Chapter 128: Some mistakes can never be forgiven.
Silence gradually settled over the banquet hall after Tessa was dragged away. The chaos outside had ended. But inside Noah, it had only just begun.
He stood motionless, his thoughts in complete turmoil. He had trusted the wrong woman, had given Tessa everything—his trust, his protection, and even his name. Yet she had deceived him from the very beginning.
She had approached him with a carefully calculated plan, coveting nothing but the Sinclair family’s fortune.
And he had foolishly believed every lie she told. Because of his blind trust, she had grown bolder and bolder, manipulating him at every turn.
Worst of all, he had hurt the one person he should have treasured most.
Regret struck him like a crushing wave.
He had lost Elena. Yet his heart stubbornly refused to accept it. He still believed she cared about him.
After all, she had helped Elias expose Tessa. Surely that meant she still couldn’t bear to see him being deceived.
He slowly turned around, his eyes frantically searching the hall. Soon, he found her.
She was standing beside Elias, smiling and talking.
The two of them stood so close together that a sharp pain pierced Noah’s chest.
Without another thought, Noah strode toward them. He didn’t care who was watching. He only wanted one chance – a chance to make things right.
"Elena."
Both Elena and Elias turned toward him. The warmth on their faces disappeared instantly.
"Elena... I’m sorry." The apology spilled out in a rush. "She manipulated me all this time. I never knew. I..."
"That’s enough, Noah," Elena interrupted him before he could continue. "I have nothing to do with your affairs anymore. Whether you are apologizing or thanking me, it means nothing."
"Don’t say that." Desperation flashed across Noah’s face as he instinctively reached for her.
Before he could touch her, Elias stepped between them. "Watch yourself."
His deep voice carried an unmistakable warning.
Elena gently caught Elias’s arm before facing Noah again.
"You’ve caused enough trouble tonight." Her expression remained indifferent. "You should leave."
Noah shook his head stubbornly. "Elena... I finally realize how foolish I was. I deserved to be deceived. I trusted Tessa blindly. I let her manipulate me. I allowed her to come between us and destroy our marriage."
He lowered his head in shame. "It’s all my fault."
When he looked back at her, his eyes had reddened. "Can you forgive me?"
Elena silently looked at him for several seconds. Her expression only grew colder.
"Some mistakes can never be forgiven."
Her words landed like a knife.
Noah’s heart sank. Still, he refused to give up.
"I know you are angry with me. I know I’ve done unforgivable things. But..."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Hope flickered in his eyes. "I also know you still care about me."
Elena frowned.
"Otherwise, why would you help expose Tessa?"
Elena blinked repeatedly as she struggled to process what she had just heard.
"We were together for so many years," Noah continued. "You loved me so deeply. You followed me everywhere. A love like that doesn’t simply disappear. I know you couldn’t bear to watch Tessa deceive me. Thank you for exposing her and making me see her true colors."
He took another step forward. "If you give me another chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
Beside Elena, Elias’s expression darkened. Fury surged through him, hot enough to make his vision blur. The muscles of his jaw twitched as he fought to keep his rage in check.
But no matter how hard he tried, his anger threatened to spill over. Before his patience finally snapped, Elena spoke first.
"I didn’t expose her. Elias did. He gathered every piece of evidence himself."
She stood there with her shoulders relaxed, exuding effortless confidence. Her steady gaze never wavered.
"He didn’t do it to help you. He did it because liars deserve to be exposed. The Sinclair family deserved to know the truth."
She paused briefly. "You may have fallen into Tessa’s trap, but Uncle and Aunt didn’t deserve to be deceived by someone like her."
Those words only strengthened Noah’s conviction. He believed that she still loved him. Or why would she worry about his parents?
’She still cares about my family and me. She is just too stubborn to admit it. It’s alright. I’ll make her admit it one day.’
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Elias finally spoke.
"It wasn’t only about exposing her." There wasn’t the slightest trace of arrogance, only absolute confidence. "It was also a warning."
A faint smile played on his lips as he met Noah’s gaze. There was no arrogance in his expression, only the quiet confidence of someone who trusted his own abilities.
"Anyone who dares lay a hand on the Rowans will pay the price."
A chill ran through Noah. Only then did he realize the true reason Elias had destroyed Tessa.
"Tessa hurt Elena." Elias’s voice was frighteningly calm. "She repeatedly targeted my wife."
His eyes grew colder. "Did you really think I would let her walk away unpunished?"
Regret flickered across Noah’s face.
He had known exactly what Tessa had done to Elena. Yet, he had done nothing.
Instead of punishing her, he had continued protecting her even after everything she had done. It was all because he believed she was carrying his child.
Now he finally understood.
Compared to Elias, he had failed Elena completely.
Elias had quietly gathered evidence, waited patiently, and destroyed Tessa with a single strike.
Noah suddenly felt insignificant standing before him. For the first time, he truly feared Elena would never return to him.
"Elena..." His voice became almost pleading. "I’ve already cut ties with Tessa. I planned to divorce her after the baby was born. If I’d known the child wasn’t mine, I would’ve left her long ago."
"That’s enough, Mr. Sinclair." Elias finally lost what little patience he had left. His eyes were colder than winter itself.
There was no shouting, no anger, only a terrifying calm.
"My wife has already made herself perfectly clear. Your affairs no longer concern her. Stop disturbing her."
He took one slow step forward. "And go back. Because I’m coming for your company next."