Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale ` 63 Summary
In Chapter 63 of “Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows,” Margaery and Russell confront the emotional distance that has grown between them. Margaery, preparing to leave the Chancellor’s estate, reflects on her tumultuous past, feeling both liberated and haunted by memories. Russell, noticing her detachment, expresses a longing for the vibrant, emotional Margaery he once knew. However, as he struggles with his own emotions, he realizes that her newfound calmness feels like a profound loss, indicating that she has moved on from their shared history.
Margaery, while acknowledging Russell’s emotional turmoil, firmly resolves not to forgive him for past grievances. Memories of betrayal flood her mind, overshadowing any lingering affection she might have felt towards him. Despite Russell’s tears and his plea for her to remember their bond, Margaery remains steadfast in her decision to cut ties, seeking solace in her medical studies as a means to escape the painful reality of their relationship.
As Russell leaves Gracewind Garden, he is plagued by feelings of emptiness and regret. He seeks companionship from friends Joshua and Avery but learns they have both distanced themselves. In a conversation with Tessa, Russell vents his frustration over Sophie’s disrespectful behavior towards Margaery, revealing the tension and division that has developed among them. Tessa, caught off guard by Russell’s anger, feels blamed for the rift between Russell and Margaery, leading to a confrontation that highlights the complexities of their relationships.
Tessa’s feelings of neglect and confusion are compounded as Russell reflects on the past, recognizing how his actions contributed to Margaery’s pain. Their once-close sibling bond has deteriorated, leaving Russell grappling with regret and frustration. As he lashes out at Tessa, she is left stunned, questioning the inconsistency of Russell’s emotions and the value he once placed on her tears. The chapter concludes with Tessa resolving to take drastic measures to ensure her standing in the household, emphasizing the escalating tensions and the struggle for acceptance among the characters.
Continue Regular Chapter Reading Below
**TITLE: Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale**
**Chapter 63: Don’t Cry**
“Russell, why do you insist on being so relentless?” Margaery’s eyes flickered toward him for just a moment, before she returned her focus to the pages of her book, seemingly lost in another world.
Outside, the biting wind howled like a mournful spirit, a chilling reminder of the past that would soon dissolve into mere shadows. It dawned on her that soon she would leave the Chancellor’s estate behind, severing all ties with this family that had been both a sanctuary and a prison.
Russell observed her detached demeanor, a knot tightening in his throat as he murmured, “Margaery, I truly wish you could return to how you once were—crying, throwing tantrums, full of life.”
To his surprise, his own eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.
‘So many years have slipped by,’ he thought, grappling with the realization that he hadn’t cried in what felt like a lifetime.
Yet, this moment was different; he could no longer suppress the emotion that threatened to spill over.
It was ironic, he mused, that Margaery’s newfound calmness—the very thing he had longed for—now felt like a bitter loss.
In this silence, the truth crept in, a painful awareness that Margaery had seemingly moved on, her heart no longer tethered to him.
And that was the harsh reality he had to face.
A faint smile graced Margaery’s lips as she replied, “I’ve matured now. Aren’t you pleased for me, Russell?”
Russell’s tears were a shock to her, an unexpected twist that stirred something uncomfortable within. A voice deep inside her whispered, ‘Forgive him. After all, he is the brother of my childhood, my own flesh and blood, someone I once held dear, someone I believed would always stand by me.’
But the memories that surged forth were tainted; they were of him, cold and merciless, casting her—her limbs already broken—into the frigid depths of the pond.
‘No. I can never forgive him,’ Margaery resolutely told herself.
A shimmer of tears threatened to spill from her eyes but vanished just as quickly. “If there’s nothing else you wish to discuss, Russell, you should leave. I have matters to attend to.”
With that, she bowed her head, burying herself in her medical book once more.
Russell lingered in the courtyard, the minutes slipping through his fingers like grains of sand.
Throughout it all, Margaery never lifted her gaze. She remained seated by the flickering brazier, engrossed in her reading, as if he were nothing more than a fleeting shadow in her life.
