Chapter 177: Chapter 177: The Last Meeting
Melody Donovan blushed and blocked his approaching lips with her hand. She turned away, pouting and muttering under her breath, "I’m not your doll... Ah..."
Dominic Thorne tightened his arm, pulling Melody Donovan closer. "What did you say? Did that man kiss you?" Like a child, Dominic pouted, his proud, sulky gaze fixed on her cheeks.
Melody couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. ’I never thought I’d see this side of him.’ She lifted her head slightly. "Yes, he did. Just like I’m sure you’ve never kissed a woman you’ve dated."
"Mmph..." With Melody’s hand caught between them, she didn’t know what to do when he suddenly kissed her anyway. "Dominic Thorne, we’re on a public street!" Annoyed, Melody pushed him away, straightened her clothes, and sat up properly.
"So, did you kiss him or not? And what does it matter if we’re on the street? We were just kissing in front of everyone a moment ago, and you didn’t resist then, did you?" Dominic Thorne gripped Melody’s clothes, not letting her pull away. He wouldn’t easily let go of this love he had finally grasped.
"No, I didn’t! I only said that because I wanted to see if you’d get jealous—if you really care about me!" Melody Donovan nestled shyly in Dominic Thorne’s embrace. ’I must be the happiest woman in the world right now,’ she thought.
"So? Are you satisfied with my performance?" A smirk played on Dominic Thorne’s lips as he leaned in and nibbled on her ear.
"Ah... stop messing around. Your actions... were barely passing!" Melody bit her lip, her flushed cheeks as red as apples. ’With Julian Jennings, it was just... dates at places he planned. He never pushed me to do anything I didn’t want to. There were a few times when the mood was right and the timing was perfect, but I always found a way to cleverly dodge it or change the subject. It’s true, you just can’t do anything that intimate with someone you don’t truly love!’
Dominic Thorne said nothing. His lips slowly moved to her neck, where he began to drink in her sweet scent, her very essence. Unable to withstand Dominic’s teasing, Melody began to let out soft moans. This only excited him more. Like a child long deprived of its mother’s affection, he held her tighter, taking from her fiercely, unwilling to stop for even a moment.
Beautiful things are meant to be admired. But the sweet union of two people in the darkness, their urgent need for each other’s warmth after so long apart—that was an intimacy the world could never comprehend.
「A beautiful night, stars glittering, city lights blazing.」
Kenneth Yates had originally planned to work overtime. Going home meant being alone, so he figured he might as well stay at the office where there were other people. Even if they weren’t in the same room, at least he wouldn’t be by himself. He was beginning to realize how much he feared loneliness, how much he craved warmth. But he had no idea how to express this to Summer Lancaster. She was the person he resented, so how could he possibly come to depend on someone he was supposed to hate? And yet, despite everything, he was hopelessly addicted to her presence. He just wasn’t willing to admit it to himself.
His phone rang without warning, startling him. He had been completely lost in thought. He picked it up and was surprised to see it was Summer Lancaster. Ever since she had left that last time, she hadn’t called him for anything. Even if there was a real emergency, she would call Caleb Bell instead.
This was the first time she had called him.
Kenneth Yates hesitated for a moment. Part of him didn’t want to answer, but he pressed the accept button anyway.
"Kenneth?" Summer’s gentle voice came through the phone. Kenneth Yates froze for a few seconds. He never expected her to speak to him in such a tone again. ’Has she finally seen reason and come to beg me?’
"Yeah, what is it...?" Kenneth’s calm voice sounded in Summer’s ear. A small smile touched Summer’s lips. ’This is nice. It’s as if that incident never happened, and we can still talk normally.’ But their states of mind were far from what they once were, now filled with cruelty and loneliness.
"Can you come out for a bit? To our... to the rose field!" Summer’s words were hesitant. She had wanted to say ’the place where you proposed,’ but then thought better of it and just said the rose field.
Kenneth Yates frowned. ’Why would she want to go there so late? And the roses aren’t even in bloom right now.’ He felt that something was very off about Summer tonight. He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the office. "I’ll come pick you up. Wait for me!"
Summer chuckled softly. "No need, I’ll drive myself. I’m just happy you’re coming. Thank you!"
BEEP BEEP BEEP...
Summer had abruptly ended the call. Kenneth Yates stood frozen in place. He felt as if he was truly about to lose her. ’What on earth did she mean by that?’ He’d long felt he should let her go, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be that decisive.
A man’s indecisiveness can sometimes rival a woman’s. But as it happens, the more indecisive you are, the more you risk losing what you want to protect. Kenneth Yates put his phone away and ran outside. The parking garage was nearly empty, with only a few lonely cars parked quietly, waiting for their owners to return.
