Chapter 1: When love turned cold

The rain started before Alina Virelle’s plane landed in Viremont.

Cold droplets streaked across the airplane window, blurring the city lights beneath the dark sky.

Nine twenty-three at night.

Alina lowered her eyes to her phone the moment the signal returned.

The screen lit up instantly.

Messages flooded in one after another.

Happy birthday, Alina!

Wishing you happiness always!

Have an amazing day!

Miss you!

Don’t work too hard!

Dozens of notifications.

Friends.

Business partners.

Old classmates.

Even distant relatives remembered.

Her thumb moved slowly across the screen.

Then stopped.

There was nothing from Lucien Drax.

Not even a single word.

The small smile on her lips faded quietly.

For a moment, she stared at his chat box.

Empty.

Still, she typed first.

Alina: I landed.

She looked at the message for a few seconds before locking the screen.

Maybe he was busy.

That was what she told herself.

Again.

An hour later, the car stopped in front of Drax Villa.

The familiar black gates slowly opened.

Everything looked the same.

The long driveway.

The glowing lights.

The fountain Lucien personally chose years ago.

Nothing had changed.

Yet somehow…

It no longer felt like home.

The moment Alina stepped inside, the housekeeper, Mara, looked visibly shocked.

“Mrs. Drax…? You’re back?”

Alina smiled faintly and handed over her coat.

“Where’s Lucien?”

Mara hesitated.

“Mr. Drax hasn’t returned yet.”

The answer should not have hurt.

But somehow, it still did.

“And Elowen?”

“She’s upstairs.”

Alina nodded quietly.

“I’ll see her first.”

As she walked upstairs, exhaustion slowly crept into her chest.

Two months.

That was how long she had been away on overseas negotiations for Drax Corporation.

Two months of barely sleeping.

Two months of flights and meetings.

Two months of helping stabilize one of Lucien’s biggest projects.

And through all of it…

She still remembered his birthday.

Elowen’s school recital.

Their anniversaries.

Every small thing.

But today

No one remembered hers.

The hallway lights glowed softly as she stopped outside Elowen’s room.

The door was slightly open.

Inside, the little girl sat cross-legged on the carpet in pink pajamas, completely focused on arranging tiny seashells and beads into patterns.

Her small face was serious with concentration.

Alina’s eyes softened instantly.

She missed her so much.

“Elowen,” she called gently.

The little girl turned.

For a brief second, her face brightened.

“Mom!”

Warmth rose in Alina’s chest immediately.

But before it could settle

Elowen turned back around.

Just like that.

“Look carefully,” the little girl muttered to herself while arranging beads. “This one goes here…”

Alina stood there quietly for a second before walking closer.

She knelt behind her daughter and wrapped her arms around her gently, pressing a kiss against her soft cheek.

“I missed you.”

Elowen squirmed slightly.

“Mom… don’t move me.”

Alina loosened her hold immediately.

A strange ache spread through her chest.

“What are you making?” she asked softly.

“A bracelet.”

Elowen’s eyes brightened instantly this time.

“It’s for Seraphine!”

Alina’s fingers paused slightly.

Elowen didn’t notice.

“Dad helped me choose the shells,” she continued excitedly. “We polished them together yesterday. Seraphine likes shiny things.”

Alina looked down at the bracelet carefully arranged on the floor.

Every shell had been polished beautifully.

Carefully.

Patiently.

Lucien hated wasting time on meaningless things.

Yet he did this for another woman.

“How pretty,” Alina said quietly.

Elowen nodded happily.

“Dad also bought her a gift! Tomorrow we’re going to”

“Elowen.”

Her daughter finally looked at her again.

Alina forced a small smile.

“Do you remember what day it is today?”

“Hm?”

The little girl blinked blankly.

Then immediately looked back at the bracelet.

“Mom, don’t distract me. I’m trying to finish before tomorrow.”

Silence filled the room.

Heavy.

Sharp.

Alina slowly lowered her hands.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered the night Elowen was born.

The emergency surgery.

The blood loss.

Lucien arriving too late because of work.

She almost died bringing that child into the world.

Yet now

Her daughter couldn’t even remember her birthday.

“It’s okay,” Alina whispered.

But the words sounded emptier than she expected.

She stood there a little longer.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Maybe Elowen would suddenly remember.

Maybe she would turn around again.

Maybe she would hug her.

But she didn’t.

Not once.

Finally, Alina walked out quietly.

Mara looked uneasy downstairs.

“Mrs. Drax… Mr. Drax called earlier.”

Alina paused.

“He said there’s something important tonight. He probably won’t return.”

Something important.

Of course.

“I understand,” Alina replied softly.

Mara hesitated before adding carefully, “You should rest first.”

Alina nodded.

But instead of going upstairs, she sat alone in the living room and dialed Lucien’s number.

