Chapter 1333:
A look of astonishment widened Linsey’s eyes, every word of his story holding her spellbound.
She responded with an eager nod, “I’ll make sure to remember. Thank you for looking out for me.”
“That’s what I should do.” A small, knowing smile played on Gorman’s lips; he was quietly satisfied with how deftly he had spun his tale.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Linsey leaned in. “Can I ask something else? What made you hug me so suddenly? It seems you got carried away.”
Silence hung between them as Gorman considered his answer. Should he reveal the impossible—that time had bent and brought him back to her, filling him with indescribable happiness?
Doubt crept in; the truth sounded far-fetched even to his own ears, and he couldn’t imagine Linsey accepting it.
With this new beginning placed in his hands, he resolved not to overwhelm her with things she wasn’t ready for.
Interpreting his pause as reluctance, Linsey quickly tried to reassure him. “You don’t have to tell me if it’s too personal.”
He gave a small shake of his head. “No, I’m just figuring out how to put it into words.”
Just then, a convenient excuse flickered into his mind.
Meeting her eyes, Gorman spoke earnestly. “It actually relates to Collin.” That answer caught Linsey completely off guard. “Wait—Collin? How could this be about him again?”
A gentle cough broke the tension as Gorman said, “There was a time when I was engaged. I loved her deeply, and we had already chosen a date for the ceremony. Then Collin appeared, fixated on her, and he tore our lives apart without mercy.”
A wave of sorrow colored his next words. “You remind me so much of her, Linsey. When I first opened my eyes and saw you, for a moment, I thought she’d come back to me—and I just reacted. Please forgive me if I crossed a line.”
A fervent shake of the head answered him. “Don’t apologize. Honestly, I can’t blame you for how you feel,” Linsey replied, her voice gentle.
“Thank you for understanding.” His eyes shimmered with gratitude, emotion threatening to spill over.
Not wanting to let the story end there, Linsey leaned in, her curiosity undimmed.
“And your fiancée? What became of her after all that?”
“She’s gone,” Gorman lied, unfazed. “She cared for me too much to give in to Collin’s demands, so she chose to end her own life.”
He figured it was safer to claim his imaginary fiancée had already died rather than admit she was still forced to stay with Collin.
After all, no one could challenge a story when the person in question was supposedly dead.
In Gorman’s mind, the fact that he had known Linsey longer than Collin worked to his advantage. By casting himself as the wounded victim and smearing Collin’s reputation, he was certain Linsey would side with him.
Predictably, Linsey swallowed his story, and her outrage flared up for him. “Collin really is heartless! He’ll stoop to anything!”
