Chapter 136: Marry me, Nova

Chapter 136: 136: Marry me, Nova

Clark steered the sleek sedan into the long drive of the estate, parking neatly before the main steps. Stepping out into the humid air, he paused, surveying the lavishly decorated grounds. Crimson and blush roses draped every archway—a romantic spectacle so unfamiliar he almost failed to recognize his own mansion.

​He drew in a long, weary breath and let out a heavy sigh. Steeling himself, he walked around to the rear passenger door and pulled it open, only to be caught completely off guard.

​Nova was already awake.

​She sat upright on the leather interior, her cold, penetrating gaze locking directly onto his. Her expression was a mask of absolute stillness, yet the suffocating, predatory aura radiating from her body was so intense it sent a violent shiver cascading down Clark’s spine.

​"You’re awake," Clark noted. His tone was stripped of all emotion, masking the instinctive dread taking root in his chest as he met her eyes.

​Nova stepped out of the vehicle, her sharp gaze sweeping over the rose-covered courtyard. In an instant, glowing blue text materialized silently in the air before her vision:

​[Location Confirmed: Sydney, Australia — Clark’s Private Estate]

​Her brows knitted into a tight, dangerous line as she redirected her icy glare to Clark. Just as her lips parted to speak, Clark raised a hand, cutting her off softly.

​"Before you say anything, please, follow me inside," he said, deliberately averting his eyes from her lethal glare. "After that... I am fine with whatever you decide to do to me."

​Nova’s lips curled into a dark, mocking smirk. She watched in silence as Clark closed the car door, turned on his heel, and led the way toward the main entrance. Without a word, she followed his lead.

​Clark pushed open the heavy double doors and stepped into the foyer. Standing in the center of the grand hall was Dora, fully dressed in her bridal gown. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Clark’s face as he watched her eyes light up. Before he could process it, she was rushing toward him at full speed.

​"Did she... miss me?" he thought, a rare, vulnerable warmth sneaking into his features as he opened his arms to accept her embrace. "Is she going to hug me?"

​To his crushing disappointment, Dora didn’t even look at him. She shoved him roughly aside and threw herself directly into Nova’s arms.

​"I finally get to see you, Nova! I’ve missed you so much," Dora gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around Nova’s waist. "I couldn’t even eat properly without thinking about you!"

​Clark, cast aside like an inconvenient shadow, felt a sharp, agonizing ache pierce his chest. The fragile smile on his face vanished completely. Clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, he forced himself to look away, swallowing the bitterness he’s feeling currently.

​Nova, currently trapped in the tight embrace, felt her patience instantly snap. A wave of pure irritation and disgust washed over her.

​"Where did this trash come from?" Nova spat coldly.

​Without a shred of mercy, she shoved Dora away with terrifying force.

​Dora stumbled backward across the slick marble floor, her heavy bridal gown tangling around her ankles. She lost her balance completely, falling headfirst toward the sharp edge of a stone pedestal.

Acting purely on instinct, Clark blurred across the room, catching her securely in his arms a split second before impact.

​"Are you alright, Dora?" he asked, his voice laced with frantic worry.

​Dora paid him no mind. Watching Nova dust off her cloth with a look of utter revulsion, Dora furiously wriggled out of Clark’s grip, casting him an irritated glare before turning her entire focus back to Nova.

​"Nova, it’s me—Dora!" she said, her expression instantly shifting back to a warm, desperate smile.

​Nova leveled a freezing look at her. "Am I supposed to know who you are?"

​"You... you forgot me?" Dora’s voice cracked, her eyes filling with instant pain as she struggled to figure out how to explain herself without triggering Nova’s wrath.

​Nova scanned her face. Before her eyes, the System interface rendered a swift analysis:

​[Target Identity Report]

[Name: Dora Halka — Daughter of the Mannequin Man]

​The tension in Nova’s brow cleared as realization set in, replaced immediately by a dark, cruel chuckle that echoed off the high ceilings.

​"Oh... well, isn’t this the daughter of the Mannequin Man?" Nova mocked, her voice dripping with venom as she walked casually toward the velvet sofa, dropping into the cushions and crossing one leg gracefully over the other. "I had completely forgotten about you. You went through all the trouble of having someone drag me across the globe... Have you still not given up on my man?"

​Dora shook her head frantically. "No! No, I’m not chasing Cassian! I never had any feelings for him!"

​Nova’s smirk widened into something sinister. "Oh my, Miss... You could have continued living your days in peaceful ignorance had you not forced me to remember you. Going so far as to have me kidnapped and brought here... Aiya, now no one leaves this room alive. You will be the very first to pay for this absurd stunt."

​Seeing the murderous glint in Nova’s eyes, Clark instantly stepped in front of Dora, placing his body between them as a shield.

​"I brought you here myself," Clark stated firmly, staring down Nova’s lethal aura. "It has nothing to do with her."

​Behind him, Dora gritted her teeth in frustration. Reaching out, she shoved Clark aside with all her strength. "Just stay out of my business!" she yelled at him, her voice echoing shrilly through the hall.

​Clark’s mouth opened slightly in sheer shock, but no words came out. He could only stand there, completely numb.

​Nova’s gaze drifted back and forth between the two of them, her devilish smirk widening with every second of this pathetic display.

​Dora turned back to Nova. In an instant, her enraged expression melted away, replaced once more by a gentle, glowing smile. Reaching for a small velvet box resting on the side table, she dropped gracefully onto one knee directly in front of Nova.

​With trembling, delicate hands, she popped the box open, presenting its contents to Nova.

​Inside lay a flawless, radiant diamond ring.

​The moment the ring caught the light, the mocking smirk on Nova’s face vanished entirely. For the first time, her lethal composure cracked, replaced by pure, unadulterated shock. She had dealt with monsters In human skin, assassins, and foolish humans, but the absurdity unfolding before her was beyond anything she could have predicted.

​Beside her, Anah materialized in thin air, perching on the armrest of the sofa with her brows knitted in absolute perplexity.

​"Tell me this isn’t what I think it is," Anah murmured, looking just as bewildered as Nova.

​"Nova..." Dora called out softly, her eyes glistening with an intense, unbridled devotion. "I have loved you from the very moment I laid eyes on you back at Cassian’s mansion. I didn’t realize it at first, and it took me time to understand my own heart... but I genuinely love you. Please, marry me, Nova."

​It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck the room. Both Nova and Anah stared down at Dora as if she had completely lost her mind.

​"Do you need a doctor?" Nova replied, her tone dropping to an icy, deeply annoyed edge. "Do I look like someone who is into girls?"

​Dora bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes as she looked up desperately. "I... I know you aren’t into girls. But... couldn’t you just give me a chance? I don’t even mind being your mistress! I’ll be whatever you want me to be... just please, accept my proposal!"

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