Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 314, On Monday, a black Maybach circled around the city hall in Broburgh City, looping again and again. The car moved slowly, but never stopped. Inside, after who knew how long, the driver instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror. Sebastian sat in the back, dressed ina tailored suit and exuding nobility. Beside him sat a woman ina simple blue blouse, understated and quiet. Serene and gentle, she had remained silent since she boarded the car. The driver was a local who usually chauffeured Mike Coleman. of Broburgh City. He had been temporarily assigned to Sebastian .

The driver was a discreet man who knew when to keep his thoughts to himself. In wealthy families, marriage was never about romance, only alliances. And yet, today, Sebastian brought this woman to the city hall to get married... The black Maybach continuously circled the main road in front of the city hall. ---- Valeria gazed out the window. By now, she had even counted the number of trees that were by the roadside. She clenched her fists. When they were coming, Sebastian had told her that he would give her time to think.

After five days of recovery, his voice had improved somewhat, though it still rasped with hoarseness. His hands were clasped together restlessly , and his lips were pressed thinly. For the first time, he felt the torment of time stretching unbearably long. Every second she took to think felt suffocating. Did she despise the idea of marrying him so badly? The car circled again. The sound of its wheels grinding over the pavement felt like it was grinding his heart as well. Inside Sebastian's head, a fierce debate was roaring.

In the end, Sebastian pulled out that coin from the pocket of his pants. He held it out to her with an open palm. "This is a game coin. The weight isn't balanced. Toss it ten times, and eight or nine times, it will land on tails." In the end, Sebastian had chosen to tell her the truth. Valeria looked at him. "Why did you tell me that?" He didn't answer. Instead, he turned and stared out the window. Then, he flicked the coin carelessly, and as always, it landed on tails. ---- He wanted Valeria to marry him willingly. He was only human. He didn't want to force her.

If marrying him meant she would be this unhappy, it would only be a burden on his heart. Sebastian didn't want to come back home every day to see her in misery. Valeria picked up the coin and closed it inside her palm. It was smooth, with no sharp edges. At some point, the driver had steered them to an intersection. She weighed the coin, testing it, and felt the imbalance in its weight. Sebastian said softly, "Let's toss again. We'll make it fair this time, fifty-fifty." Then, he pulled another coin from his pocket. Heads had a number on it, while tails had an image.

Sebastian's gaze lingered on Valeria , and he felt something sour and painful stir in him. He forced a smile and suppressed the weight inside of him, trying to make his tone lighter. "We'll bet one more time. Or, you can step out here." He left the decision to her. Valeria looked at his open hand. She watched him flip the coin into the air. At 10:30 am, under ---- the bright sunlight, it traced a faint silver arc before falling back down. Valeria grabbed it midair. She didn't even want to see whether it was heads or tails.

"A coin shouldn't decide my marriage." She gazed at Sebastian, who looked different today. Days of liquid meals had left him thinner, with slightly hollowed cheeks, It made his features sharper, and the angles on his face seemed deeper. Even the tailored suit on him seemed loose. Without his weight, Sebastian looked distant and harder to reach.