Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 206: A Public Declaration

"I assume many of you have already drawn your own conclusions," he began, his voice calm but firm. "But allow me to clarify."

The room held its breath.

"My wife, Delphinia, and I have been married." His grip on her hand tightened, grounding her. "We recently registered our marriage, and yes, there will be a formal reception in due time."

More murmurs spread across the room, some shocked, some intrigued. Delphinia felt the weight of the revelation settle over the crowd, the way some guests stiffened while others exchanged knowing glances. But she focused only on Evander, his presence a steady force beside her.

His gaze swept over the crowd, his eyes narrowing slightly. "With that said, I will not tolerate any slander directed at my wife. If I hear so much as a whisper of baseless rumors, you will answer to me."

A hush fell over the guests, his warning clear.

Evander then exhaled softly, his expression shifting into something lighter, though no less serious. "One more thing." His lips curved ever so slightly. "From this moment on, I do not want to hear Delphinia’s name uttered in the same breath as Kai Robinson’s. It is a pairing that does not sit well with me."

A beat of silence passed before quiet laughter rippled through the crowd. Some guests, clearly pleased by the announcement, nodded in agreement. Others, particularly those who had once entertained gossip about Delphinia’s past, paled at the directness of Evander’s words.

Delphinia, for her part, felt a warmth spread through her chest. It was one thing for Evander to marry her, but to so openly defend her, to stake his claim without hesitation—it was something else entirely.

Satisfied, Evander turned his attention back to her, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand in a small, reassuring gesture. "Shall we let the guests enjoy the rest of the evening?" he murmured, amusement flickering in his eyes.

Delphinia found herself nodding, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "That would be best."

With that, Evander lifted his glass. "Enjoy the rest of the night."

The tension in the air broke as the music resumed, the atmosphere shifting into something lighter. Guests clapped, some raising their glasses in acknowledgment, others quickly moving on to their own discussions.

But as Evander led Delphinia away from the center of attention, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something monumental had just taken place.

As soon as they were a few steps away from the main crowd, Evander’s parents approached them. His mother, her expression unreadable, gave him a long look before finally nodding. "Good job," she said simply, her voice carrying both approval and something deeper—perhaps relief.

His father, less restrained, clapped Evander on the shoulder, a rare, proud smile tugging at his lips. "About time," he muttered.

Delphinia swallowed, suddenly aware of how much weight this evening must have carried—not just for herself, but for Evander as well.

Feeling her hesitation, Evander turned to her, his hand still warm against hers. "You’re worrying again," he observed, a knowing glint in his eyes.

She sighed. "I just... Are you sure? About all of this?"

He arched a brow. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

"This... Everything you just did. It wasn’t just a small announcement, Evander. You just made a public declaration about us. There’s no turning back from this."

Evander studied her for a moment before stepping closer, lowering his voice just for her ears. "That was the point," he murmured. "This party? I agreed to it because I wanted to announce our marriage. To let everyone know that you are my wife. And the more I think about it, the more I regret not doing it sooner."

His words left her momentarily speechless.

Delphinia stared at Evander, his words settling deep in her mind.

He was right. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The sooner people knew, the better. And now that it was out in the open, she felt something she hadn’t expected—relief. Like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders, a burden she hadn’t even realized she had been carrying all this time.

Everyone knew now.

She was Evander’s wife.

No more whispers behind her back, no more speculation, no more nonsense about her relationship with Kai Robinson. Tch. Just thinking about it made her scoff internally.

Kai had been nothing more than an old acquaintance, yet people had insisted on spinning ridiculous rumors, weaving stories out of thin air. She had ignored them, of course, but it had still been exhausting—always feeling like she had to defend herself against assumptions she had never invited.

But now?

Now they had no reason to talk. No reason to question. No reason to compare her to anyone else.

She belonged to Evander, and the world knew it.

Delphinia let out a slow breath, feeling the tension ease from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how much she had dreaded this moment, how much she had feared the reactions, the whispers, the endless gossip. But now that it was done, she felt... at peace.

Her gaze flickered up to Evander, who was still watching her closely, as if waiting for her reaction.

She opened her mouth, but before she could respond, a movement caught her eye. Across the room, Lydia stood near the bar, her expression carefully neutral, though her hands were clenched slightly at her sides.

Delphinia quickly averted her gaze back to Evander, pushing away the thoughts threatening to take root in her mind. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on Lydia or whatever expression she had worn.

Focus, she told herself.

She gave him a small smile, one that wasn’t forced, wasn’t just for show. "You’re right," she admitted quietly. "The sooner, the better."

Meanwhile, beside Lydia, Cedric lifted his glass, swirling the dark liquid before taking a slow sip. Then, he turned to Lydia, his voice low, "Don’t worry," he said smoothly. "She’ll learn her place soon enough."

And with that, he downed the last of his drink, placing the empty glass onto the table with a sharp clink.