Chapter 234: All About Fair Competition
Upon hearing these words, Waverly’s crying ceased immediately. She looked at Casimir with hopeful eyes and said, “Casimir, Raylee is right. This is a good opportunity with everyone present. Shall we clear the air? I know you’re unable to let go of your feelings for Raylee, but the three of us can’t remain entangled like this. As long as you are completely devoted to me from now on, I won’t mind that you had feelings for Raylee before.”
Casimir didn’t continue where she left off. With his gaze deeply fixed on Raylee, he asked, “Is everything you said true?”
Could she really disregard societal prejudices and be with me?
At that moment, Casimir was so overwhelmed with emotion that his voice trembled when he spoke, and his heart rate was accelerating uncontrollably. It felt as though he had been waiting for centuries to hear those words.
Waverly looked at Casimir in disbelief. She never imagined that his first reaction would be like this. His question indicated that the balance had already tipped in Raylee’s favor. In an instant, Waverly’s spirits plummeted. She couldn’t help but lean into Samuel’s embrace, quietly sobbing.
In response to Casimir’s question, Raylee stared intently at him before replying in a calm and unhurried manner, “Of course, Mr. Sutherland. As long as you’re willing to let Waverly go, I’m prepared to marry you right away! As you know, I’ve loved you for many years. In the past, you seemed to ignore me, but now, your affection for me has grown. Honestly, I’m really happy about it. Caz, I just need you to give me that word of assurance today. Once you do, I promise to repay you with a lifetime of happiness!”
Those words of a promise slipped out effortlessly, yet they weren’t convincing enough to be perceived as sincere. However, her calling him “Caz” had left Casimir utterly bewitched.
In the past, Raylee was nothing more than his little tag-along. She followed him wherever he went, and she would always call him “Caz.” Back then, he didn’t appreciate her. In fact, he found her constant presence rather annoying. But now, in his heart, she was as precious as a first crush. The only thing that could be more powerful than one’s first crush was none other than sweet nothings uttered by said first crush.
“Caz, you’ve repeatedly asked me if I’ve stopped loving you, accusing me of being cold-hearted, of just falling out of love. Well, what?”
Raylee blinked her eyes, and as her gaze danced, she said with an affectionate undertone, “How could it be possible to simply let go of the man I’ve loved for so many years? When I said I didn’t love you, it was merely a show of false bravado. I have my dignity and my pride too, after all. I was merely upset when you broke off our engagement and turned around to marry another woman. I was truly heartbroken, often waking up in tears from my dreams in the middle of the night…”
Raylee even feigned sadness by lowering her head. Isn’t this just the typical sweet and innocent act that pretentious women love putting up? Waverly knows how to play this game well, but I’m no less skilled than her!
“Ray-Ray, are you speaking from your heart? You’re not deceiving me, are you?”
Casimir’s deep, dark eyes were fixed intently on Raylee, his heart completely captivated by her. It was as if he had completely forgotten about Waverly’s existence.
Samuel was furious and yelled at Raylee, “You previously claimed that you had no interest in Casimir, but now you’re…”
“I gave Casimir the right to choose in front of everyone. How can that be considered stealing? It’s only natural for a good man to be liked by many women. It’s all about fair competition, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Raylee retorted while looking at him contemptuously.
Since Casimir insists on flirting with me, and Samuel forbids me from interacting with Percival, then no one should expect an easy time from me! I’ll fight tooth and nail! I wager Casimir wouldn’t dare to call off their engagement lightly. Since it’s a gamble, then there’s always a chance of winning after all. If I win this round, I could practically ruin Waverly’s life! The position of lady of the Sutherland family is in no way inferior to that of the lady of the Lorimer family. Casimir is a legitimate child, so he carries much more weight than Jeremiah, who is an illegitimate child.
With a fierce glare, Samuel shot daggers at Raylee, before reluctantly turning his attention to Casimir. In a fit of anger, he warned him, “Well? What’s your choice, Casimir? If you dare to choose Raylee today, our friendship will be over. Moreover, you won’t be walking out of the Goodridge residence!”
Rather than making savage threats like Samuel, Waverly chose to show her vulnerability and play the sentiment card by pleading. “Please don’t give up on me, Casimir. I’m begging you. I had fallen in love the moment I first laid eyes on you four years ago. Later, my parents told me that you were the man I had been betrothed to since childhood. Do you have any idea how elated I was at that moment? We met each other eighteen years later than we should have. I truly cherish this hard-earned connection between us, so please don’t give up on me, and certainly don’t give up on our future…”
By the end of it, Waverly was so overcome with emotion that she could no longer speak through her tears. Her eyes were swollen from crying as she leaned weakly against Samuel, looking as if she might faint at any moment. Her current fragile demeanor was a world of difference from the aggressive stance she had taken earlier, when she was scolding people like a hysterical woman. Unexpectedly, the tactic she often used, which worked on the Goodridge family, was completely ineffective against Casimir.