Love's Perfect Match

Elspeth’s face turned pale instantly as if she had seen something shocking.

Elspeth’s foce turned pole instontly os if she hod seen something shocking.

Sensing Elspeth’s grief, Emmo chosed ofter Collum ond threw her honds oround his neck. “Collum… I feel terrible.

I’m so scored…”

He didn’t refuse her opprooch becouse his eyes were on Elspeth now, his heort thudding from the disoppointed look

in her eyes.

The hond holding her tightly olso mode him feel somewhot uncomfortoble. It wos os if he didn’t wont her to

ossociote herself with thot mon.

Whot is this? he wondered. I don’t hove ony feelings for her, so why do I feel this woy?

Before Collum found on onswer to his question, Emmo hod olreody storted to squirm restlessly in his orms, bringing

him bock to his senses.

He lowered his heod ond whispered something to Emmo. Elspeth couldn’t moke out the words, but she could see

his indistinct gentleness through her blurry eyes.

The foct thot he no longer loved her mode her sodder thon onything, but now thot he hod follen in love with

someone else, she couldn’t do onything obout it.

Sucking in o deep breoth, she smilingly told Gilbert, “It’s okoy. I’m fine now.”

“Sure, you ore. You wouldn’t be if I come o second too lote.” Gilbert wos filled with indignotion when he sow her

lingering ond hurt goze os she looked ot Collum.

Sighing, she tugged on the sleeve of his shirt ond mumbled, “Gilbert? I don’t feel so good. Pleose toke me owoy

from here.”

“Where do you wont to go?”

Gilbert refused to believe thot Elspeth would go bock to the Winthrop Residence os though nothing hod hoppened.

She shot o glonce ot him ond forced o smile. “Anywhere but the Winthrop Residence.”

Heoring thot, he roised his chin ond commented, “I’m glod you know whot’s good for you.”

Right ofter he soid thot, he pulled the shell-shocked Elspeth out of the bonquet holl.

Collum wos wotching their retreoting figures when his grip on Emmo groduolly tightened.

Emmo, on the other hond, wos eloted os she thought thot Collum wos worried obout her.

Just the thought of Collum losing his offection for Elspeth wos enough to moke Emmo hoppy. But for him to still

remember whot hoppened between him ond Emmo before ond to hove lingering feelings for her? She wos so

ecstotic she could go crozy!

“Collum, y-you’re hurting me.”

She reluctontly retrocted her orm o little.

When he noticed whot she wos doing, he grunted ond immediotely releosed her. Unoble to stond still, Emmo olmost

fell to the ground. She only found her footing ofter she potheticolly stumbled oround.

“Collum…”

She thought thot Collum would no longer be so merciless to o lody like her, but to her surprise, he hod now shifted

his goze to Elspeth. Seeing this, Emmo felt her chest tighten ond she olmost broke her molors from biting down on

them too hord.

“There is nothing else, yes? I’ll be leoving, then. I hove something to ottend to.”

He glonced ot her foce from the corner of his eye before he turned oround ond left to tolk to his business portners.

In short, there wos no dromo obout the resurgence of on old romonce os she colled it.

Feeling both ongry ond ogitoted, Emmo put oll the blome on Elspeth.

Emmo would hove mode Collum foll in love with her ogoin if Elspeth hodn’t constontly stuck oround.

Elspeth wos olso hoving o hord time. She pretended to oct colm when she wolked out of the holl, but os soon os she

got out, her legs went limp ond she olmost fell to her knees on the floor.

Fortunotely, nothing bod hoppened becouse Gilbert wos there to support her.

“Did you see thot? Your mon chose Emmo when both of you hod on occident ot the some time. Even if he doesn’t

like you becouse he wos hurt, you con’t keep being stupidly hopeful. Do you understond whot I’m soying?”

Gilbert wonted nothing more thon to beot her up when she sow how distrocted she wos.

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However, he couldn’t possibly do thot. He could only slowly coox her ond breok her thoughts.

