Home / Romance Short Story / Feather Drifting in the Wind / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Feather Drifting in the Wind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

24 Chapters

Chapter 1

In her tenth year under Caesar's sponsorship, Ivy got a job offer from an overseas company based in Weissland.Her friends' voices still rang in her ears, the chatter full of disbelief as they tried to change her mind."Ivy, are you serious? You'll leave as soon as your visa is ready? Why?""Yeah, why? Mr. Shepherd treats you so well. It's been ten years! He's so attentive to your every need!""We all saw those ninety-nine proposals! They were unbelievably romantic! You never said yes, but Mr. Shepherd never gave up! If that's not true love, what is?""Is it because of Florence? Come on, she's just a new girl Mr. Shepherd's sponsoring. I heard her background is pretty tragic. He's just being nice. How could she possibly compare to you?""That's right, Ivy, don't be stupid. That's a decade worth of love! Mr. Shepherd cares about you so much! There's no way some clueless young woman could change that."Love?Ivy raised her eyes, looking past her chattering friends to the street a

Chapter 2

Ivy slid the last stack of documents through the window at the visa center.The staffer flipped through them quickly and said, "All set. Everything's complete. The result will be out in a month. You'll get a text when it's time to pick your visa up."Ivy nodded. "Thank you."She turned around and was just going to leave."Where do you think you're going?!"The shout cracked through the room, sharp with suspicion and surprise.Ivy stopped and turned around.Caesar stood a few meters away, face dark.Florence was holding his arm tightly. When she saw Ivy turning around, she shrank behind him like she was scared. But Ivy caught the spark in her eyes, like she was watching a performance.Ivy opened her mouth, but Caesar cut her off. His voice was cold and impatient, like her plans were his to decide. "Good timing. Saves me from telling you later. There's an overseas auction at the end of the month. I'm taking Florence."He glanced at Florence, his tone softening. "She hasn't

Chapter 3

The hospital was in chaos.Caesar almost roared as he grabbed the department head who had rushed over. "Save her! Save her first! Use the best medicine! The best doctors! Hurry!"His eyes were bloodshot, his hands shook. All his fear and panic locked onto the person wheeled into the emergency room.When things finally calmed down, a single thought slammed into his half-frozen mind.Ivy!His heart seized. He reached for his phone, trying to call his assistant and send him back to the crash site for her, but his fingers were stiff and clumsy.Then, he turned and saw her. Ivy was stumbling toward him from the end of the hallway. She moved slowly, like every step was on broken glass.The blood on her forehead had dried into dark streaks against her pale face as dust covered her clothes. She looked wrecked and weak.Caesar felt a sharp pain in his heart as he almost ran to her, grabbing her arm. "Ivy. Are you okay? Where are you hurt? Just now, I..."The words became jumbled. Seein

Chapter 4

The wound on Ivy's leg healed slowly. A dull ache pulsed day and night.When the doctor removed the gauze to check on the healing progress, he frowned and warned her repeatedly. "You need to watch what you eat. No alcohol, no spicy food, nothing that could cause inflammation. Not even a little. Otherwise, your wound will get infected easily, and the scar will get even worse."Caesar stood beside her, listening closely and nodding. "I understand, doctor. You can trust me."Back home, Caesar loosened his tie and called Ivy as she started walking up the stairs slowly. "There's an important party tonight. Florence is coming, too. It's her first time at an event like that, and she doesn't know the rules. Keep an eye on her."Ivy didn't stop. Her shoulders stiffened a little. "Sure."The banquet hall was all sparkling, smelling nice, and full of shiny smiles.Ivy wore a simple black evening gown and did her best to blend into the background.Florence wore a bright pink dress and s

Chapter 5

The banquet slowly quieted as it wound down.Someone suggested a group photo, and laughter rose as people drifted toward the center.Caesar found Ivy standing alone in the shadowed corner.There was almost no color in her face. He walked over, his voice softer now, with a faint edge of guilt. He raised a hand like he was going to touch her cheek, but she tilted her head and avoided him.His hand hung in the air for a moment before he let it back down. "Does your leg still hurt a lot?"He lowered his voice. "When we get back, I'll contact Professor Weaver. He has a new specialty drug from overseas. It's supposed to be best for scars. I won't let you end up with one."Ivy raised her eyes. They slid over his face, calm and empty, then drifted past him to Florence, who was lifting the hem of her dress and hurrying over. Both their faces were faintly red from alcohol.Ivy saw it clearly. Bitterness rose in her throat."Okay," she said softly.Caesar looked surprised by how obed