A guard approached him, gently guiding him away while murmuring, “Lord Russell, it hasn’t been long since everything transpired. Even if she could find it in her heart to forgive you, it will take time. You should return for now.”
With a heavy heart, Russell retreated from Gracewind Garden, a sense of emptiness gnawing at him.
Desperate for companionship, he asked, “Where are Joshua and Avery?”
The guard replied, “Lord Joshua left for the palace this morning, and Lord Avery departed for Lakeview yesterday—he mentioned something about needing to lay low for a while.”
Restlessness gripped Russell as he made his way to Sunbeam Court.
Tessa had been feeling neglected and blamed by both Raul and Joshua in recent days. The news of Russell expelling Sophie from the estate only heightened her anxiety.
When Russell entered, she jumped, her voice shaky as she asked, “Russell, what brings you here?”
He stood at the threshold, his expression a tumultuous mix of emotions.
After a pause, he inquired, “Do you know what happened to Sophie?”
Tessa’s gaze darted away, her eyes betraying her as she feigned ignorance. “What happened to Sophie? She mentioned helping the seamstresses last night, but I haven’t seen her since.”
Seeing her genuine confusion, Russell sighed deeply and settled into a chair opposite her. “These servants are becoming far too brazen. Sophie actually took the leftover fabric from your dress and paraded it in front of Margaery, boasting that even if Margaery married into Dominic’s family, Dominic would only ever have eyes for you.”
“I kicked her out,” he added, still simmering with anger.
Tessa struggled to comprehend Russell’s thought process. Knowing his unpredictable nature, she replied cautiously, “How could she say such things? Dominic is Margaery’s fiancé. No matter the circumstances, I should always remain humble and respectful toward her.”
As she spoke, she sprang to her feet. “Should I go and apologize to Margaery?”
“Forget that,” Russell said, his mood darkening as he recalled Margaery’s earlier indifference. “She probably doesn’t want your apology.
“Even my own apology would mean nothing to her now.”
Reflecting on the past, Russell couldn’t help but voice his regret, “I truly wish I could turn back time. How could I have acted so foolishly? I knew Margaery was on the brink of marriage, yet I blabbed everywhere, nearly tarnishing her reputation.”
“In hindsight, I thought it was trivial, but now, I just want to slap myself for my stupidity,” he lamented, his voice thick with remorse.
Closing his eyes, he turned to Tessa and said, “From now on, stop chasing after her. Ever since you arrived, the affection we once shared with her has been divided. You and your maid flaunting yourselves in front of her—can you truly blame her for distancing herself?”
Tessa stood there, momentarily speechless, caught off guard by his words.
‘Wasn’t Russell always my ally?’ she pondered, feeling a mix of shock and confusion.
In the past, whenever she shed tears or voiced her grievances, he would rush to confront Margaery, defending her fiercely, even threatening to sever ties with Margaery as his sister. Those moments would usually culminate in Margaery’s tears, throwing the entire estate into disarray.
Back then, all the brothers had been cold and distant.
It seemed like making Margaery cry was one of their unspoken pastimes.
‘Wasn’t it just the way things were around here?’ Tessa thought, bewildered.
‘But now, with Margaery giving them the cold shoulder and ignoring them, suddenly they’re filled with regret, acting as if it’s somehow my fault?’ she questioned, frustration bubbling within her.
If she weren’t afraid of retaliation, she would have liked to shout, ‘Are you all truly this shameless?’
But now was not the time for such confrontations.
Returning to the present, Tessa felt tears welling up in her eyes, her voice trembling with hurt as she said, “Are you blaming me, Russell? I thought Margaery would be happy to have me around…”
“Who else am I to hold accountable if not you?” Russell snapped back, his temper flaring.
The more he ruminated on the situation, the angrier he became. “Before you arrived, you had no idea of the bond Margaery and I shared!”
Before Tessa entered the picture, Russell had taken Margaery to Inkwell Academy every single day since she was five, nurturing their close relationship until she reached adulthood.
As a child, Margaery would leap onto his back on rainy or snowy days, her laughter ringing in his ears as she called out, “Russell, you’re the best! I love you more than anyone!”
