Chapter 3

The medicine began to take effect, and the morning sunlight gently kissed Astrid’s clear, fair skin. Anyone who saw her would say she looked like an angel… Slowly, the angel was drawn into the world of dreams.

“Joshua,” she murmured, speaking the name of her beloved.

At the Los Angeles airport, people moved back and forth, drawn to the bustling crowd. When they turned their eyes to the source of the commotion, they saw a tall man standing in the middle of the throng.

He was approximately 1.90 meters tall, which made him the center of attention. The man looked around, as if searching for someone. The moment he turned his face, his high nose, firm jaw, and sensual crimson lips made the women around him sigh, as if he had stolen their breath.

His face was so striking that it could never be forgotten after just one glance, likely to take root like a tree with strong, deep roots. But the only thing that was disheartening about that face was the coldness that made it difficult to approach him. People nearby merely spoke among themselves, none daring to get close.

He furrowed his brow slightly, and someone in the crowd said, “He seems to be the president of Steel Technology! Joshua Steel.”

Suddenly, those around him seemed to come to their senses, and the scene felt like a pot of boiling water, as people desperately and clumsily searched for their phones to take photos.

The sound of the camera shutter distracted him. If this were a normal day, Joshua would not have allowed such things to happen at all. Normally, even if something like this occurred, he would have handled it immediately. But today, no—he did not want that person to see this side of him.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from the crowd—a voice Joshua recognized, a voice familiar to him, one he had thought of countless days and nights.

“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to disappoint everyone, but he is not the president,” said a soft, enchanting voice, almost hypnotic to Joshua.

Joshua turned his head. It was really her—she had returned!

Seeing her walk slowly toward him, his heart raced for no apparent reason. He was ecstatic just to see the face of the person he had longed for so much; it had been over three years since he last saw her.

“Really?” Marilyn approached Joshua and touched his shoulder, snapping his thoughts back.

Joshua looked at Marilyn Dean with immense tenderness, the woman who calmly positioned herself by his side.

“I’m sorry to disappoint everyone. I am not Joshua Steel. The president of Steel should be in a meeting right now,” he said, yet even while speaking, his eyes never left Marilyn’s face.

He wasn’t lying. Joshua did have an important meeting today, but to see Marilyn on her first day back home, he had canceled it on the spot. She was more important than any meeting.

However, Joshua did not know that the person at home, foolishly, had given up everything for him—even her dignity and aspirations—all for Joshua.

Joshua took the initiative to take Marilyn’s luggage from her hand. Marilyn looked at the unfamiliar surroundings—three years had passed, and everything that had once been familiar now seemed different. Even he had changed.

“Are you hungry?” Joshua asked gently, noticing Marilyn’s dazed expression. “I know a traditional European restaurant that will blow your mind. It just opened. It’s really good—you’ll love it.”

“European food?” Marilyn thought. If she were the same as three years ago, she would have eagerly asked Joshua to take her there. But after being away from the United States for so long, she was tired of European cuisine. She had even eaten a cassoulet before boarding the plane. “No, I don’t really want European food. Let’s go to that Chinese restaurant—we used to go there during school days.”

Joshua froze. His heart panicked inexplicably. Suddenly, he couldn’t remember which restaurant Marilyn meant.

“Hua Yuan Restaurant,” Marilyn replied, seeing Joshua’s expression. For Marilyn, his reaction caused her heart to falter, and a sense of loss crept in. “Have you forgotten?” she asked with a smile. “It’s just a few streets away, very close to Chinatown. You said its taste was like authentic Asian food.”

Only then did Joshua realize—she meant that place. He hadn’t been there in over two years. Right, since he had taken Astrid there once, he had never returned. Astrid… Astrid White… He couldn’t help thinking about what that cheeky woman might be doing at this moment. How annoying.

“What a fool,” he muttered, playfully slapping his forehead. “How could I forget something so important?” He opened the car door for Marilyn with affection.

The Porsche glided smoothly along the road.

“In these few years, I see everything so differently. Everything has changed so much,” Marilyn said, gazing thoughtfully at the streets. So many things have changed… everything is different.

Joshua looked at her as if he could read her thoughts.

“Silly, what are you thinking? Even if everything has changed, we’ll still be together,” he said. Hearing this, Marilyn turned to look at Joshua—his eyes were gentle, as if declaring that she was his world.

Before Marilyn could even respond, Joshua continued, “We’re here.”

Marilyn didn’t notice the sweat on Joshua’s hands from gripping the steering wheel nervously. He was scared—truly afraid of being rejected again, so this time he decided to be cautious. Joshua didn’t know that this moment would change his life forever.

He opened the car door for Marilyn, arriving at the restaurant they had once frequented long ago.

The restaurant owner was a burly man. When he saw Joshua, he approached.

“Mr. Steel, it’s been a long time! The last time I saw you was two years ago.” Joshua nodded in acknowledgment. “The usual?”

Only then did he notice the presence of the person near Joshua.

“How has Mrs. Astrid been these days?”

Joshua was taken aback. He hadn’t expected that, after two years, the restaurant owner would remember Astrid, whom he had only brought there once. He recalled that the first and last time he brought Astrid, the owner had asked why the person who came with him before had not returned.

Seeing Marilyn’s puzzled face, Joshua replied coldly, “Sir, she is not Astrid.” The owner realized his mistake, hurriedly apologized, and said no more.

Joshua, panicking, opened his mouth to explain. “Marilyn, listen. Mrs. Astrid is a client, her name is Astrid White. I brought her here two years ago, and I haven’t brought anyone since.”

A customer overheard and thought this was funny. Joshua laughed coldly—how could that ‘client’ have mattered? Bringing her last time had been a nuisance. For that person, it would have been better to just give her instant soup.

Marilyn slowly lifted her head and looked at Joshua. Tension was clearly visible on his face, but she let out a sigh of relief.

“This place is our secret. How could you bring someone else here?” Hearing Joshua’s explanation eased her heart, and she didn’t mind too much.

Still, the food felt different from the past, as if something were missing.