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."

nice if Mrs. Bennett became your mother-in-law someday?" The speaker's face was slowly becoming

Almost there.

It was her!

Ivana when she was

voice, tinged with worry, called out to

to remember. Just when she was on the verge of recalling everything, flames erupted in her mind, engulfing every

a hand to her temple, a wave

and her lips pressed so tightly that

her body lift off the ground, snapping her back to reality. Xander was carrying her

the

up to see his worried, tense face, and her

course, there was a better time to be

down; I'm fine," she said

closely. "You were acting really strange just

swear, I'm fine. Maybe I didn't sleep well last night, so

lying smoothly without

vivid and elusive. She couldn't make heads or tails

of: her headache

ties to the Bennetts would be no ordinary one. Even if the Nelsons

really okay?" His deep, rich

was already intoxicating. Still, he stared down at her with that ridiculously

heart

medicine; I wouldn't mess around with my own health. I'm... yawn." Isabel faked a yawn, "See? I'm

stared at her for a good ten seconds before finally

upstairs so you can nap. I'll call you

he continued carrying her

"Wait, put me

there." He had no intention of

held her like a princess, it made

she got used to this treatment and couldn't return to

She feared that if she became too comfortable relying on Xander, it would hurt all the more if

was why she struggled to open her heart. Growing up alone, she'd

two brothers she once trusted betrayed

A partner was even riskier. So, she had to be extra cautious

in the living room on his phone, Samuel looked up when