Chapter 6

Ivy struggled to open her eyes. It took a while before her vision focused once again.She turned her stiff neck, little by little.The hospital ward was very quiet.No one was there.Her throat was painfully dry. She tried to sit up for water, but the moment she moved, it felt like her body was starting to fall apart. Sharp pain shot through her bones, especially her back and the leg that had been pinned under the debris.The door opened softly.Caesar's secretary, Morgan, walked in with a folder in his arms."Ms. Rivers, you're awake?" Morgan hurried over. "You've been unconscious for three days. The doctor says you have multiple soft tissue injuries and a mild concussion. You need plenty of rest."Ivy opened her mouth. "Where is he?"Awkwardness flickered across Morgan's face as he pushed his glasses up. "Mr. Shepherd flew out yesterday afternoon and took Ms. Lane to Alpsland in Northvia. The auction was scheduled a long time ago, and Ms. Lane was really looking forward to

Chapter 7

On the streets of Alpsland, Florence held Caesar's arm excitedly as they lingered in a luxury watch store. She pointed at a limited-edition watch in the display window, her voice soft and sweet. "Caesar, this watch face is so special!"Caesar followed her gaze and nodded. He then waved to the salesperson. "Wrap it up."Florence went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "You're the best!"Caesar smiled and patted her head, but his eyes drifted for a moment.The way she leaned on him, the way her face lit up at a gift, that bright sparkle in her eyes, it all looked almost exactly like Ivy used to. Ivy had been cautious and shy too back then, overwhelmed by how much he spoiled her.They really were alike.Their eyes, their expressions, even their little habits.He saw Florence's face in the sunlight and got lost in it for a second."Caesar, why are you spacing out? Let's go check out that shop!" Florence shook his arm and dragged him toward the next boutique shop.Caesar went w

Chapter 8

Florence assumed that Caesar was spending a fortune on her.But when Caesar took the pink diamond ring sitting in its black velvet box from the auction manager, the way he looked at it made her heart sink. There was something careful in his gaze, something protective, ensnared with a complicated emotion she could not name.He didn't hand it to her like the other pieces. He closed the box with deliberate care and slipped it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, pressed close to his chest."Caesar?" Florence's smile stiffened. She spoke carefully, with a hint of hurt in her voice. "This...isn't for me?"Caesar came back to himself. He glanced at her, gentle but faintly distant. "This one's different." He didn't explain more about it.Different?Florence understood immediately.It wasn't for her. It was for that woman!The one who had taken a decade of Caesar's life, the one who was clearly about to lose his favor and still refused to let go!Jealousy and resentment surged

Chapter 9

The noise from the auction faded until the hotel suite fell quiet.Caesar stood at the window, staring out at the still night over Alpsland's quiet lake. The cigarette between his fingers had burned halfway, but he didn't even notice it, like he had forgotten about it.It felt like something had quietly scratched at his heart from some forgotten corner.He suddenly missed Ivy.He wanted to know if she had been discharged.He wanted to know if her leg injury still hurt.Was she scared, alone in that huge house?Without warning, the image returned. The ballroom collapsed. Ivy, sprinting forward and shoving him out of the way.She was so thin…Where had she found that kind of strength?Only now did he see it clearly. She had loved him enough to risk her life.The realization hit him hard, and a surge of strange emotion appeared inside him. It felt a little dull, a little ache, but there was a hint of satisfaction and smugness in it.His mouth twitched into a smile before he co

Chapter 10

The plane roared as it climbed into the sky and through the clouds.Ivy sat by the window, staring down through the window. The city she had lived in for a decade shrank and blurred underneath her, familiar streets and landmarks mixing together before they disappeared beneath a thick blanket of clouds.For a moment, she thought she saw a tall, familiar figure. Then, the clouds drifted and swallowed everything.She leaned back, her fingertips numb with cold.Over those ten years, Caesar had given her a lot.Comfort. Opportunity. A world she had never been able to imagine. He had pulled her out of the mud and molded her into the woman she was now.She used to think that was love.Now, she felt only relief. Relief that she had never said yes to any of his ninety-nine extravagantly romantic proposals.Thank goodness.Thank goodness Florence had shown up.Florence had torn off every soft illusion and forced Ivy to see what Caesar's so-called love really was in the cruelest way pos

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