Thousands of Brilliant Stars: You Deserve the Best!-Chapter 159: Vengeance and Love Repaid, Five Years Is Not Too Late

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Vengeance and Love Repaid, Five Years Is Not Too Late

No difference.

No difference.

When the words "No difference" are spoken by others, Lachlan Wyatt feels no emotion.

But when they come from Iris Crawford, it feels like the end of the world is about to crash down on him in the next second, his face turns ashen, and after hearing Iris’s painful words, he staggers back two steps in shock.

"No difference?"

Lachlan feels as if his heart has been torn out, "Iris, am I really the same as Jordan Jacobs in your eyes?"

"The fall I took because of you hurts more than the one because of him." Iris murmurs, as if the pain has seeped into her bones, "It hurts too much, Lachlan..."

Jordan Jacobs made Iris lose all hope with a single strike, but Lachlan, what about you?

You have ground my heart against your blade until it’s almost indistinguishable.

Iris’s face is streaked with tears she doesn’t even have time to wipe away, "That child was yours, how could you stand by and watch..."

"Your cold indifference killed your own child!"

Iris hurls something beside her to the floor, unable to find an outlet for her emotions, even if it’s unseemly, even if it’s improper...

She always strived for perfection, but now she couldn’t care less about appearances. Her actions shocked Lachlan, and fearing for Iris’s well-being, he steps forward to hold her, "Iris, let me explain, all of it is in the past..."

"The past?"

Iris pounds Lachlan’s chest with her fists; it shouldn’t hurt, but even slightest touch makes him feel like he’s shattering.

What should I do, Iris, what should I do with you?

"That was a human life! A human life!"

Iris points a trembling finger at her own chest with a force that could pierce through, her tears shaking, as if all her strength has been drained away, the belated truth hitting her like a wrecking ball.

Lachlan, how am I supposed to face you in the future?

"You might be accustomed to being detached, but you never imagined..." Iris laughs bitterly, her eyes rimmed with red, "Your indifference two years ago killed your child! Lachlan, this is the debt your child pays for you. You deserve it! Lachlan, you’re unworthy of love, and so am I!"

This sentence doesn’t only pierce Lachlan’s heart, it pierces her own.

She loved Lachlan so dearly, loved his careless yet sharp nature, loved how he saw through everything with meticulous thought, loved his wildness untamed and never yielding.

She loved such an unrestrained, vibrant beast, loved him living in his own world, but never thought that the beast’s fangs were piercing her from the start.

"I’m a complete joke."

Iris doesn’t know who she’s speaking to.

Lachlan says he’s not afraid, but that’s a lie.

In the past, he had full confidence, perhaps pretending to be pitiful could make Iris soften, but now, in this moment, the brutal reality needs no act from him.

"Iris, don’t think like that, we can have another child..." Lachlan is in so much pain that he doesn’t know what to say, "Don’t marry Dante, let’s start over, okay?"

Start over?

But Lachlan, the damage is irreversible, we’re beyond going back.

Iris’s eyes are filled with hatred, as if her loathing for Lachlan has reached its peak.

As she is about to speak, Iris raises her hand, ready to slap Lachlan with more force than ever.

But it doesn’t land.

Lachlan closes his eyes, prepared to endure Iris’s wrath, but to his surprise, the slap never comes.

He opens his eyes to find Iris standing in front of him, struggling to hold back tears, her hand so close to his face, but she suppresses herself.

"Why?"

If you hate me, why don’t you punish me?

"I don’t want to clean up the mess." In that instant, Iris smiles strikingly, "I won’t give you another chance, nor any leeway for redemption. You don’t need me to retaliate against you, just as long as I no longer love you. Lachlan, you’ll soon meet a terrible end."

Just as long as I no longer love you.

You’ll soon meet a terrible end.

Lachlan has to admit, among all the ways Iris shut him out and the harsh words she’s spoken, this sentence is the cruelest.

Cutting to the bone.

He doesn’t even know when Iris turned and left; the slap never landed on his face.

In the end, she didn’t even give him closure.

Yet, the face that wasn’t slapped still aches.

It is in this moment that Lachlan realizes, perhaps it is destiny’s trick, giving him everything except the ability to love someone. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

And he insists on opposing the one he loves most.

Iris has left many times, but as long as he chased after her, she’d always stop.

But this time, Iris really never came back.

******

On the day of Iris’s wedding, she chose a secret ceremony, but the news inevitably leaked to the outside. To pacify public opinion, Dante crafted an image of Iris as down-to-earth, claiming that the Princess did not want to waste resources on a grand ceremony, which is why the Royal Family didn’t host a lavish wedding.