In his haste, Kenneth Yates wasn’t paying attention as he drove. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of his car. Kenneth slammed on the brakes, got out, and went to check on the person.
"Are you okay?" Kenneth looked at the person. It was a slender woman who looked so fragile a gust of wind could knock her over. Her head was bowed, and Kenneth couldn’t see her face.
The woman stiffened at Kenneth’s words. She slowly raised her head, her hesitant eyes filled with emotional tears. "Kenneth!"
Kenneth’s pupils contracted. She was much thinner, but it was her—Thea Shaw. The woman he had loved to his very bones, who had suddenly disappeared, was back! The woman quickly stood up and wrapped her arms around Kenneth’s neck, smiling happily. "Kenneth, I finally found you! I’ve been looking for you for so long since I came back to the country. I’m sorry I left without a word back then. You must have been heartbroken, but... but I had my reasons. I had leukemia. I thought I was going to die, and I didn’t want you to be sad, so I... Kenneth, can you forgive me?" Thea Shaw’s tear-streaked face was utterly pitiable as she sobbed out her story.
The walls around Kenneth’s heart crumbled. The truth behind what happened back then was so moving. He slowly raised his arms and hugged Thea Shaw tightly.
A person’s heart can’t be given to two people; it can only belong to one. Just like that, Kenneth Yates had completely forgotten about Summer Lancaster. He was completely captivated by Thea Shaw’s gentle dream. For years, he had searched the entire world for her, but now that she was standing right in front of him, he wasn’t as excited as he’d imagined he would be. Instead, he felt a strange sense of calm, and even a hint of melancholy. ’This is going to make things much more difficult...’
Summer Lancaster smiled the entire drive over. She would end this with the most beautiful method and the most beautiful expression, so he would remember her—the woman who once loved him.
Summer had brought a string of decorative lights and hung them on the branches of the trees and flowers. The creamy white light made the field glitter, making it seem as if the flowers were in full bloom, even though it wasn’t their season.
She always remembered: champagne roses were his favorite, and she was the one who loved him most. There had been some kind of indelible bond between the two, but now, it had to be forcibly severed.
Summer stood in the center of the rose field, holding the diamond ring, smiling as she waited for her prince to arrive for the last time. When the sun came up, this all-consuming love would be over. So for now, she had to create as many beautiful memories for herself as she could.
The ring still glittered brightly. Objects weren’t people; they had no feelings, no sense of touch. Even if it was destined to belong to Kenneth Yates’s next lover, it would still shine its hardest to win its owner’s heart, and it would completely forget Summer Lancaster, the one who had kept it company.
Time ticked by, second by second. Two hours had passed since their agreed-upon time. Summer believed the man would definitely come, because he had promised her, and he always kept his promises.
But had the man truly kept every promise he ever made to the woman? It seemed he hadn’t.
By the time the sky turned a fish-belly white at the crack of dawn, the woman’s reddened eyes proved she had been crying. But it was too late. The man wasn’t coming.
The ring was gently tossed onto the ground. Perhaps no one would ever find it.
When Kenneth Yates woke up early the next morning, he suddenly remembered his meeting with Summer. He threw on his clothes and rushed to the rose field. He had settled Thea Shaw in a hotel, because his villa was a place for his and Summer’s memories, and he didn’t want to mix in anyone else’s.
By the time he rushed over, the place was deserted. But the lights on the branches were proof that she had been there and had decorated everything with care. As Kenneth walked into the field, he inadvertently spotted the ring, the sunlight glinting off it, sharp and blinding.
’The ring is here? Did she leave it here?’
Kenneth picked up the ring and sprinted away.
’Who gave you permission to end our relationship on your own? I told you, I’m the only one who gets to end this game!’
After returning home, Summer Lancaster locked herself inside and leaned against the door, crying without restraint. She cried until it felt as though she had no tears left, her cold feet and arms almost completely devoid of warmth.
The doorbell rang. Summer very reluctantly stood up and opened the door.
"Summer, come on. Come with me to see my brother. I know everything that’s happened between you two. You need to talk it out with him. After that, no matter what you do, I’ll support you. But you can’t have any regrets, so you have to clear things up now!"
Summer was surprised. It was Ethan Yates, and his gaze was so resolute it left no room for refusal.
Summer wiped the tears from her eyes. "It’s already been made clear." ’Yes, everything became clear last night.’ "It’s over between us!"
"No, you don’t understand. My brother must love you, otherwise, I wouldn’t have willingly stepped aside to wish you both well. Don’t let my sacrifice be for nothing, okay? Go find him!" Ethan Yates earnestly grabbed Summer’s hands. This was the time to resolve things, not drag them out any longer.
Summer’s dim eyes were filled with uncertainty. ’Should I fight for myself one more time? But the consequence might just be getting hurt all over again.’