Whenever her teacher rewarded her, she would rush to him, her eyes sparkling with joy, presenting her treasures with a beaming smile. “Russell, look! My teacher gave me this today, but I want you to have it. You’re my favorite person in the whole world.”
But that bond had frayed over time.
After Tessa made her entrance, she had always seemed fragile—coughing with every step, twisting her ankle at the slightest misstep, fainting unexpectedly.
Russell found himself constantly carrying Tessa throughout the estate, back and forth.
Margaery, feeling neglected, would cry out, her voice thick with despair, “Russell, do you not want me anymore?”
In those moments, he felt exasperated, perceiving her as unreasonable and immature, and would retort, “If you keep tormenting Tessa, I will no longer recognize you as my sister.”
Margaery would stand there, heartbroken, her sobs echoing in the air, but in Russell’s eyes, Tessa was all that mattered. He scarcely acknowledged Margaery’s pain.
Now, as he reflected on those memories, his heart ached with the weight of regret.
With a sudden surge of frustration, Russell sprang to his feet and shouted, “Stop whining and crying in front of me! All you do is weep. You’re just crying away your fortune!”
With that, he stormed out, leaving Tessa standing there, utterly stunned.
Tessa stared at his retreating figure, frozen in disbelief.
‘Didn’t he once say I looked beautiful when I cried, that my tears held value for him?
‘And now, he claims I’m crying away my luck?
‘What luck am I even crying away?’ Tessa wondered, feeling utterly lost.
“Seriously, what’s wrong with Lord Russell?” Sarah Flax, her maid, exclaimed in frustration. “Lady Margaery gives him attitude, and now he takes it out on you!”
Tessa hastily wiped her tears away, her brow furrowing in distress.
‘It seems I need to leverage that blood test to ensure Margaery is kicked out of this house before things spiral further out of control,’ she resolved.
Conclusion
In the haunting silence that enveloped Gracewind Garden, the emotional rift between Margaery and Russell deepened, each grappling with their own ghosts. Margaery’s calmness, a facade of maturity, belied the turmoil within her heart. She had severed ties not just with the estate but with a brother who had once been her anchor. The memories of their shared childhood, now tainted by betrayal, echoed painfully in her mind, reminding her of the love that had turned sour. Russell, on the other hand, stood at the precipice of regret, yearning for the days when laughter filled the air instead of the biting winds of their current estrangement. The tears he fought to suppress symbolized not just his sorrow but a recognition of the irreversible distance that had grown between them.
As Russell retreated from the garden, the weight of his actions pressed heavily on him, mingling with a sense of loss that felt insurmountable. Tessa’s presence, once a source of comfort, now stirred feelings of resentment and confusion, further complicating his already fractured relationships. In his anger, he lashed out, oblivious to the pain he inflicted on those around him. The echoes of laughter from their childhood faded into the background, replaced by the harsh reality of unspoken grievances and unhealed wounds. In this moment of reckoning, both siblings were left to ponder the paths they had chosen—paths that had led them away from each other, whispering of distant tomorrows that felt increasingly unattainable.
What to Expect in Next Chapter?
In the next chapter of *Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows*, tensions will undoubtedly escalate as the emotional fallout from Russell’s confrontation with Margaery continues to ripple through the estate. With Russell grappling with his regrets and a growing sense of isolation, readers can expect to witness the unraveling of his relationships with both Margaery and Tessa. The fragility of their once-strong bonds hangs in the balance, and the stakes have never been higher. Will Russell find a way to mend the rifts he has created, or will his impulsive nature lead to further estrangement from those he holds dear?
Meanwhile, Tessa’s resolve to take matters into her own hands adds an intriguing layer of complexity to the unfolding drama. As she contemplates leveraging the blood test to secure Margaery’s departure from the estate, the question arises: how far is she willing to go to protect her own interests? The tension between the characters is palpable, and their motivations are set to clash in unexpected ways. Readers should brace themselves for a whirlwind of emotions, revelations, and perhaps even betrayals, as the characters navigate their intertwined fates in a world where whispers can shape distant tomorrows.