Everything was kept simple.

In the modest wedding, Iris looked especially beautiful in her gown. She was a woman reborn from pain, her gaze ten times more resolute than ordinary people’s, like a soldier surviving a battlefield.

Dante placed a large diamond ring on Iris’s finger, and the Royal Family’s servants wore expressions of envy.

But below, Orion Crawford clutched James Chesterton and bawled, "You understand how I feel, right? Chestnut, what if your sister gets married..."

James, who was originally marveling at Iris’s beauty, upon hearing Seraphina was getting married, immediately clung to Orion, and the two men cried together. James even pointed at Seraphina saying, "You are not allowed to marry! You will stay at the Chesterton Family for the rest of your life, and anyone who dares to court you—boohoo—I’ll fight them to the death! It’s just jail, so what? Look at the people in Sutton’s novels, who the hell hasn’t been to jail!"

Seraphina, both laughing and crying, held a bouquet in her hands, "But I just caught the bouquet Iris threw down; her blessing is for me to find true love soon."

James was so desperate he wanted to stomp on the bouquet, and indeed he did—snatching it, he shoved it into Martin Hawthorne’s arms, "You take it! You go get married as soon as possible!"

Martin’s forehead veins throbbed, "Are you looking for trouble?"

From beginning to end, Lachlan never appeared.

He should have shown up; Iris was technically his sister-in-law. How could he not attend such a wedding?

But Lachlan didn’t show up.

He drank himself into oblivion, as if he were dead.

He dared not, dared not, dared not.

He didn’t even dare to love Iris, so how could he possibly face the scene of Iris marrying someone else?

Outside, laughter and joy filled the air, while Lachlan’s room was as desolate as the apocalypse.

He ultimately didn’t muster the courage to go and win Iris back.

Two years ago, he pretended to be her "savior", two years later, he is the one who needs saving.

Listening to the commotion outside, Lachlan laughed with tears streaming down his face.

Iris Crawford, you were right.

You don’t love me anymore, and it’s truly a wretched way for me to die.

******

A few days later, Lachlan Wyatt left the Royal Family and returned to his country, while Iris Crawford was to remain in the Kingdom of L henceforth.

Their lives had been exchanged.

Lachlan Wyatt, born in the Kingdom of L, had fled to the country where Iris Crawford was born.

A month later, with the agency channel remaining silent, a brief statement appeared.

[The agency has been dissolved, farewell to you all in the world]

It was from Lachlan Wyatt.

Peach trembled while holding the scalpel, despite usually priding herself on having steady hands.

James Chesterton was still busy gathering information on families whose children had unfortunately been kidnapped. He had formed a powerful civilian self-help organization, standing up in times of need, which gave him a great sense of satisfaction. The unassuming people had formed a chain to help each other, but now, he was staring blankly at the screen.

Martin Hawthorne was still practicing his punches, but he never delivered the final blow.

Sarah Shaw sat dazed in the agency, she and Patrick Pierce were the most bewildered by what had happened in the Kingdom of L. They remained at the agency, but now...

Everything was gone.

Patrick Pierce was the first to stand up, and Sarah Shaw called after him, "Where are you going?"

"Everything’s disbanded, why should I stay?" Patrick Pierce waved his phone, "I’ve left the circle anyway, just an ordinary person now, I’ll travel the world. Sarah Shaw, take good care of yourself."

Sarah Shaw cried like a child and called her brother, Elias Shaw came personally to the empty agency to pick her up, finding no one there.

"Where’s Iris Crawford?" Elias Shaw still remembered the vibrant woman.

Iris Crawford was red, the color of blood.

"Iris Crawford isn’t coming back." Sarah Shaw said while crying, "She got married, married to the First Prince of the Kingdom of L!"

Elias Shaw was stunned, "And Lachlan Wyatt?"

"I don’t know, sob."

Sarah Shaw was so angry, "How could Lachlan Wyatt let Iris Crawford marry someone else!"

Elias Shaw’s eyes were deep as he then took his sister’s hand, "Fate is fickle, and we cannot control others’ lives."

******

In the first year of Iris Crawford’s marriage to Dante, the public adored her, her personal image was too outstanding, and everyone liked this unique Princess.

Lachlan Wyatt lived alone in her former country, staying in the villa Iris Crawford would never return to, standing there every evening for a long time, but never again did anyone tease him with a playful smile saying, "Why are you just standing there, if you’ve got guts, come inside without your clothes."

Lachlan Wyatt thought Iris Crawford was the most rebellious and ruthless woman he had ever known.

