Chapter 4

The smoke grew thicker by the minute, and as Keith inhaled more of it, his consciousness began to fade.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up against the wall and staggered toward the door. But a fallen ceiling beam was blocking the exit, making it impossible for him to get out.

Keith stared at the burning beam in despair before turning and rushing toward the window.

He pushed it open, and the rush of cold air helped clear his head a little.

He looked down and just so happened to see Celine rushing out of the villa with Pudding in her arms.

Quinton immediately pulled her into his embrace.

"Celine, you nearly scared me to death!" he said in a trembling voice. "I thought Pudding was going to die in there. We've had him for so many years. He's been there through our entire relationship."

Celine stiffened, as if she were about to push him away. But seeing how heartbroken he was, she eventually raised a hand and gently patted his back.

"There, there, don't cry," she murmured. "Pudding is safe, and so are you."

As Keith watched them, it felt as though an icy hand had seized his heart and then abruptly released it. All that remained was an endless, numb emptiness.

He no longer expected anything from anyone.

Keith climbed onto the windowsill and took a deep breath. Then, he closed his eyes and jumped.

His fall lasted only a few seconds. Before he even had time to feel afraid, he hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Pain exploded through his entire body. He lay motionless as warm blood spread beneath him.

One of the household staff screamed, "Mr. Blackwell! Mr. Blackwell jumped out of the window!"

Celine whipped her head around and saw Keith lying in a pool of blood.

"Keith!"

Keith had never seen that expression on her face before. There was shock, disbelief, and even panic.

Keith looked at her. He parted his lips as if to say something, but all that came out was a mouthful of blood. Then, he passed out completely.

The first thing to hit him when he woke was the sharp smell of antiseptic.

Keith opened his eyes to a white ceiling.

He tried to move, but pain shot through his entire body, especially his legs, where it was almost unbearable.

"Keith!" Celine's voice rang out.

Keith turned his head and saw her sitting by his bedside. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked utterly exhausted.

She grabbed his hand and said in a quivering voice, "You're awake? How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?"

He didn't answer her questions. Instead, he slowly but firmly withdrew his hand from her grasp.

Celine's hand froze in mid-air, and her expression changed slightly.

She assumed he was angry about the fire and his fall, and that he blamed her for not saving him first.

She tried to explain in a hushed tone, "Keith, I didn't see you when I went into the room. I thought you'd already made it out, so I just carried Pudding out. He's not just any dog. He's—"

What was he? A symbol of her and Quinton's love? A reminder of all the beautiful memories they had shared?

"Why didn't you call out to me if you were still in the room?"

Why hadn't he called out to her?

Keith finally lifted his eyes to look at her.

His eyes were dark and deep. There was no resentment in them, nor any expectation. Instead, they held only an unfathomable calm.

"Because I no longer expect anything from you."

Celine jolted, as though his words had struck her hard. Her pupils contracted as she stared at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean by that?" Her voice sounded painfully dry to her own ears.

His words left a sudden hollow feeling in her chest, and a strange, icy draft seemed to sweep into the emptiness.

Keith looked at her with the calmness one might reserve for a complete stranger.

"It means exactly what I said. I no longer expect you to save me, choose me, or… love me."

Celine was shaken. She was just about to respond when her phone rang.

It was Quinton.

She walked over to the window and answered the call with her back to Keith.

Keith couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could see the tension in her profile. Her tone was impatient at first, but by the end of the call, it had softened into reluctant acquiescence.

"I understand," Celine said before hanging up and returning to the bedside.

Her expression grew troubled as she looked at Keith, as though she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to say it.

"You can go," Keith said before she could speak. His tone was eerily calm as ever. "I really don't need you here."

Celine looked at him, her chest tightening until she could barely breathe.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, all she said was, "Something's come up with Quinton. I need to take care of it. I'll be back soon."

After a pause, she added, "I know you're only saying these things because you're still upset about what happened before. Don't worry. Nothing like that will happen again.

"Your mother's death anniversary is coming up in a few days. I'll go with you to pay my respects."

Keith's lowered lashes trembled slightly.

"The anniversary of Mom's death falls on the same day as Quinton's birthday." He let out a faint laugh. "Aren't you going to celebrate his birthday with him?"

Celine clearly hadn't expected him to bring that up. Her expression stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She remained silent for a few seconds before averting her gaze and replying stiffly, "What does Quinton's birthday have to do with me?"

Keith laughed again. How could it have nothing to do with her?

Throughout their five years of marriage, Celine had always been "busy" on that particular day.

The first year, she said she had to go on a business trip.

The second year, she said she had a meeting.

The third year, she said she had to meet a client.

Only later did Keith discover that his mother Aida Monroe's death anniversary and Quinton's birthday fell on the same day.

Every year on that day, Celine would take a ten-hour flight overseas just to spend the entire night standing outside Quinton's house. Before leaving, she'd leave a gift at his doorstep.

Now that Quinton was back in the country, she could finally see him in person and express her affection to her heart's content.

"Oh, is that so?" Keith replied softly, then said nothing more.

He simply closed his eyes again, making it clear that he was too exhausted to continue the conversation.

Celine was increasingly frustrated by his refusal to engage with her, but she had nowhere to vent her frustration.

She glanced at Keith's pale face and tightly shut eyes, the words "Don't get the wrong idea. There's really nothing going on between Quinton and me" lingering on the tip of her tongue.

But in the end, all she said was, "Get some rest. I'll come see you again later."

Then, she turned and hurried out of the hospital room.