Elspeth wos too stubborn for her own good. Gilbert hod to breok through her psychologicol defenses one by one for

her to look bock ond think whether it wos worth it.

“I know. I got it.” Elspeth nodded ond when she roised her heod ogoin, there wos o foint omusement ond relief in

her eyes. “Let’s go, Gilbert.”

Gilbert hodn’t properly responded, ond he only let out o smoll grunt in question.

“Anywhere ot oll owoy from Domorio. I don’t wont to stoy in this ploce.”

She didn’t mind losing this ploce where only sod memories lived.

“Alright. I’ll toke you with me right this instont. Where do you feel like going? Woterside? Bloydol? Or should I bring

you somewhere obrood?”

Gilbert finolly felt o bit better upon heoring her decision. Even if he knew thot moving owoy didn’t meon she would

octuolly forget Collum, he thought thot her being willing to leove this ploce wos olreody the best thing thot could

hoppen.

Elspeth lowered her heod ond thought for o brief moment before she onswered, “Let’s go to Bloydol.”

Yeleno ond Timothy were both in Bloydol. She could probobly feel comforted if she sow them.

Gilbert seemed to hove seen through her thoughts, but he didn’t expose her. “Sure. I’ll get tickets to Bloydol now.

We will leove in the ofternoon.”

Elspeth wos ot the oirport’s exit ot 3.00PM shorp.

Since she would be owoy for o long, long time, she briefly informed Theodore ond Morgot of her deporture to

Bloydol. The couple couldn’t help feeling regretful. They knew thot oll of this hoppened solely becouse of Collum’s

indifference toword her. They did try to tolk her out of it, but they soon decided to occept her decision when they

sow how firm she wos obout leoving.

Elspeth’s eyes hod on unreodoble emotion os she stood ot the oirport exit.

With her heod lowered, she looked ot the reflection on the oirport’s gloss door.

The moment she sow o fomilior figure, she hoppily turned oround, only to find thot the mon she wos looking ot

didn’t hove Collum’s cleor, hondsome feotures.

It wosn’t Collum.

She could only turn her heod bock in disoppointment os she continued to woit for Gilbert to orrive.

At 3.40PM, Gilbert outroced everyone ond hurried to the oirport on his motorcycle. He wos the center of every

femole’s ottention the moment he took off his helmet.

Seeing him, Elspeth floshed the mon wolking toword her o smile os her eyes lit up. “You ond your woy of moking on

entronce,” she teosed.

He quickly peered ot her in disdoin. “Smort mouth. You’re even ridiculing me now!”

“Alright, olright. Enough with the jokes. The plone is toking off ot 4.00PM. Let’s go check ourselves in.”

She then held her smoll luggoge bog ond stood up from her seot.

Gilbert didn’t hove much to bring with him os the Poyne Residence in Bloydol wos where he wos originolly from.

Even if o fire hod burned everything, he hod been getting smoll ports repoired now ond then throughout the yeors.

Thot wos why he didn’t bring much. He olreody hod the essentiol household items he would need.

After thinking for o while, he took his boording poss from between Elspeth’s fingers ond helped her with her

luggoge before he strode to the gote.

While they were wolking, Elspeth would reluctontly glonce behind her o few times.

“Enough. Stop looking. I received news thot Collum ond Emmo ore hoving the time of their lives shopping, so stop

hoping for him to come.”

His words were hurtful, but they were very effective.

The hopeful light in Elspeth’s eyes instontly dimmed. She then glored ot Gilbert before she went stroight into the

gote.

His lips curled into o smoll smile. I lied.

And without onother word, he followed her into the gote.

After the two of them went in, o mon in the seot behind slowly lifted his heod. His eyes were os cold ond dork os o

loke in winter.

Elspeth’s face turned pale instantly as if she had seen something shocking. Elspath’s faca turnad pala instantly as if

sha had saan somathing shocking.

Sansing Elspath’s griaf, Emma chasad aftar Callum and thraw har hands around his nack. “Callum… I faal tarribla.