In the second year of Iris Crawford’s marriage to Dante, women occasionally appeared around Lachlan Wyatt; they all had a characteristic in common, they wore red clothes, painted red nails, and their laughter was bright and unrestrained. Hector Sutton often stared at the women around Lachlan Wyatt and then said to Dane Rivers, "She looks like Iris Crawford."

"Resembles, yet none of them truly do."

Dane Rivers drank gloomily, "I can’t even find relief through these women from my longing for Iris Crawford, let alone Lachlan Wyatt."

Hector Sutton remained silent.

Every time there was a gathering, Lachlan Wyatt would arrive with great fanfare, bringing a crowd with him. But when leaving, he was always quiet and solitary, a lone silhouette.

In the third year of Iris Crawford’s marriage to Dante, Lachlan Wyatt was in his office, decisive and businesslike, seeming to have returned to the time when he loved no one, but Leo Langdon occasionally noticed Lachlan Wyatt staring blankly at his phone.

On the phone was a photo Lachlan Wyatt secretly took of Iris Crawford three years ago.

Even with phones updating so quickly, Lachlan Wyatt never changed his.

Years flew by, five years later, Leo Langdon opened the office door with a stack of documents. The CEO inside looked up, his exquisite features could still make countless women swoon, yet his eyes seemed frozen, cold and unapproachable.

Leo Langdon said, "The company has been doing better and better recently, the reports coming in are increasing, I’ve placed those that need your signature here."

"Okay." Lachlan Wyatt nodded. Though only five years had passed and he was still young, his gaze seemed to have aged in an instant.

"Additionally, Mr. Wyatt’s side is pressing very hard..."

Leo Langdon showed a hint of awkwardness, "And Miss Rowan too, she said she’s waiting for you downstairs..."

"Why is she back in the country?" Lachlan Wyatt irritably said, "I didn’t ask her to come."

"Miss Rowan came of her own accord... she’s been like this for years, as you know. Plus, Mr. Wyatt likes her." Leo Langdon sighed, "You really need to consider your lifelong matters..."

Lachlan Wyatt sneered, "Marry her for me and you can take the CEO’s seat, how about that?"

Leo Langdon shivered with fright, "I was just making a comment! Don’t be angry!"

It’s understandable why Lachlan Wyatt’s heart is hard to open, having once experienced a woman like Miss Crawford, who could easily love someone else ever again...

Leo Langdon lowered his gaze, "I saw an overseas report recently, and, and I saw... Miss Crawford."

Lachlan Wyatt’s hand shook, gripping the pen, "What about her?"

"She..." Leo Langdon was unsure of what to say next, scrambling for a topic, "Her son is quite adorable!"

Son?

Lachlan Wyatt nearly crushed the pen in his hand.

Just then, the security at the door reported, "Assistant Langdon, there’s someone causing a scene downstairs insisting on seeing Young Master Wyatt!"

Huh?

Leo Langdon glanced at Lachlan Wyatt, and to change the mood, Lachlan Wyatt stood up, adjusting his collar, "Who is it? Evelyn Rowan?"

"Apart from Miss Rowan, there’s also a... child," the security hesitantly said, "looks about five or six years old..."

Lachlan Wyatt’s brow furrowed, and as he walked down, he saw two figures in the lobby, one large and one small.

The small one wore a baseball cap with the brim pulled low, saying to Evelyn Rowan, "I arrived first, so naturally Young Master Wyatt should see me first! Ask the receptionist if you don’t believe me!"

"I’m Young Master Wyatt’s fiancée, he doesn’t have time to see annoying little kids like you!" Evelyn Rowan was looking disdainfully at the child because the receptionist had tactlessly listed the child’s name before hers on the visitor list.

Didn’t this mean that once Lachlan Wyatt was available, the child would see him before she did!

"So what if you’re the fiancée, does that give you special status?"

The child crossed his arms, "Hmph, if you’re a shareholder, maybe we can compare, but does Young Master Wyatt acknowledge your fiancée status?"

The statement left Evelyn Rowan speechless, her face red with anger, just as Lachlan Wyatt came down and asked, "What’s going on?"

"Young Master Wyatt!"

Evelyn Rowan started to go to him, wrapping an arm around Lachlan Wyatt, but Lachlan Wyatt stiffened, trying to shake her off without success.

Tsk.

Lachlan Wyatt turned to look at the child.

The child stood there, pressing down on the baseball cap brim, the showy attitude pretending to be cool, no one knew who it was imitating, saying, "Nice to meet you Young Master Wyatt, my name is Felix Crawford."