Chapter 8

That night, Luke didn't come home.

Daphne's phone was flooded with messages from him. Not a single one showed concern—only blame.

[Daphne, Seraphine was admitted to the hospital with angina because of you. Get a gift and apologize now!]

[Daphne, you're not an unreasonable or selfish girl. Don't make me disappointed in you!]

[Daphne, answer me! I'll wait until tonight. Don't make me come back and drag you here myself!]

Luke came home at ten.

He stormed in, his expression dark, and yanked Daphne off the bed with a rough grip. His face was ice cold.

"Why didn't you reply?" His voice was sharp, demanding. "Get up. You're coming with me to the hospital to apologize."

"I'm not going. I didn't hit her."

Daphne struggled, trying to pull her hand free, but the difference in strength between them was too great. There was no way she could break away.

"You never used to treat me like this… But ever since Seraphine came back, you've changed."

No matter what happened before, he had always taken her side. If she made mistakes, he took the blame for her. He couldn't even bear to scold her. But now? Everything was different.

Luke hesitated, just for a second. Deep down, he knew he had changed. He knew he shouldn't be treating her this way. But when it came to Seraphine, he couldn't control himself.

He didn't want Seraphine to suffer—not even a little.

That evening at the hospital, he had listened to Seraphine recount the hardships she had endured overseas. It had been too much, too painful.

And this time, Daphne was undeniably in the wrong.

"I get that you're jealous," he said, "but since you hit her, you have to apologize."

"I didn't. She grabbed my hand and hit herself with it."

Luke frowned, thinking back to what he had seen. "Daphne, I was right there. I saw it with my own eyes. Even if I called your brother right now, he'd tell you to apologize. Now, come with me."

In the end, Daphne was dragged into the car and taken to Seraphine's hospital room.

Inside, Seraphine was lying on the hospital bed, casually scrolling through her phone. When she saw Daphne, a triumphant smirk flickered across her lips.

"Apologize."

Daphne turned her head away, lips pressed into a tight line. Stubborn. Silent.

Seraphine sighed. "It's alright, Luke, it's not that big of a deal. Don't scare Daphne."

Daphne didn't want to see their little display of affection. She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, dizziness overtook her. The world spun.

She collapsed.

…

When Daphne woke up, she was still in the hospital. A doctor stood at her bedside.

She had suffered a miscarriage.

So… she had been pregnant with Luke's child?

But in that moment, all she felt was relief.

…

She was discharged two days later.

Maybe out of guilt, Luke never mentioned the apology again.

During her recovery, he barely left her side. He even put work on hold, sticking to her like a shadow.

It was something Daphne never could have imagined before.

One evening, he asked if there was anywhere she wanted to go.

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I want to go hiking. You promised me a proper confession."

Back when they first got together, he had vowed to give her a real confession of love—standing at the highest point in the city, declaring it to the world.

But after they got together, he always found an excuse to put it off.

Too busy. Too much work.

She had always known the truth. It wasn't that he didn't want to say it. He just didn't want to say it to anyone but Seraphine.

Now, before she left, she wanted to hear it—just once. A late confession, fulfilling the dream of her twenty-year-old self.

Luke agreed immediately.

They packed their bags and drove to the base of the mountain.

Just as they were about to start their ascent, his phone rang.

He answered, listening for only a few seconds before his expression changed. Hesitation flashed across his face.

Then, he turned to her and said, "Sorry, Daphne…"

"You're not going, are you?" she cut in, her voice eerily calm.

Luke clenched his jaw, fighting off an inexplicable sense of unease, then gave a small nod.

And just like that, he left, headed somewhere far away, chasing after a love he had never let go of.

"Luke," she called out suddenly.

He paused for the briefest moment.

"Do you really have to go?"

He hesitated, but he didn't turn around.

Instead, he walked away, like a man rushing toward his destiny.