The passerby looked absolutely horrified and took off in a hurry.Dolly and I exchanged a glance.Then burst into laughter.That tight knot in my chest unraveled completely with the sound of our laughter echoing across the beach.Just then, Dolly suddenly pointed ahead. “Look, someone’s here!”I lifted my head and froze.There, standing on the seawall, was Miles.He held a massive bouquet of roses in one arm, his blazer slung casually over the other. Leaning against the car, he gazed at me in quiet stillness.The setting sun cast a golden glow over his tall frame. The sea breeze tousled his hair, brushing it softly across his forehead.As if sensing my gaze, he stood upright and gave me a smile.Warmth flooded through me like sunlight bursting into every corner of my body.I ran to him.His arms wrapped around me just as I reached him, pulling me into that familiar, steady embrace.I laughed and cried all at once, cupping his face in both hands. “When did you get here?”Bathed in the
Mary’s words stunned both Dolly and me into silence.Dolly recovered first, her expression softening as she gently wrapped her arms around Mary. "Oh, Mary... you really went through hell."Then she turned to me, her voice firmer again. "But Eve, you can’t let yourself spiral again. You worked so hard to crawl out of that mess. As your best friend, there’s no way I’m going to stand by and watch you fall back in."She grabbed the car keys and jerked her chin toward the door. "Come on. Let’s go."I hesitated for a couple of seconds, but in the end, I followed her.Half an hour later, we arrived at a quiet, isolated beach.The sun was sinking into the horizon, casting streaks of gold and crimson across the water. The sea shimmered with soft, glowing light.For the first time in days, I noticed how beautiful the world still was. The tight knot in my chest loosened, just a little.Dolly hauled a metal bucket out of the trunk and set it down in the sand.I watched her in confusion as she che
At last, worn down by Dolly’s relentless shouting, I dragged myself out of bed and opened the door.The moment it swung open, she stormed in. "What the hell does it mean not answering your phone all day? You…"She froze mid-sentence, her eyes sweeping over the room.Mouth agape, she took it all in—the clutter on the floor, the old letters, the toys, the memories.She bent down and picked up a Polaroid.It was a photo of me making a silly face, hugging a handbag like it was treasure.Her puzzled expression gradually shifted into something clearer, sharper.She looked up at me, stunned. "Eve... aren’t these the things you said were gone?"I nodded. Then shook my head. The tears came faster than I could stop them.Covering my face, I choked out, "Yeah... He told me they were lost when we moved. I searched for three days, and never found them."Dolly’s expression changed—confused, then tight with realization. "Julian found them? No... wait. That doesn’t make sense. Not after all these yea
I froze for a moment.The guard quickly jogged back to the security booth and returned with an enormous bouquet of flowers and a beautifully wrapped gift box."Miss White, a gentleman specifically asked us to deliver this to you."The bouquet and the box were so large, the poor guard was red in the face from the effort.I took the gift box, and as I did, a small card slipped off the top.One glance at the message, and the color drained from my face.Miles’ eyes flicked to it, sharp as a blade.The words on the card read:"Returning the memories to you. Wishing you happiness forever."He didn’t need to ask. One look at my expression and he already knew who it was from.After thanking the guard, Miles drove the car into a parking space and turned off the engine.The moment he opened his door, I snapped out of my daze."Out," he said gently, extending his hand toward me.I tried to force a smile. "Miles, this is..."But before I could finish, tears welled up out of nowhere—hot, sudden, an
I caught the brief flash of coldness in Miles’ eyes.A chill ran down my spine, and I couldn’t help but think of how Trey had handled things. How ruthless he’d been with Chloe. All charm and smiles on the surface, but when it came down to it, he nearly pushed her to the edge. Was this what power looked like in their world?No hesitation. No second chances. When they moved, it was with calculated precision—striking in ways you couldn’t come back from.Miles seemed gentler, quieter. But his moves still cut deep, just without the blood.I let out a quiet sigh.He suddenly took my hand. “What’s wrong?”I shook my head. “Nothing... I was just wondering where Julian might’ve gone.”The moment the words left my mouth, I felt his grip tighten. Then he slammed the brakes.Startled, I turned to him.His eyes were ice cold—sharp and unfamiliar. It scared me a little.I quickly realized what I’d done and asked carefully, “Miles... are you mad?”He seemed to snap out of it, forcing a smile as
I stood there, completely stunned.For a second, I thought I must’ve misheard her. I stared at Chloe, wide-eyed."You... what did you just say?"That familiar arrogance finally returned to her face.She let out a cold laugh. "Forget it if you’re not going to help."With that, she turned to walk away.I hesitated for a couple of seconds before calling after her."How much do you need?"Chloe actually paused, then hesitated for a long moment before muttering, "Two hundred thousand dollars?""What?" I was stunned all over again.Her expression twisted in frustration. "Don’t you drop that act. One of your designer bags costs more than that! And don’t patronize me, Evelyn. “If you’re not going to help, fine—but don’t act like I’m the one out of line. You rich people are all the same—stingy and self-righteous. I can’t stand people like you."My brain couldn’t even catch up. The way she just demanded money like it was nothing left me reeling.I couldn’t quite figure out how to respond. But l