Chapter 5

Tristan slowly walked away from the Grayson residence. Each step felt like a stomp on his heart, so heavy that it suffocated him. He let out a long exhale, as if wanting to expel the indescribable grief deep within him.

Claire's heartlessness cut deep. Ruby's innocent smile now only existed in his memories, as bright as the stars in the sky yet also just as unreachable. The thought broke his heart.

The night was dark as ink. The dim glow of the streetlamps stretched his shadow, making him look especially lonely.

Tristan hailed a cab. Half an hour later, he arrived at Silverleaf Residences. It was a neighborhood under the governance of the Ravelton military district, and all its residents were soldiers who'd contributed to national safety.

Tristan headed straight to No. 602, where his good friend Heath Coolidge lived, and rang the doorbell. Heath had served under Tristan as a member of the Fenrir unit and, after completing five years of service, had been assigned to the Ravelton military district. He was now the district's deputy commander.

Heath soon came down. He gave Tristan a bear hug and beamed, as if reuniting with a family member he hadn't seen in ages. He exclaimed, "Tristan! What brings you here?"

Tristan looked at him and asked, "Is it okay if I crash with you for a few days?"

Heath dragged Tristan into the building without hesitation. Still beaming, he said, "Come on, we're buddies who went to hell and back together. You can stay with me for a few years if you want, let alone a few days!"

He pulled Tristan into his apartment. Only after they were both seated did something occur to Heath. He laughed and teased, "You've become totally whipped after getting married, you know. You probably don't even dare to leave the house without Claire's permission. So, why do you have time to be here today?"

Tristan didn't answer. He just grabbed a bottle of liquor from the coffee table, popped it open, and chugged it down. The liquor burned his throat on its way down, making pain shoot through him.

The harsh bite of the liquor tangled with the bitterness buried deep inside him, making his longing for Ruby crash over him even harder.

Heath's heart lurched. This wasn't the calm, easygoing Tristan he knew. He quickly snatched the bottle from Tristan and asked, "Tristan, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

Tristan's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face, soaking his usually stoic features. He couldn't hold back the grief crushing him anymore and broke down in sobs. "Ruby… She's gone!"

"What? Ruby's gone? What on earth happened?" Heath's voice shook, and his eyes widened with disbelief.

Through his tears, Tristan choked out, "She… she died from a sudden heart attack. And the worst part is, Claire was off keeping her lover company. Even now, she still has no idea Ruby's dead."

His words were like a knife plunging straight into Heath's heart. Heath's clenched fists trembled as he struggled to keep the storm of emotions inside him under control.

He said, "Tristan, if you need to cry, then cry. I'll drink with you all night if that's what it takes, but you've got to pull yourself together tomorrow. If Ruby's looking down on you from heaven, the last thing she'd want is to see you drowning forever in the pain of losing her."

After a moment, Heath let out a long, heavy sigh and went on, "There's actually something I've been meaning to tell you for a while."

Tristan asked hoarsely, "What is it?"

Heath sighed again and said, "You asked me to secretly look into who murdered your family. I still haven't found the culprit yet, but I uncovered something else along the way. The young woman who saved your life back then wasn't Claire. It was someone else.

"I've been wanting to tell you this, but I was afraid that you'd divorce Claire once you knew the truth. I didn't want to break up your marriage, especially since you guys already had a kid together."

Tristan was stunned. It took him a long time to come to his senses. When he did, he looked shellshocked as he mumbled, "No wonder something always felt off. The young woman in my memories was gentle and kind, yet Claire is selfish and cold.

"It all makes sense now. But when I asked her about it, she swore up and down that she was the one who saved me."

He frowned, countless questions flashing through his mind. He looked at Heath and pressed, "So who's the young woman who actually saved me?"

Heath could only shake his head helplessly. "I haven't found that out yet, but I'll keep digging until I do. Leave it to me."

…

Meanwhile, Claire and her family had just finished a lavish dinner. She, her parents, and Adrian were sitting around the table, chatting in a warm, relaxed atmosphere.

Miranda smiled and said, "Adrian, I heard you've got a PhD from Halford University. That's incredible! What did you study?"

Adrian gave a modest smile. "You're too kind, Mrs. Grayson. I majored in finance and investment. I was lucky enough to land a well-paid position at a top firm on Wallridge Avenue, but…"

He paused for a beat, then looked at Claire beside him with deep affection before continuing, "But I couldn't get Claire out of my head. I thought about her day and night, so I quit my job and came back home to find her."

Miranda was delighted to hear that. She turned to Claire and said, "Did you hear that, Claire? Adrian is really something. He actually gave up a job like that for you."

Claire lowered her head shyly and said, "But… but I'm already married."

Miranda waved that off without a second thought, a look of disdain crossing her face. "So what if you're married? That's what divorce is for. I absolutely support you divorcing Tristan. He's nothing but dead weight!"

Just then, Claire seemed to remember something. Her head shot up, and she stared at the front door, puzzled. "Mom, now that you mention it, I just realized something. It's been so long, and he should've come home to apologize to me by now. Why hasn't he shown up yet?"

Miranda snorted. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I hope that loser drops dead out there."

At that moment, Gordon walked in. "Ruby's sick and in the hospital. She's about to have surgery. Since we have some time now, you're coming with me to see her, Claire."

Claire didn't want to go—she wanted to stay home and keep Adrian company. But she was Ruby's mother, after all. If she didn't even show her face at the hospital when her own daughter was admitted and about to undergo surgery, that would make her look heartless.

She said to Adrian, "Adrian, make yourself at home and get all the rest you need. We'll just swing by the hospital to check on Ruby. We'll be back soon."

He nodded. "Okay. Drive safe."