Since Chloe was no longer capable of fulfilling that vow, he would have to execute it on her behalf, treating it as a form of penance for the monumental errors he had committed over the past years.

...

In Eric's memory, the autumn season in the city had never felt quite this freezing.

The yellow leaves clinging to the branches along the roadside had practically withered to nothingness, and the sky remained a heavy, dull gray, leaving it ambiguous whether rain was imminent or if the weather had simply resolved to remain bleak forever.

Eric brought his vehicle to a halt, stepping out into the cold air as he lifted his gaze toward the imposing facade of the corporate headquarters.

Ever since his father's passing, he had never once set foot inside this structure. Years ago, his father had bequeathed the entirety of his personal assets to his stepmother and half-brother, claiming that the corporate shares inherited from Eric's biological mother were more than sufficient for his future.

People often noted that the human heart was inherently skewed; Eric recognized this flaw within himself, and his father had been no exception.

Subsequently, his stepmother had utilized her acquired shares to act with immense arrogance within the company. Reluctant to witness her hypocritical performances inside this building, Eric had simply chosen to establish his own corporate banner elsewhere.

His independent ventures had flourished remarkably well, yet a woman like Isabella had absolutely no intention of letting slip the corporate shares and immense wealth he held. Consequently, the remaining shares controlled by the late elder Mr. Vance were of paramount importance; whichever faction secured those final pieces would become the ultimate authority within the company.

The sharp screech of brakes abruptly interrupted Eric's train of thought.

In this freezing weather, a man whose features bore a slight resemblance to his own descended from an adjacent vehicle, clad in an incredibly flamboyant blue suit jacket.

"Well, if it isn't my dear older brother? Whatever brings you to this location today?" Logan spoke with an unmistakable touch of sarcasm, making it glaringly obvious that the relationship between the two brothers was entirely toxic.

Eric cast a dismissive glance toward him, his expression dripping with contempt. Without uttering a solitary word, he maintained his resolute stride and walked directly into the corporate lobby.

Left standing on the asphalt, Logan felt as though he had been treated as absolute nothingness. A wave of intense fury washed over his features as he snarled, "Do you truly believe you are someone remarkable? Just you wait. Sooner or later, I will grind you beneath my heel!"

Inside the executive suite.

Eric sat behind the massive desk, his fingers slightly curved as he tapped a rhythmic, echoing cadence against the polished surface.

Having received word of his sudden arrival, Isabella rushed into the office, the scene greeting her vision the moment she pushed the door open.

She let out a cold, mocking laugh, crossing her arms tightly over her chest: "Whatever brings you to this territory?"

Chapter 15: The First Snow

Eric fixed his icy gaze upon Isabella, remaining entirely silent.

Yet for some inexplicable reason, a sudden tremor of apprehension rippled through Isabella's chest. Even though the entirety of the corporate empire had technically fallen under her control long ago, seeing Eric seated in that position elicited a bizarre illusion—as if he were the sole, rightful master of this domain.

This sudden perception caused her expression to turn remarkably grim. Observing Eric sitting in the primary seat with an aura of absolute composure, looking entirely prepared to demand a reckoning, she managed to deduce a significant portion of his intent.

She let out a contemptuous smirk: "I understand completely. You've come running because of that Lyndsey girl, haven't you? Tsk-tsk, Eric, lest you forget, she is the very savior who preserved your life. You cannot possibly commit such an atrocious act against her; I am merely looking out for your well-being!"

Upon hearing the phrase savior who preserved your life, Eric's eyes darkened to an unfathomable depth. He could easily detect the underlying mockery laced within her tone.

This specific matter remained the absolute, most agonizing wound festering within his soul.

Even though a turbulent wave of fury crashed through his chest in a fraction of a second, his external features remained as unreadably freezing as always.

"The last individual who resolved to stand in direct opposition to my interests has yet to be released from his prison cell. Are you entirely certain that your own hands are completely immaculate?"

