All Chapters of The Night He Left Us in the Snow: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Adrian called almost immediately after I left the comment under Lucia’s Instagram post.“Elena, what do you mean by that?”“Lucia only posted a Christmas photo, and you had to leave that kind of comment under it? My father, the advisers, and several senior members of the family are waiting. Dinner is about to start. When are you and your father arriving?”“We’re not coming.”“You’d better think carefully,” Adrian said. “The Moretti family was supposed to announce our engagement tonight. If you’re going to make everyone wait because I went to take care of Lucia, then maybe there’s no reason to go through with this marriage.”My father had prepared for that dinner for a long time.His health had never been good, but he still wore his dark gray suit and the old silver cufflinks he had bought after closing his first major deal. He said the Reed family could not look careless on its first formal visit to the Moretti estate.He had never liked mafia families, but he had been willing to belie

Chapter 2

Adrian did not take the invitation. He only looked at me, as if he had finally realized I was not stepping back the way he expected.“This is not something you can cancel with one sentence.”“Then consider this my formal notice.”“Notice?” He gave a cold laugh. “Elena, this is a Moretti engagement, not a dinner date you and I can casually call off.”“Then I have even less reason to go.”“Does your father know you’re acting like this?”When I did not answer, he went on. “You know better than anyone how long he prepared for tonight. That bottle he brought was not just a gift. He was telling the Moretti family that he recognized me, and that he approved of this marriage.”The old silver cufflink was in my pocket. When I left the hospital, a nurse had handed it to me and said it was one of the things found on my father. I had kept it with me ever since, without taking it out or telling Adrian.“Your father has always been more reasonable than you,” Adrian said. “He understands what the Mor

Chapter 3

Adrian stayed away for the next few days, and I never asked where he was.A secretary from Moretti Security called a few days later to remind me about the annual product launch.I almost refused, but the port defense system was three years of my work, and I had overseen every core stage. Adrian had once said he would sit below the stage on launch day and watch me take my place there.When I arrived at the hotel ballroom, the room was already full. Investors, dock union representatives, Moretti advisers, and several family figures attending under clean public identities were waiting for the system to be unveiled. My speech had been submitted in advance, and my name was still on the backstage screen.Before I could step onto the stage, Adrian stopped me in the side corridor.“The company has arranged someone else for the presentation.”“Who?”The host’s voice rose from the stage before he answered. Moments later, Lucia Vale’s name was announced.Lucia walked to the front in a white suit,

Chapter 4

Before I could speak, Adrian had already answered for Lucia.“You don’t have to be so formal with Elena.”He straightened the slightly crooked collar of her white suit as he spoke. Lucia looked up at him with a faint smile, then turned back to me with the speech draft still in her hand. My revision timestamp was still in the footer, but no one questioned why she was holding my draft.After the launch, the port defense system climbed to the top of the industry feeds. At the reception, Lucia became the center of the room. She held Adrian’s arm while greeting investors, union representatives, and Moretti advisers. Whenever someone asked a technical question she could not answer, Adrian answered for her and moved the conversation along.I left after finishing a glass of water near the side entrance.Back at the company, I started packing my office. Half the certificates on the wall had already been removed, and an empty box sat beside my desk.Then my phone lit up.Lucia had sent several p

Chapter 5

Twenty minutes had passed since the engagement ceremony was supposed to begin, and Elena still had not appeared.Adrian stood at the front of the ballroom with the ring in his hand while the guests’ voices gradually lowered and several Moretti elders began exchanging looks.He turned to Lucia. “Call her.”Lucia tried several times before lowering her phone. “It won’t connect. She may have blocked me.”Adrian called from his own phone. When the same automated message answered, his expression hardened.“What is she doing? Is she really using our engagement to punish me?”Lucia spoke softly beside him. “Maybe she never intended to marry you. After everything she’s done these past few days, the engagement should be canceled. I can explain it to the guests.”“No.”Adrian put the ring back into its box and left the stage.“I’m going to find her.”Before the Morettis could stop him, he was already out of the ballroom. Lucia hesitated, then followed.Adrian unlocked the apartment and found it

Chapter 6

Lucia stumbled back two steps and stared at Adrian.He had never spoken to her like that.“Adrian, what’s wrong?”He pulled another set of documents from the envelope and threw them at her feet.“Read them.”The pages scattered across the floor. The medical records contained no diagnosis matching the stomach condition or old injury Lucia had claimed. The financial statements showed that she had diverted company funds through private accounts and bought a large block of Moretti Security stock on margin before the launch.When Elena announced her withdrawal and the stock plunged, Lucia suffered losses she could not cover.That was why she climbed onto the terrace railing.She needed Elena to delete the statement and convince the market that Moretti Security had not lost its lead architect.Adrian remembered holding a knife to his own throat and forcing Elena to protect Lucia, while Elena was still grieving her father without comfort from anyone.“Get out,” he said.Lucia went pale. “Adri

Chapter 7

I lifted my son into my arms and kissed his forehead.“Someone Mommy used to know.”Adrian stopped a few steps away, the light fading from his eyes.“Elena, are you married?”“Yes. For four years.” I adjusted Theo’s scarf. “This is my son, Theo.”I looked down at him. “Say hello.”Theo smiled. “Hello.”Adrian stared at him for a moment before managing a faint smile.“Hello.”His gaze returned to me.“Can we talk alone?”I wanted to refuse, but we were standing near my father’s grave. I did not want the past following us any further.I set Theo down. “Go find Daddy.”Theo ran along the stone path toward the man waiting near the cemetery entrance. Julian was holding the glove Theo had dropped. When the boy reached him, Julian bent and lifted him into his arms.Adrian followed my gaze, and his face went pale.We walked to a small garden beside the cemetery. The winter trees stood bare, and cold wind swept in from the lake.“Elena, I’m sorry,” Adrian said quietly. “What happened to your fa

Chapter 8

I knew Adrian well.Once he set his mind on something, he rarely let it go. To avoid any further entanglement, I planned to leave Chicago as soon as my father’s burial was settled.Then Theo developed a high fever the next night.He had crossed several time zones with us and fallen ill after the long trip and the cold day at the cemetery. The fever kept returning, so Julian and I booked a hotel near the children’s hospital and took turns staying with him.One morning, as I was leaving for the hospital, Adrian stopped me in the hotel hallway.He carried a thermos. His shirt was wrinkled beneath his black coat, and exhaustion showed beneath his eyes.“I heard Theo was admitted to the children’s hospital. How is he?”“The doctors say he’s stable now.”Adrian held out the thermos.“I made chicken soup. You used to like it when you were sick.”Several bandages covered his fingers, and a faint burn showed beneath his cuff.Adrian had grown up with people taking care of everything for him. He

Chapter 9

I was still hesitating when Julian returned to my side.He glanced at Adrian, then said quietly, “If you’re leaving, say goodbye properly.”I opened my arms.Adrian stood frozen for a moment before stepping forward and pulling me against him. Twelve years ago, on the night we became a couple, he had held me the same way and promised that no matter what the Moretti family thought, he would protect me.This embrace carried no promise. Only farewell.His arms tightened until I gently pushed against his chest. He released me at once.“Have a safe flight,” he said, his voice rough. A tear slipped down his cheek.Julian handed me a tissue. I was about to offer it to Adrian when tires screamed across the drop-off lane.A gray van without license plates broke through the barrier and came straight toward us. Lucia was behind the wheel, her hair disheveled and both hands locked around it.Her eyes were fixed on me.“Elena!”Adrian shoved me toward Julian. Julian caught me and pulled me back, but

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