Betrayal At the Altar by Dolores Delia

Chapter 845
His arm was clasped around her waist, forcibly embracing her. His arm tightened, carrying a hint of threat.
They were close enough to brush against each other, their breaths blending.
Rachel Grey’s hands rested on his chest as she raised her gaze, looking at the man in front of her. “I never thought about it.”
Who could truly say for certain what lay within the realm of imagination?
If one could foresee things with absolute accuracy, then there would not be so many lifelong regrets.
Indeed, there would be fewer regrets that haunt people for a lifetime.
The depth in David Jones’ gaze faded slightly as he stared at her without blinking, his eyes fixed on her.
His hand around her waist relaxed slightly, slowly sliding down to the small of her back. “Are you still jealous?” he asked.
“It’s alright.” Sensing that his arm had loosened a little, she seized the opportunity and freed herself from his embrace. “To be
honest, Jennifer Clifford’s background and appearance do indeed match yours, and over the years, you never addressed the
rumors or the ongoing alliances. between the Clifford and Jones families. Your silence has been interpreted as consent.”
Indeed, it’s unsurprising that Jimmy Shain would assume that David had tacitly accepted the marriage alliance with Jennifer.
The public perception is that Jennifer Clifford is the rightful mistress in the Jones family.
Rachel Grey cast a sidelong glance at him, patiently waiting for David’s response.
David Jones held an umbrella with one hand while holding her hand with the other as they walked side by side in the gentle
drizzle. “Jennifer is indeed the ideal candidate for the marriage alliance,” he said.
Those words could be interpreted as David acknowledging Rache’s earlier statement.
The words sound hurtful no matter how one interpreted them, leaving Rachel feeling unsettled in her heart.
They both sat down in a pavilion by the water, and she raised her hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Seeing a hint of emotion on her face, a faint smile appeared in the corner of David’s eyes. “But I don’t need such assistance,” he
said.
“Assistance?” Rachel’s eyes flickered with curiosity.
David Jones lifted her up and placed her on his lap, his hand holding her chin gently. He lightly pecked her lips and said, “The
Clifford family is different from other families. They uphold female dominance, and therefore, the successive heads of the family
have always been women. As the next head of the family, Jennifer naturally has a unique set of marriage criteria. We reached an
understanding that if I marry her, she will ensure my position as the head of the Jones family.”
“Well, it seems she has chosen the wrong person,” Rachel responded, surprised to learn that Jennifer had taken the initiative to
propose herself.
David Jones reached out and adjusted her earring, casually asking, “How do you come to that conclusion?”
“Everyone desires the position of the head of the Jones family, and under such conditions, anyone else would have readily
agreed without hesitation. But you are not just anyone,” Rachel stated.
Her words lacked any flattery but rather expressed her genuine perspective from the depths of her heart.
Although she did not know the details of how David fought his way through the struggle for an inheritance, the fact that he had
succeeded in claiming the position was evidence of his abilities to convince and courage.
Therefore, what Jennifer considered enticing conditions were utterly -unappealing in the presence of David.
The twinkle in David’s eyes grew even more pronounced upon hearing her words. “So, in your eyes, I am that outstanding,” he
remarked,
As he spoke, he leaned down to kiss her lips.
Rachel pushed his face away with a disdainful expression. “Stop trying to flatter yourself,” she retorted.
“No flattery, just appreciating you,” David replied.
Rachel was speechless.
Later that night, David lured Rachel into the room.

After a passionate encounter, she nestled weakly in David’s embrace.
Over time, the man’s chest injury had healed, but the stitched-up area appeared grotesque, resembling an ugly centipede
crawling on it.
Her fingers lightly traced the scars, “Does it hurt?”
Seemingly a usual question, but it carried a double entendre.
David looked at her, holding her hand. His throat bobbed up and down, his deep voice noticeably huskier than before, “Does
your heart ache?”
“Mhm.” Rachel softly responded.
“If you feel sorry for me, why don’t you dote on me instead?” David said.
Rachel’s eyebrows twitched.
She quickly grabbed a corner of the blanket and wrapped herself up. “I’m tired. I’ll sleep first.”
Looking at Rachel, who was wrapped up like a spring roll, David let out a low laugh. “Shouldn’t you share a blanket with me first
if you want to sleep?”
Rachel did not say anything. She just silently let go of a corner of the blanket.
As soon as she let go, David grabbed the corner of the blanket and crawled in.
He hooked his arm around the woman’s slender waist and held her in his arms. His thin lips brushed past her temples as he
whispered, “Let’s sleep first.”
Rachel was suspicious.
What did he mean by “sleep first tonight.”
But it was not easy for her to sleep peacefully, so she did not probe further.
After a good night’s sleep, Rachel realized she was lying on top of the man’s body when she woke up. She felt she had lost her
dignity.

She sighed helplessly and gently pulled her legs and arms away from the man.
No matter how careful she was, she still woke David up.
The man’s eyes were still closed. He stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her waist. With a little force, he pulled her into
his arms. “It’s still early. Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”
Rachel pressed against his chest and looked up at his closed eyes. Her heart softened, and she closed her eyes to continue
sleeping with him.
But David’s idea of sleeping a little longer was evidently different from what she understood.
She only realized this when the man flipped her over and pressed her under him.
“Aren’t you going to... ...”
Before she could finish, David Jones had already bent down and kissed her hard on the lips.
The man’s clear breath instantly enveloped her like a huge net, leaving her no way out.
Soon, Rachel was completely immersed in the stimulating and carefree senses that the man gave her.
By the time he was done, more than an hour had passed.
Although it was only twice, and they were not long, Rachel’s legs ached slightly.
Especially since she was wearing high heels, she felt each step was as if she was stepping on cotton.
She was also worried that others would laugh at her, so she could only grit her teeth and hold on.
Until they entered the elevator, she lazily leaned against the elevator wall. “Why are you in a hurry to get control of South
Valley?”
Whether it was David or Jimmy, as long as they wanted it, the Smith family could not compete.
“South Valley is entrenched with Yandel Smith’s forces.” David reached out and hugged her waist, letting her lean against him. “If
we don’t clean. it up, it will be a covert danger sooner or later.”

He had always believed in eradicating problems at the root.
Rachel looked at him. “I’m afraid Jimmy won’t be able to gain much from fighting Yandel.”
David Jones leaned down and kissed her forehead, his voice low and cold, “If he didn’t have this ability, he wouldn’t have to
come out and embarrass himself in the future.”
Upon hearing this, Rachel’s eyes flashed with understanding.
As the saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.”
His usual nonchalant attitude was nothing but a disguise.
Jimmy and David had known each other for many years and shared similar temperaments, personalities, and ruthless ways of
doing things.
However, it remained uncertain how much advantage Jimmy would gain in his confrontation with Yandel.