The line rang for a long time.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Finally, he answered.

“What is it?”

His voice was low.

Cold.

Distracted.

Alina tightened her grip on the phone slightly.

“I just came back.”

Silence.

Then

“I’m busy right now.”

Not:

How was your flight?

Did you arrive safely?

I missed you.

Nothing.

Before Alina could speak again, a soft female voice sounded from his side.

“Lucien… is that call important?”

Important.

Alina’s breathing slowed slightly.

Lucien’s voice became gentler automatically.

“I’ll be there in a second.”

Then, after a pause

“It’s nothing important.”

The call ended.

Alina stared at the dark screen for a long moment.

Something inside her felt strangely quiet.

Not explosive.

Not dramatic.

Just…

Tired.

Two months apart.

And that was their reunion.

The next morning, sunlight filled the villa quietly.

Alina woke up early.

For a moment, she forgot.

Then reality settled again.

Today was her actual birthday in this country’s timezone.

She sat on the edge of the bed for a while before finally picking up her phone.

Still nothing from Lucien.

A faint bitterness spread through her chest.

But she pushed it down.

Maybe…

Maybe they could still eat together today.

Just one meal.

The three of them.

That was enough.

She called him again.

No answer.

An hour later, a message finally arrived.

Lucien: What is it?

Alina stared at those three words for a long time.

Then typed slowly.

Alina: Are you free for lunch today? With Elowen.

Several minutes passed.

Lucien: Send the address.

That was all.

No:

Happy birthday.

No:

Did you rest?

No:

I missed you.

Nothing.

Alina lowered her phone slowly.

At some point, disappointment had become familiar enough to stop hurting properly.

As she stepped into the hallway downstairs, voices drifted from the dining room.

“Miss Elowen,” Mara said gently, “aren’t you happy your mother came back?”

“I am,” Elowen replied casually.

Then after a pause

“But Dad promised we’d go to the beach with Seraphine tomorrow. If Mom comes too, it’ll feel weird.”

Alina’s footsteps stopped.

Mara sounded uncomfortable. “Your mother loves spending time with you.”

“I know,” Elowen muttered.

Then came the sentence that completely shattered the remaining warmth in Alina’s chest.

“Dad and I like Seraphine more anyway.”

A small laugh.

“Can’t she just become my mom?”

Silence.

The world seemed to disappear for one terrifying second.

Alina stood frozen outside the room.

Her face slowly lost color.

She couldn’t hear Mara’s response anymore.

Couldn’t hear anything.

Her chest felt strangely hollow.

As though seven years of marriage…

Seven years of trying…

Had suddenly become meaningless.

Quietly, she turned around and walked back upstairs.

Inside the bedroom sat two unopened gift boxes.

One for Elowen.

One for Lucien.

She stared at them silently.

Then, one by one

She placed them back inside her suitcase.

By noon, Alina found herself standing outside a familiar restaurant.

The same restaurant Lucien once brought her to after their wedding.

Back then, he rarely smiled.

But sometimes, when he looked at her

There had been warmth.

Or maybe she only imagined it.

The restaurant windows reflected the afternoon sunlight softly.

Alina stepped forward

Then stopped.

Inside, near the window

Lucien sat beside Seraphine.

And Elowen.

The three of them looked painfully perfect together.

Like a real family.

Elowen leaned happily against Seraphine’s shoulder while showing her the seashell bracelet.

Lucien watched them quietly.

His expression softer than Alina had ever seen.

Not cold.

Not distant.

Gentle.

Seraphine laughed at something Elowen said.

Lucien reached over naturally and brushed cream from the corner of Seraphine’s lips.

Such a small gesture.

Such an intimate one.

Alina froze completely.

Because suddenly

Everything became clear.

The unanswered calls.

The forgotten birthday.

The emotional distance.

The empty marriage.

It wasn’t because Lucien didn’t know how to love.

It was because he never loved her that way.

A faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

Broken.

Empty.

Inside the restaurant, none of them noticed her standing there.

Not her husband.

Not her daughter.

Not even once.

Alina turned around quietly and walked away.

That evening, the villa felt colder than before.

She sat alone at the desk in the master bedroom.

A stack of papers rested neatly in front of her.

Divorce Agreement.

The words looked calmer than she felt.

Seven years.

She spent seven years loving a man who never chose her.

If not for that accidental night…

If not for Elowen…

Lucien would have never married her.

She always knew.

She just kept hoping love could grow afterward.

How foolish.

Slowly, Alina signed her name.

One page after another.

When Mara entered later, she froze slightly at the sight of the documents.

“Mrs. Drax…”

Alina slid the envelope toward her calmly.

“Please give this to him.”

Mara looked shocked. “You’re leaving?”

Alina stood up quietly and picked up her suitcase.

Then, after a long silence, she said softly

“Take me to the airport.”

This time

She was really leaving.