get married, she could have just said so—he would never have forced her.
Yet she said nothing and chose to run away at this crucial time. Had she been playing him all along?
How could she do this?
The sting of betrayal was agonizing, especially from a girlfriend he had loved for many years. Only those who had experienced it could truly understand such pain.
Glades Horne turned his head to look at the Civil Affairs Office, and a cold smirk suddenly escaped his lips. How ironic!
He, the great Young Master of the Horne Family, respected and feared by all, the man women dreamed of marrying, had actually been abandoned!
Glades Horne immediately made several phone calls, asking for assistance in finding Ruby Bluen's whereabouts.
He needed to know why Ruby Bluen had run away from the wedding.
After making the calls, he got back into the car, cast an ironic glance at the Civil Affairs Office, and then drove away, heading towards the Bluen Family's villa in Grand Courtyard Garden.
「Half an hour later.」
He arrived at the Bluen home.
Unsurprisingly, he encountered every member of the Bluen Family—except, of course, for Ruby Bluen, the runaway bride.
Chris Bluen was waiting at the villa's front gate. Upon seeing Glades Horne, he immediately hurried over, personally opening the car door. As he welcomed Glades out of the car, he anxiously called out, "My dear nephew, my dear nephew." Chris usually addressed him as Glades in a friendly manner. But now, with Ruby suddenly fleeing the wedding, the Bluen Family clearly felt guilty towards the Horne Family, and especially towards Glades Horne. Chris was both furious and terrified, so he naturally changed his mode of address.
Julia Bluen, supporting Scarlett Taylor, stood at the doorway. She looked guiltily at Glades Horne as he stepped out of the car, radiating an icy fury. Even Leo Bluen, who was rarely home, stood beside Scarlett Taylor, apology written all over his face.
Glades Horne didn't speak. His lips were tightly pursed, his handsome face as stoic and hard as marble, his expression grim. His tall, strong frame seemed engulfed in fury from head to toe.
His gaze first landed on Julia, then scanned over everyone else before he strode grim-faced into the house.
All the Bluens are here, he thought. That means they still haven't found Ruby.
"Julia," Chris Bluen said, his voice laced with growing fear as he observed Glades Horne's anger. Because of the two families' close relationship, he understood Glades Horne far better than outsiders did; this man was calm until provoked, but his fury could shake the world! What worried him most was that the Bluen family was unequivocally at fault. "Julia, Glades has always been very considerate of you. You must comfort him as much as possible and speak on our family's behalf. Your sister, she..."
Chris Bluen didn't continue, his well-maintained face seeming to age a decade in an instant.
He shook his head, lamenting his family's misfortune and berating himself for failing to raise his daughter properly, then followed Glades Horne into the house.
Julia Bluen and the others also entered.
Everyone sat in the living room in silence. It was extremely quiet, yet the atmosphere was incredibly awkward.
After a long pause, Glades Horne lifted his sharp gaze, stared at Chris Bluen, and asked coldly, "Tell me, why did Ruby run away from the wedding?"
"She... she didn't say. She only left two letters, one for us and one for you. She didn't give any reasons." Chris Bluen and Scarlett Taylor exchanged a look. It was Scarlett Taylor who responded to Glades Horne's question. Then she stood up to fetch the two letters Ruby Bluen had left behind.
Julia Bluen silently prepared a cup of ginseng tea and gently placed it before Glades Horne. "Glades," she said apologetically, "please have some tea." Hopefully, it will help him cool down.
Glades Horne didn't pick up the tea but looked at Julia Bluen again, though he remained silent.
Scarlett Taylor quickly returned with the letters Ruby Bluen had left.
The envelope addressed to Glades Horne was still sealed; no one had dared to open his letter. He took it, broke the seal, and read it. His lips tightened even further. The letter Ruby Bluen left was indeed very simple, containing just one sentence: "Glades, I'm sorry, I'm leaving. For the sake of our shared childhood, please don't look for me."
Ruby Bluen knew that fleeing the wedding would not earn Glades Horne's forgiveness. She didn't dare plead on the basis of their years of courtship, but rather on the years they had grown up together, begging him not to look for her. She was aware of Glades Horne's power and influence. If he decided to find her, he could, even if she ran to the ends of the earth.
The Bluen family watched Glades Horne carefully, terrified he might explode with anger. Fortunately, although Glades Horne's expression was very grim, he didn't lash out at them. Instead, he crumpled the letter Ruby had left for him into a ball, tossed it forcefully onto the floor in the distance, and stood up to leave coldly.
"My dear nephew!" Chris Bluen hurriedly chased after him, blocking Glades Horne's path. He bowed deeply, his face filled with remorse as he said, "I'm sorry. Our Bluen family owes you an apology. It is I, Chris Bluen, who failed to raise my daughter well. I'm so sorry."
Glades Horne shot Chris Bluen a dark look, his lips still pressed tightly together. He bypassed Chris Bluen and strode towards the exit.
"Glades..."
Julia's call failed to make him pause.
Glades Horne's silent departure filled the Bluen family with even greater anxiety.
Thus, without waiting for a call of reprimand from the Horne Family, Chris Bluen took his family to the Horne's grand villa to beg for forgiveness.
Actually, the Horne Family was still unaware that Ruby Bluen had fled the wedding. When Glades Horne returned home, he didn't say a word and went straight upstairs. Once he reached the top floor, he called off the search for Ruby Bluen. Ruby had made her stance clear. Even if he found her, she wouldn't marry him.
What infuriated him most was that Ruby hadn't given him any reason for leaving. Was he not good enough? Or had he made her feel insecure in some way?