Chapter 4

As soon as the private jet touched down, Valerio disembarked and walked off ahead without so much as a glance in Selma's direction.

Selma spent hours wandering around the resort city before finally dragging her heavy luggage to the lodge. By the time she arrived, she spotted Valerio in the dining area, having a video call with Maureen.

His entire demeanor changed in front of the woman he loved. With uncharacteristic patience, he explained the local cuisine and customs to her, and whenever Maureen said something that amused him, a faint smile would unconsciously appear on his lips.

His eyes remained fixed on the screen, brimming with a tenderness Selma had never received from him. Watching from a distance as Valerio treated another woman so differently from the way he treated her, Selma felt a sharp, uncontrollable pain stab through her heart.

Clutching her chest, she slowly made her way to her room, repeating the same words to herself with every step. "It's okay. Soon, I'll erase all these feelings and stop loving him. Then it won't hurt anymore."

The following day, Selma explored the surrounding scenic spots, sampled food at various restaurants, and bought a few souvenirs to bring back for Florian and Lynn.

Although Valerio accompanied her throughout the trip, he kept his distance and refused to speak to her. Whenever he came across a beautiful view or something interesting, however, he would immediately take a picture and send it to Maureen, then spend ages chatting with her on his phone.

Despite traveling together, Selma felt as though she were completely alone.

The second day happened to be her birthday, and to her surprise, Valerio handed her a gift. It was the first present she had ever received from him, so she couldn't help feeling a flicker of anticipation as she unwrapped it.

However, the moment she saw the pair of earrings inside, her expression froze. Valerio glanced at her, his tone indifferent.

"You don't like them?"

"I don't have pierced ears."

Only then did Valerio seem to notice, but he showed little reaction. "I'll tell my assistant to pay more attention next time."

So, his assistant had picked out the gift for her.

A bitter wave washed over Selma as she recalled how meticulously Valerio prepared grand presents for Maureen two weeks in advance of her birthday or any major or minor holiday.

He had never bothered to put even that much thought into Selma's gifts. The reason was painfully simple: he didn't love her, so he couldn't care less about what she liked or wanted.

Setting the gift aside, Selma put on her ski gear and headed to the slopes alone. As she carved her way through the pristine white snow, the rush of the descent gradually eased the tension in her chest, allowing her to immerse herself in the thrill of skiing and forget her troubles for a little while.

After completing a run, she returned to the lounge area, where Valerio unexpectedly initiated a conversation. "Not bad technique."

Selma blinked, surprised that he had spoken to her at all, before quietly thanking him. She then watched as he picked up his gear and stood, leaving her with a casual instruction.

"Head down first and wait for me at the third bend. We'll race in a bit."

Caught off guard by his sudden proposal, Selma had no idea what had prompted the change in his attitude. Still, she followed his instructions and skied down to the third bend, where she pulled over and waited for him to arrive.

Half an hour passed, but Valerio never showed up.

As the sky gradually darkened and the wind grew increasingly fierce, a growing sense of unease settled over Selma. She took out her phone and sent him a message asking where he was, but even as the minutes ticked by, no reply came.

Eventually, Selma decided she couldn't afford to wait any longer and began making her way slowly back toward the lounge area.

The path was deserted, and she didn't encounter a single person along the way. Meanwhile, the wind howled around her, whipping snow straight into her face and making it increasingly difficult to see.

Realizing that something was terribly wrong, Selma quickened her pace, but it was already too late. A massive slab of snow broke loose from the mountainside above and came crashing down, burying the path and blocking her way both ahead and behind.

Trapped beneath the heavy drift, Selma struggled to free one hand and retrieve her phone. With what little strength she had left, she dialed Valerio's number.

One call, two calls, three calls... all rejected.

The air grew thinner, and her breathing became increasingly labored. Just when she was on the verge of giving up, the call finally connected.

Before she could say a word, Maureen's voice came through the receiver. "Valerio is having dinner with me right now. He doesn't have time for you."

Selma had no idea why Maureen was there or how she had ended up with Valerio, but she couldn't afford to dwell on those questions.

Driven by sheer survival instinct, she pleaded, "Please, give him the phone. There's an emergency..."

Before she could finish explaining, she heard Valerio's cold voice in the background. "Ignore her. You flew all this way to surprise me, so don't let her ruin our date."

The line went dead.