"June..."

Whether from the loss of blood or the biting wind, Xavier trembled with cold, his very soul shivering. He chose to live in denial, ignoring her words as he clutched his forehead and turned to find the gift.

"Wait here, I'll go get it..."

June saw through his pretense once again.

"I don't hate you anymore. Let us never meet again."

I don't hate you anymore... no more hate... That meant she had no love left for him at all.

The vehicles drove away into the distance, leaving the surroundings in pitch darkness. The little sun that once warmed him had completely set, and his world returned to shadow.

"June, you said we would go to the Pont Neuf in Paris to hang a love lock together and walk through life hand in hand. I made a lock with our names on it by hand."

"But you... how could you leave me behind first..."

...

Rosalind was arrested.

The farce of the birthday banquet made Xavier Thorne a pariah in his social circles, and he was completely cast aside by the Thorne family.

All the servants were dismissed, and the Thorne estate became an empty prison. Every night, the sound of a man’s agonizing weeping could be heard.

Xavier didn't remember how he had stumbled back home, nor did he know what day it was. He could only replay the image of June protectively hovering over Julian in his mind.

Her moist eyes, her trembling lips, her reddened nose—it was no different from the worried expression she used to wear when he was hospitalized.

Her concern was real, which meant her words weren't spoken in anger. She truly had feelings for Julian...

He didn't want to think about it anymore, pounding his head with his fists in an attempt to shatter these thoughts.

His head throbbed as if it were splitting open, and his body felt as if it were being gnawed by ants. The pain was unbearable.

"Mr. Thorne, your hand needs medical attention. If this continues, the wound won't heal, and it will lead to infection and fever."

The butler advised him over and over, but he didn't hear a single word.

"June doesn't care if I live or die anymore. No one will care if I'm alive or dead..."

His success, his failure, his joys and sorrows—there was no one left to tell, no one to share them with.

He lived in a daze. To avoid June's disgust, he only dared to secretly inquire about and watch her life from a distance, using those fragments of news to sustain himself day after day.

Until six months later, when the butler brought news that June was getting married!

"Impossible! It's only been six months, and she's marrying Julian already?"

He didn't believe it. He had proposed ninety-nine times and confessed his love nine hundred and ninety-nine times before she finally agreed. Only half a year had passed—could her heart already be filled by someone new?

"Mr. Thorne, you can go and see for yourself. The wedding is in three days."

Chapter 23

As the wedding date drew near, although Julian had prepared everything perfectly, June still felt a bit nervous. She found herself checking the guest list repeatedly and constantly verifying the business hours of the Civil Affairs Bureau...

The trauma Xavier had inflicted on her was too deep, making her instinctively question if all this was real. She feared falling into another vortex of deception.

She felt a bit foolish for it.

Julian entered the room and saw the woman lost in thought, his eyes filled with heartache.

"Stop looking at those. Come with me to a special place."

June snapped back to reality, forcing an awkward smile.

Facing the man’s sincere gaze, she regretted doubting him with such bitterness.

Julian set aside the items in her hands and led her out the door.

They drove through several winding paths. June felt the scenery becoming increasingly familiar as if she had been here before. When they reached a broken tree stump as thick as a man’s arm, it suddenly dawned on her.

"This is where I was attacked by the wolf pack when I was little. I never dared to come back here after that. But why did you bring me here?"

The man mysteriously covered her eyes, leading her slowly toward the center for a few steps before stopping.

"June, I owe you a formal confession. I thought for a long time about when would be the right time to say it, because I have loved you for so many years but missed so many opportunities. I used to practice my confession to you in secret, but ridiculously, I've never officially said it to you. After all this time, I understand now. It’s most appropriate for the ten-year-old me to answer this question."

"Ten years old?"

She was puzzled. Did Julian love her when he was only ten? But back then, she was just a troublesome brat.

As his hand moved away, she looked at the center of the stump in shock. Despite twenty-two years of wind and frost, the childish handwriting was still clearly visible.

[Julian will protect June Rivers forever. Stay alive.]

His voice trembled slightly as his gaze fixed intensely upon her.

The starlight in his eyes turned into a surging wave of love that crashed into her, meeting her heartbeat in a full embrace.

"Perhaps heaven blessed me to survive that ordeal. At the time, I thought I truly wouldn't make it, and I was worried that if I died, you would be all alone and helpless, crying your eyes out. So, I left those words behind. All these years, I've lived in regret. If I had confessed to you sooner, we wouldn't have missed so much, and you wouldn't have suffered so much."

His eyes were moist, but he blamed it on the "strong wind."

In her twenty-eighth year, she had lost many things, yet she had still found a rare and true love.

She had been too headstrong; she had taken her father’s doting and Julian’s love for granted, never looking clearly into her own heart.

Thus, when she met Xavier Thorne, his unique way of pursuing her had confused her soul.

She had wanted to try such a passionate love, ignoring the person who was truly good to her.

Looking back, Julian had never forced her to do anything. From the moment she left until she returned, the love in his eyes had never diminished.

He could have used her difficult past to demand a commitment, but even at the moment he risked his life for her again, his only concern was whether she was hurt. He didn't want to burden her with even a single word of confession.

Such a person was too selfless.

And he was her greatest luck.

"Everything is the best arrangement. Julian, people who love each other will not drift apart."

The woman’s voice was soft, like a sweet breeze.

The man, who usually possessed incredible self-control, couldn't help but be moved. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, inch by inch, as if to rub her into his very heart and never let go.

"I love you, June. I love you."

"Julian, I don't regret marrying you."

The woman stood on her tiptoes to reach the man’s lips. The moment they touched, he lowered his head to deepen the kiss.

The sound of birds chirping echoed through the valley, melodious and clear, like the music of a wedding. Even the wind seemed to offer its blessing.

Chapter 24

On June Rivers' wedding day, the weather was beautiful, and they were surrounded by their closest loved ones.

It wasn't as grand or luxurious as her previous one, but everything felt like home—warm and romantic.

Following local customs, they drank three cups of mare's milk wine together, symbolizing respect to heaven and earth, their elders, and each other.

"June, I never thought this day would come. It all feels like a dream."

"Silly, we have many more days ahead of us. Are you going to dream every day then?"

Julian, a man nearly 190cm tall, suddenly burst into tears of joy as the guests below erupted in celebratory applause.

"Julian, look at how excited you are. You must treat our June with all your heart from now on. She only has you now."

He never intended to shirk that responsibility; instead, he felt even more protective of her.

June had no parents, no brothers or sisters. From now on, he was her only reliance.

He clasped her hand, their fingers interlocking tightly, pulling her hand to the position of his heart.

Here, from beginning to end, it beat for her, and it had never changed.

"I love you."

After a round of applause, everyone began to heckle: "The bride and groom can kiss now!"

Suddenly, the piercing sound of a car horn disrupted the wedding feast. A fleet of cars carrying countless gifts arrived at the entrance.