After the Secret Wedding Rise of My Queen

Chapter 173 Echoes of a Forgotten Past

Isabel gritted her teeth subtly. She'd guessed he would throw her question back at her, so she had a plan ready.

"I'm not that hung up on the emerald guardian angel pendant," she said casually. "I'm just curious, who was the girl who gave it to you? It's rare to see you care so much about something. Besides, Rachel lost her cool over it just now, making me wonder if there's some hidden story behind this." Xander could tell she was fishing for information, but he let it slide.

"Oh? And why do you think a girl gave it to me?"

"Because, traditionally, guys wear emerald guardian saint pendants, and girls wear emerald guardian angel pendants. Plus, if a boy gave it to you, then, well, that'd be interesting," Isabel teased, trying to distract him.

Xander chuckled and shook his head. Her playful side always made him feel helplessly captivated.

"You're right; it was from a girl," he admitted, looking her in the eyes. "Does that make you jealous?"

Isabel raised an eyebrow. Jealous? That hadn't even crossed her mind.

She'd seen a girl in her dreams who gave Xander an emerald pendant. She couldn't make out her face, but the girl felt familiar and warm, almost like she was a part of herself.

"So, who is she to you?" Isabel wasn't about to follow his lead and get sidetracked.

Hearing her question, Xander's face softened with a hint of indulgent amusement. His little troublemaker sure was a handful.

He held his hand out to her, and after a moment's pause, Isabel understood and placed the emerald guardian angel pendant into his large palm.

Xander looked down at it, his normally stoic face showing a rare trace of sentiment.

"Her name was Leslie. She was the daughter of my parents' close friends. Our families were tight-knit, always visiting each other. At one point, our parents joked about having us marry someday. She gave me this emerald guardian angel pendant when we were kids, saying she'd marry me when we grew up."

When Xander finished speaking, he noticed Isabel had gone entirely silent behind him.

Curious, he turned to look.

Isabel was lost in thought. Her memories, once hazy, were now coming back into sharp focus because of what he said.

Images flashed through her mind like a slideshow.

Leslie.

"Leslie." A gentle voice called out to her.

"Leslie!"

"Come to Mommy, Leslie."

it be nice if Mrs. Bennett became your

Almost there.

It was her!

was Ivana when she was

Xander's voice, tinged with

recalling everything, flames erupted in her mind, engulfing every image until they

raised a hand to her temple, a wave

face turned pale from the ache, and her lips

snapping her back to reality. Xander was carrying her toward the

the

looked up to see his worried, tense face, and her heart felt a

was a

me down; I'm fine," she said

her closely. "You were acting really strange just

didn't sleep well last night, so I got

sound casual, lying smoothly without a hint

those memories were both vivid and elusive. She couldn't make heads or tails of it

thing she was sure of: her headache was triggered by

into the Nelsons later. Any family with ties to the Bennetts would be no ordinary one. Even if the Nelsons had vanished without a trace,

okay?" His deep, rich

he stared down at her with that ridiculously handsome face, looking worried.

Her heart started pounding like

my own health. I'm... yawn." Isabel faked a yawn, "See? I'm

her for a

nap.

carrying

stunned. "Wait, put

there." He had no intention

this. Every time he held her like a princess, it made her feel delicate and spoiled, like he cherished

if she got used to this

security came from herself. She feared that if she became too comfortable relying on Xander, it would hurt all the more

her heart.

she once trusted

she had to be extra cautious about who she

the living room on his phone, Samuel looked up when he heard