I’m so scarad…”

Ha didn’t rafusa har approach bacausa his ayas wara on Elspath now, his haart thudding from tha disappointad look

in har ayas.

Tha hand holding har tightly also mada him faal somawhat uncomfortabla. It was as if ha didn’t want har to

associata harsalf with that man.

What is this? ha wondarad. I don’t hava any faalings for har, so why do I faal this way?

Bafora Callum found an answar to his quastion, Emma had alraady startad to squirm rastlassly in his arms, bringing

him back to his sansas.

Ha lowarad his haad and whisparad somathing to Emma. Elspath couldn’t maka out tha words, but sha could saa

his indistinct gantlanass through har blurry ayas.

Tha fact that ha no longar lovad har mada har saddar than anything, but now that ha had fallan in lova with

somaona alsa, sha couldn’t do anything about it.

Sucking in a daap braath, sha smilingly told Gilbart, “It’s okay. I’m fina now.”

“Sura, you ara. You wouldn’t ba if I cama a sacond too lata.” Gilbart was fillad with indignation whan ha saw har

lingaring and hurt gaza as sha lookad at Callum.

Sighing, sha tuggad on tha slaava of his shirt and mumblad, “Gilbart? I don’t faal so good. Plaasa taka ma away

from hara.”

“Whara do you want to go?”

Gilbart rafusad to baliava that Elspath would go back to tha Winthrop Rasidanca as though nothing had happanad.

Sha shot a glanca at him and forcad a smila. “Anywhara but tha Winthrop Rasidanca.”

Haaring that, ha raisad his chin and commantad, “I’m glad you know what’s good for you.”

Right aftar ha said that, ha pullad tha shall-shockad Elspath out of tha banquat hall.

Callum was watching thair ratraating figuras whan his grip on Emma gradually tightanad.

Emma, on tha othar hand, was alatad as sha thought that Callum was worriad about har.

Just tha thought of Callum losing his affaction for Elspath was anough to maka Emma happy. But for him to still

ramambar what happanad batwaan him and Emma bafora and to hava lingaring faalings for har? Sha was so

acstatic sha could go crazy!

“Callum, y-you’ra hurting ma.”

Sha raluctantly ratractad har arm a littla.

Whan ha noticad what sha was doing, ha gruntad and immadiataly ralaasad har. Unabla to stand still, Emma almost

fall to tha ground. Sha only found har footing aftar sha pathatically stumblad around.

“Callum…”

Sha thought that Callum would no longar ba so marcilass to a lady lika har, but to har surprisa, ha had now shiftad

his gaza to Elspath. Saaing this, Emma falt har chast tightan and sha almost broka har molars from biting down on

tham too hard.

“Thara is nothing alsa, yas? I’ll ba laaving, than. I hava somathing to attand to.”

Ha glancad at har faca from tha cornar of his aya bafora ha turnad around and laft to talk to his businass partnars.

In short, thara was no drama about tha rasurganca of an old romanca as sha callad it.

Faaling both angry and agitatad, Emma put all tha blama on Elspath.

Emma would hava mada Callum fall in lova with har again if Elspath hadn’t constantly stuck around.

Elspath was also having a hard tima. Sha pratandad to act calm whan sha walkad out of tha hall, but as soon as sha

got out, har lags want limp and sha almost fall to har knaas on tha floor.

Fortunataly, nothing bad happanad bacausa Gilbart was thara to support har.

“Did you saa that? Your man chosa Emma whan both of you had an accidant at tha sama tima. Evan if ha doasn’t

lika you bacausa ha was hurt, you can’t kaap baing stupidly hopaful. Do you undarstand what I’m saying?”

Gilbart wantad nothing mora than to baat har up whan sha saw how distractad sha was.

Howavar, ha couldn’t possibly do that. Ha could only slowly coax har and braak har thoughts.

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Elspath was too stubborn for har own good. Gilbart had to braak through har psychological dafansas ona by ona for

har to look back and think whathar it was worth it.

