chapter five

Liliana POV

It was late at night, and thick darkness enveloped the warm winter villa. A biting cold wind blew, and I shivered the moment I stepped outside.

A Land Rover was quietly parked in front of the villa. In the darkness, a faint red light glowed. As I approached, I saw Ethan Smith standing by the car, smoking. A pile of cigarette butts was scattered at his feet—it was clear he had been there for quite some time.

I paused, then walked over to him with a slight smile. “So many cigarette butts. You’ll need to clean them up before you leave later.”

Ethan looked up at me, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He said nothing. Instead, he threw the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his foot, as if venting his frustration.

I found it a little amusing. After enduring a whole day of suffering, I suddenly felt calm. I turned and leaned against the car, my tone steady, as if discussing something unrelated.

“Brainstem glioma—although it still needs further confirmation, I’ve already started experiencing frequent vomiting, headaches, and even a brief coma… It’s probably already in the late stages.”

Ethan’s breathing became unsteady in an instant. He kept his head lowered, but his voice still trembled as he tried to suppress his emotions. “No… the hospital you went to has outdated equipment. The results could be wrong. I’ll take you somewhere else tomorrow…”

“There’s only a one in ten thousand chance of error,” I interrupted him. Turning to look at him with a faint smile, I continued, “I’ve already accepted this outcome… I didn’t come here to talk about this. I need your help with something.”

By the moonlight, Ethan could clearly see how thin I had become—almost skeletal. My face was pale as paper, and my entire presence carried a sense of lifeless stillness. A deep sadness welled up in his heart.

After a moment, he asked, “What is it?”

I looked at him and spoke with a pleading tone. “You mentioned before that you’d be going abroad for an exchange in the second half of the year… Could you take Millie with you?”

The moment he heard this, he immediately understood my intention. “Liliana…”

I looked away and continued, “Finnley and Sabrina are going to get married. I don’t trust leaving Millie with them. I’ll divorce Finnley as soon as possible and send Millie abroad. By then… I probably won’t be around anymore. So I can only ask you to help her settle down overseas.”

“In recent years, I’ve done my best to put the Carter Group back on track. Although it’s nowhere near what it was under my father, it’s still developing steadily. I’m entrusting Millie to you. I only ask that you take care of her and ensure she isn’t lonely or helpless. She grew up abroad…”

“Liliana! What are you saying?” Ethan shouted angrily. His hand struck the car window again, his emotions nearly overwhelming him.

I fell silent for a moment, then gave a faint smile. “Can’t you understand? I’m asking you to take care of my daughter.”

Ethan’s lips trembled. After a long pause, he finally forced out, “What about you? You’re handing the Carter Group to me and leaving Millie to me… What will you do?”

“What else can I do?”

My chest tightened, and a surge of grief and despair rose uncontrollably. I thought I had already come to terms with everything, but his question shattered my composure. My nose stung, and the calm facade I had been holding collapsed.

My voice trembled as tears fell uncontrollably. “I can only wait for death.”

I didn’t understand it myself. I had already been unfortunate enough, yet fate seemed determined to play one more cruel joke on me. Was it because my past twenty years had been too smooth, and now everything had to be taken away?

I felt wronged, unwilling, and deeply worried about my child. But there was nothing I could do.

Ethan looked at me, overwhelmed with sorrow. He stepped forward and pulled me into a tight embrace, repeatedly saying, “Liliana, you won’t die. I’ve heard that overseas there are advanced treatments for tumors. We’ll go together—we’ll find a way…”

“What are you doing!”

A cold, harsh voice suddenly rang out behind us, sending a chill through the air.

I startled and quickly broke free from Ethan’s arms. Turning around, I saw Finnley standing at the villa entrance, his entire presence radiating coldness and authority.

My heart tightened, and I instinctively tried to explain. “I just had something I needed help with from Ethan…”

Finnley looked at both of us coldly, then sneered. “What kind of help requires standing at your doorstep late at night and throwing yourself into another man’s arms? Liliana, are you that dissatisfied with me?”

My face turned pale.

Ethan stepped forward protectively, positioning himself in front of me. “Finnley! Don’t go too far!”

“Too far?” Finnley’s gaze darkened as he looked at Ethan’s protective stance. His expression became increasingly icy. “Liliana was just collapsing on the ground earlier as if she were on the verge of death. And now she has the strength to meet a man in private? If that’s the case, why pretend to be so devoted and unwilling to divorce?”

“Finnley! Do you even know that Liliana is—”

“Ethan.” I cut him off.

Looking at Finley, I suddenly felt as though I no longer recognized the man in front of me. The Finnley I once loved was distant to others, yet always spoke gently to me, afraid of hurting me or making me cry.

But the man standing before me now turned a blind eye to my pain, wrongfully accused me without hesitation, and humiliated me without restraint.

Perhaps because I no longer had much time left, I suddenly felt exhausted by all the entanglement with him and Sabrina. I wanted a divorce. I wanted to leave everything behind.

Yet even as I made that decision, my heart still aches as if being torn apart.

Under the moonlight, my face looked pale and worn, but my expression remained firm.

“Finnley, I need to talk to you.”

His expression shifted slightly, a trace of unease flashing across his face. He seemed about to refuse, but upon noticing Ethan’s anxious gaze, his expression hardened again, his voice cold and emotionless. “Come to study.”

I gestured for Ethan to leave first, then quietly followed Finnley.

The snow had not yet melted, and each step on the ground made a soft crunching sound. In the darkness, I watched his retreating figure, and for a fleeting moment, it reminded me of five years ago.

Back then… What had I been doing with Finnley?

I couldn’t recall clearly, only that it was nothing like this—nothing filled with mutual hatred.

Now, every word between us felt like a sharp blade piercing the heart.

When we reached the study, the air inside was cold. Finnley turned to look at me, his tone laced with sarcasm. “What is it?”

I lowered my head and remained silent for several seconds. Clenching my fists, I gathered all my strength before finally forcing out a quiet sentence:

“Let’s… get a divorce.”