Chapter 5

The words hit Ezra like a thunderclap, jolting him awake.

His face drained of color. He quickly ended the call, turning around to find himself locking eyes with Shermaine, whose gaze was as cold as ice.

She had lost more weight in the past few days due to illness, her pale face expressionless, like the winter sun—bright but without warmth.

"Shermaine." Ezra's heart raced. He stepped forward, fumbling for words. He opened his mouth but had no idea what to say.

Shermaine smiled lightly, as though nothing had happened. "What's wrong, Ezra? I heard your voice and came to check on you. You look off. Did you argue with someone?"

Ezra visibly relaxed, quickly slipping into his usual act. He furrowed his brow, feigning irritation. "A few companies I'm working with have been acting up. I got angry and gave them a piece of my mind. Anyway, we shouldn't be standing here. Let's head back. Look how cold your hands are," Ezra remarked, swiftly taking her hand and tucking it into the warmth of his coat.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, he tried to warm her hands with his body heat.

Shermaine lifted her gaze to Ezra's flawless profile and, for a brief moment, lost herself in thought. "Ezra, I want to go home."

Ezra's smile faltered for a moment before he quickly recovered.

"Maybe later." He scrambled for an excuse. "Didn't the doctor say you're still recovering? It'd be best to stay at the hospital for a few more days. Besides, our anniversary is coming up. Let me take some time to make the house look nice."

Ezra lowered his voice, his tone deep and sultry. "Shermaine, I want to surprise you."

The air between them felt heavy with tension, but Shermaine's heart remained as cold as ever.

She quietly withdrew her hand, giving a small nod. "Alright."

Ezra, trying to sound considerate and a little eager to please, added, "How about we go watch the sunset on Mount Ashmore for our anniversary? You've been wanting to go for months, and I finally have some free time."

Shermaine's expression grew even more distant. She forced a strained smile. "Forget it. I'm tied up with a group project. I can't get away."

Ezra hesitated, his dark eyes briefly clouded with a rare trace of hurt.

"Shermaine, don't you remember? Your project is almost finished. The final tasks can be handled by my department."

He paused, then asked, almost timidly, "Shermaine, did I do something to upset you?"

Shermaine didn't answer. She just looked at him coolly, a chill spreading inside her.

If he hadn't mentioned it, she might have forgotten.

As a mentor, Shermaine had been overseeing a project with several students. The school hadn't supported it at first, but Ezra had kept pouring money into it.

In fact, to ease some of Shermaine's stress, he'd even set up a project department to collaborate directly with her team, allowing him to fund it without question.

At the time, Shermaine had been touched by his gesture.

It wasn't until she started investigating Ezra and Melanie's relationship that she had a rude awakening.

The night that marked the beginning of their affair—the night of passion—was also the night Ezra had announced the creation of the project department.

So, Ezra didn't establish that department just to help her. It was more about making it easier for him to have an affair with Melanie.

All those sweet memories from the past, the ones that had once filled her heart with warmth, turned into slaps to her face, one after the other, as realization hit.

Now, seeing Ezra's eager, affectionate expression, Shermaine only found it laughable.

He was still pretending.

A quiet, bitter laugh escaped her throat before she nodded. "Alright, let's go together."

After all, she had her own "gift" to give Ezra on that day.