The statement carried an undeniable weight of lethal threat, its underlying implication perfectly clear.

Though Eric had never been characterized as a lenient or soft-hearted individual, his established protocol had always been to offer diplomatic warnings before resorting to absolute force.

In a technical sense, Isabella was his stepmother, and their overt and covert conflicts had persisted for an eternity. Yet throughout those years, Isabella had only possessed the courage to execute underhanded, cowardly maneuvers behind his back—such as the ambush four years ago that had nearly claimed his life.

But now, since she had actively instigated Lyndsey to engage in a direct confrontation against him, he had no intention of remaining courteous.

With the office entirely vacant save for the two of them, Isabella abandoned any pretense of maintaining a maternal facade.

She spoke with immense malice: "Eric Vance, Chloe is dead. Your marriage to her failed to span the mandatory three years, which means you will never secure the shares left behind by the old man. Do you truly believe I still harbor a single shred of fear toward you?"

Predictably, this entire sequence had been meticulously orchestrated by Isabella and Lyndsey working in tandem.

Eric's voice dropped to a freezing register: "Therefore, you were the one who arranged Chloe’s demise?"

Isabella let out a soft chuckle, offering neither a confirmation nor a denial. She merely smiled as she replied, "As for that, you ought to direct your inquiries toward Lyndsey. That woman's heart is significantly more ruthless than my own."

Eric had obtained his confirmation; Chloe’s passing was absolutely no accident, but a premeditated murder.

Initially, he had merely harbored intense suspicions without absolute certainty, yet he had now extracted the validation he required directly from Isabella.

He rose to his feet in a swift motion, walking toward the exit without a single trace of emotion written across his features. The moment he gripped the door handle to depart, his footsteps faltered briefly, his tone entirely devoid of inflection: "Then prepare yourselves, for I shall ensure this debt is settled with the two of you, piece by piece!"

Stepping outside the corporate headquarters, the wind had intensified significantly, sending scattered flakes of snow swirling through the air and settling against the exposed skin of his neck.

Eric lifted his gaze toward the heavens, suddenly recognizing that the autumn season had fully dissolved into the arrival of winter.

Observing the snow drifting down from the gray expanse, a sudden memory broke through his consciousness. Three years ago, on the exact day he and Chloe had secured their marriage certificate, a massive snowfall had enveloped the city the moment they stepped out of the civil affairs bureau.

It had been the first snow of that year. At that moment, Chloe had linked her arm through his, her brilliant, clear eyes fixed upon his form as she smiled, saying, "It's the first snow. What a beautiful day to start our life."

An intense wave of agony rippled through Eric's chest once more, the drifting flakes appearing to transform into black ash within his field of vision.

The scene held absolutely no beauty; it radiated nothing but profound desolation.

"It's the first snow. What a beautiful day to start our life," he automatically whispered, repeating the exact phrase Chloe had uttered all those years ago.

It felt as though he suddenly comprehended the precise emotional landscape Chloe had inhabited when she delivered those words.

The realization caused an even denser wave of bitterness to saturate his heart.

Eric let out a barely audible sigh, directing his steps toward his vehicle parked along the curb.

Just as he reached out to pull the door open, a sports car slowed to a halt along the primary thoroughfare not far from his position. He cast a casual glance toward the vehicle, only for his entire form to freeze completely.

Seated within the passenger side of that sports car was a woman whose features bore an identical resemblance to Chloe. She was leaning gently against the window frame, her eyes closed as if she had drifted off to sleep.

However, the glass pane was already winding upward, gradually obscuring her features from view until the window sealed shut entirely, preventing him from obtaining a perfectly clear view.

Yet that solitary glance felt as though it had arrested the beating of his heart entirely. His mind lacked the capacity to process rational thought; his feet instinctively moved forward in an attempt to approach the vehicle, but a car moving along the adjacent lane cut across his path, completely severing his line of sight.