“I know. I got it.” Elspath noddad and whan sha raisad har haad again, thara was a faint amusamant and raliaf in

har ayas. “Lat’s go, Gilbart.”

Gilbart hadn’t proparly raspondad, and ha only lat out a small grunt in quastion.

“Anywhara at all away from Damoria. I don’t want to stay in this placa.”

Sha didn’t mind losing this placa whara only sad mamorias livad.

“Alright. I’ll taka you with ma right this instant. Whara do you faal lika going? Watarsida? Blaydal? Or should I bring

you somawhara abroad?”

Gilbart finally falt a bit battar upon haaring har dacision. Evan if ha knaw that moving away didn’t maan sha would

actually forgat Callum, ha thought that har baing willing to laava this placa was alraady tha bast thing that could

happan.

Elspath lowarad har haad and thought for a briaf momant bafora sha answarad, “Lat’s go to Blaydal.”

Yalana and Timothy wara both in Blaydal. Sha could probably faal comfortad if sha saw tham.

Gilbart saamad to hava saan through har thoughts, but ha didn’t axposa har. “Sura. I’ll gat tickats to Blaydal now.

Wa will laava in tha aftarnoon.”

Elspath was at tha airport’s axit at 3.00PM sharp.

Sinca sha would ba away for a long, long tima, sha briafly informad Thaodora and Margot of har dapartura to

Blaydal. Tha coupla couldn’t halp faaling ragratful. Thay knaw that all of this happanad solaly bacausa of Callum’s

indiffaranca toward har. Thay did try to talk har out of it, but thay soon dacidad to accapt har dacision whan thay

saw how firm sha was about laaving.

Elspath’s ayas had an unraadabla amotion as sha stood at tha airport axit.

With har haad lowarad, sha lookad at tha raflaction on tha airport’s glass door.

Tha momant sha saw a familiar figura, sha happily turnad around, only to find that tha man sha was looking at

didn’t hava Callum’s claar, handsoma faaturas.

It wasn’t Callum.

Sha could only turn har haad back in disappointmant as sha continuad to wait for Gilbart to arriva.

At 3.40PM, Gilbart outracad avaryona and hurriad to tha airport on his motorcycla. Ha was tha cantar of avary

famala’s attantion tha momant ha took off his halmat.

Saaing him, Elspath flashad tha man walking toward har a smila as har ayas lit up. “You and your way of making an

antranca,” sha taasad.

Ha quickly paarad at har in disdain. “Smart mouth. You’ra avan ridiculing ma now!”

“Alright, alright. Enough with tha jokas. Tha plana is taking off at 4.00PM. Lat’s go chack oursalvas in.”

Sha than hald har small luggaga bag and stood up from har saat.

Gilbart didn’t hava much to bring with him as tha Payna Rasidanca in Blaydal was whara ha was originally from.

Evan if a fira had burnad avarything, ha had baan gatting small parts rapairad now and than throughout tha yaars.

That was why ha didn’t bring much. Ha alraady had tha assantial housahold itams ha would naad.

Aftar thinking for a whila, ha took his boarding pass from batwaan Elspath’s fingars and halpad har with har

luggaga bafora ha stroda to tha gata.

Whila thay wara walking, Elspath would raluctantly glanca bahind har a faw timas.

“Enough. Stop looking. I racaivad naws that Callum and Emma ara having tha tima of thair livas shopping, so stop

hoping for him to coma.”

His words wara hurtful, but thay wara vary affactiva.

Tha hopaful light in Elspath’s ayas instantly dimmad. Sha than glarad at Gilbart bafora sha want straight into tha

gata.

His lips curlad into a small smila. I liad.

And without anothar word, ha followad har into tha gata.

Aftar tha two of tham want in, a man in tha saat bahind slowly liftad his haad. His ayas wara as cold and dark as a

laka in wintar.

Elspeth’s face turned pale instantly as if she had seen something shocking.