.

.

.

.

Character's introduction

.

.

.

.

Chapter 1

.

In the dead of night, heavy rain poured down over everything. Standing in the middle of the road were two people, completely indifferent to their own clothes or to the fact that they were soaked through. The air around them felt thick, heavy and filled with pain.

..

She jolted awake, her body soaked with sweat, shaken by the nightmare that never seemed to leave her. The memories of that time were still vivid, as if it had happened yesterday. The day she had left him alone, all because of her own reckless reasons and the choice she had made alone. Gripping her hair in despair, she felt tears begin to stream down her face.

.

.

A knock sounds at the door.

There was no response from inside, leaving her personal assistant feeling panicked. Without waiting any longer, she searched for the spare key in her bag. Once she found it, her hands trembled for reasons Anna could not explain and her heart began to race. She carefully tried to insert the key into Scarlett’s bedroom door handle.

Scarlett simply looked at her assistant, her eyes filled with surrender. A moment later, she broke down in tears again. This always happened whenever she dreamed about the past. Her assistant knew this pattern well, yet there was nothing she could do — she did not know the full story nor why Scarlett sometimes ended up in such a state.

....

Scarlett sat on her bed, her eyes filled with sadness. She stared blankly, showing no expression at all and simply gazed out through her bedroom window. Her manager and Damian stood nearby yet no matter what Damian said, she did not react in the slightest.

Scarlett simply nodded. The moment she heard the name Vertex Global, she knew exactly who Damian was going to meet. And just listening to his threat made her feel even more afraid. The truth was, her reason for leaving Luca six years ago was far more complicated than just being selfish — she had done it trying to protect someone who was important to her. Yet deep down, she still felt it was a selfish choice she had made alone. If Luca ever found out, she could only wonder what he would think. She feared it would only make him feel even more broken. It was already enough that he had suffered. But what else could she have done back then? The price of staying with him would have cost someone life — yet letting him go meant she had to carry this endless pain and guilt for the rest of her days.

...

.

Chapter 2

.

Location: Pinky Smile Café

The café had a warm, cozy vibe. Dim lighting made the space feel even more inviting while the faint scent of freshly brewed coffee and sweet pastries drifted through the air. It was quiet — the perfect spot for private conversations.

The woman sitting across from him stopped talking abruptly. A flush of shyness crept over her. From the moment she began speaking, she could already tell he had no interest in this date at all.

.

.

From that moment right up until he got home, Luca kept replaying everything Damian had said. He wasn’t even thinking about the suggestion to date someone else but the instant he heard Scarlett’s name, the old pain he had carried for years flared up sharper than ever before. He loved her like crazy, he would have done absolutely anything just to stay by her side. But when she walked away on the worst day of his life when he needed someone more than anything. The hurt had been so overwhelming that at the time he had even fallen into the dark, desperate thought of ending his life.

.

.

Location: The skyline residences

.

Doing nothing at home but lying down, crying, sleeping and repeating the same cycle only made her feel more depressed. She missed him so much. Every memory they shared was still fresh in her mind. Not wanting to dwell on the past any longer, she pushed herself up from the bed.

.

.

That person let out a mocking chuckle, as if mocking her

...