Chapter 3891

With Audrey looking after Sonny, Liberty and Duncan felt joyful as they departed from the Stone family home. “You two can head home now,” Duncan said to his bodyguards. “You don’t need to accompany me tonight.” After all, Liberty was by his side, and it was their wedding night. Sonny was staying with the Stones, so there was no reason to bring bodyguards along to spoil their intimate moment.

Since Duncan still had difficulty walking, Liberty took the wheel. Occasionally, she would glance at her new husband with a playful smile. “You’ve been staring at me all night. Haven’t you seen enough?” she teased. “It’s not like you just met me. What’s so captivating?”

“Everything,” Duncan replied, his voice soft yet confident. “To me, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.” Tonight, sweet words flowed from Duncan effortlessly, as if he had saved them just for her.

“I could gaze at you forever,” he added. “Earlier, I had to restrain myself because I didn’t want my aunt to laugh at me. But now, it’s just us. I can look at you as much as I like.”

Liberty chuckled. “I didn’t realize I was such a sight tonight. I guess I have some natural charm.”

“I’m not saying this to charm you,” Duncan said earnestly.

“I know,” Liberty replied, her tone softening. “You’re not the type to say sweet things just for the sake of it. If you didn’t love me deeply, you wouldn’t say them at all.”

Duncan’s thoughts briefly drifted to the past. His mother had once tried to pair him with Lily Harmon, a childhood friend. While Lily embodied everything his family deemed ideal—refined, elegant, and a better match—his heart had never been stirred by her. Sweet words never felt genuine with her.

was deeply affected by her. Sweet words never came easily in Lily’s presence because, quite simply, he didn’t love her. His heart had always belonged to Liberty. He had witnessed her transformation from a woman burdened—both literally and figuratively—by life into someone confident, capable, and radiant. Yet, even before her transformation, even at her lowest, Duncan had loved her.

“Liberty,” he said, his voice filled with emotion, “you’re beautiful. You always have been.”

Liberty glanced at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Alright, stop it. I’m driving here. If you keep flattering me, I might get so full of myself that I crash the car into a tree.”

Duncan laughed. “I’m not flattering you; I’m just speaking the truth. You’re incredible. And Hank? He was a fool not to see it. Tomorrow, when we drop Sonny off at his house, I’ll thank him in person—for divorcing you. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the chance to get to know you, fall in love with you, and marry you.”

Liberty joined in his laughter, but her smile held a hint of sadness. “If Hank had valued me, I’d still be married to him. I’d probably still be stuck in that old version of myself—overweight, disconnected, and dependent on him for everything. I wouldn’t have grown as I have.

“Sure, I might have attempted to lose weight, but without the determination I have now, who knows if I would have succeeded? When the divorce happened, I was devastated. We had years together, after all. We were classmates before anything else, so even if the love had faded, there was still friendship. How could I not feel sad? I’ll never forget how I went to Seren’s bookstore and just broke down in tears.”

Her voice softened as she continued. “Honestly, if I hadn’t been hurt so badly, if I hadn’t had Seren and others supporting me, I…

I’m not sure I would have gotten through that period. Losing weight and discovering who I am—it wasn’t easy.

“I remember when I started at your company. You told me to run five laps every day because I was ‘too fat’ and it would ‘hurt the company’s image.’” She glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. “At that time, I was convinced you thought I was unattractive.”

Duncan shook his head, a blend of regret and affection on his face. “Even then, I admired your resilience. I just didn’t know how to express it.”

Liberty smiled, her hands steady on the wheel. “Well, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”