Chapter 2

After hanging up, I made my way down the mountain alone, returning to the home I shared with Felix.

I decided to visit Felix's grandmother, Pauline Perella. She and Grandma had been part of the same ballet troupe, and their friendship had always transcended the boundaries of our families.

When I was eight, I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. The Valentino family ran the most prestigious private hospital in northern Clyravan, and my family sent me there to recover.

Felix's parents, Don Marco Valentino and Madre Isabella Lucchetta, treated me as if I were their own, and Grandma Pauline herself was the one who taught me the family's traditions and values. She even suggested to others that I could someday be the Valentino family's future lady.

But all of that ended tonight.

Standing in front of her now, I dipped my head slightly and said softly, "Grandma Pauline, I have to go."

Her gaze, warm yet heavy with sadness, lingered on me. "You've been through so much, Sylvie."

She sighed. After a long, quiet moment, she pulled an emerald ring from her sleeve and carefully slipped it onto my ring finger.

"Take this, Sylvie. No matter where life leads you, you'll always be one of the Valentinos."

I looked down at the ring and felt a rush of emotions I couldn't put into words.

…

Felix had stayed out all night again.

At 4:00 am, my phone lit up with a message from Lilian.

"My dearest lion, thank you for making wishes on the shooting stars with me. You're the reason I keep going."

Attached was a photo of a meteor slicing through the night sky. Felix and Lilian were huddled close, grinning at the camera, their fingers laced together in a wish-making gesture.

The caption read, "May all our wishes come true."

But seconds later, the message disappeared.

"Sorry, Sylvie. Wrong person.

"Felix really cherishes this photo and asked me to send it to him. You're not mad, are you?"

I didn't respond to Lilian. I barely glanced at the photo before shutting my phone off. That night, I packed my things in the room, ready to leave.

Felix didn't come home until noon the next day.

"Lilian wasn't doing well last night, Sylvie. I had to be there for her," he said, handing me an elegant gift box. "Sweetheart, I got this for our anniversary. I never forgot how much you wanted one."

I lifted the lid of the gift box, revealing a Harry Winston diamond necklace that sparkled with breathtaking brilliance. The design was familiar.

Lilian had one just like it—though hers, adorned with pink diamonds, was far more expensive.

Felix's unease grew as he took in my lack of enthusiasm. "Sylvie, you're not upset, are you?"

I offered a smile, my voice flat. "Considering Lilian's delicate condition, it's only natural you'd want to look after her."

He let out a quiet sigh of relief. "I'm glad you understand. We've got a long road ahead of us, after all. But Lilian's running out of time. There's still so much she wants to do…"

His voice broke off suddenly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

I studied him with a faint smile. "If it's tearing you apart, then go to her completely. I won't stop you. How could I possibly resent someone who's dying? But don't spend the rest of your life mourning at her grave. I have no intention of waiting around on my own."

As I turned to leave, Felix seized my wrist with a sudden, fierce grip. "Sylvie, what are you getting at?"