Julian picked it up to look; it was a man named Dr. Oliver Sterling, but...

"Riverdale?" His expression froze.

"He works at a top-tier hospital there," Dr. Kane explained, a hint of envy in his tone.

Julian's eyes dimmed. After circling around so much, did they still have to go back?

He slipped the card into his pocket and asked, "Thank you, Dr. Kane. Given Seraphina's current state, is she fit to travel?"

Dr. Kane quickly waved his hands. "Not right now. She needs to recuperate for at least another month."

Julian deliberated for a moment before standing up. "Alright. Then I won't disturb you any further."

"Don't mention it."

Leaving the doctor's office, Julian walked back toward the ward, pulling the card from his pocket to dial the number written on it.

"Hello, is this Dr. Oliver Sterling?..."

The weather grew colder by the day. The nights in Oakhaven were quieter than in Riverdale, giving Seraphina more than enough atmosphere to dwell on the events of the past few years.

Staring at the trees outside the window, the drowsiness that had just surfaced vanished completely.

It had been nearly two months. Had Ethan already ended up with Janice? Had they perhaps even married?

At that thought, Seraphina knitted her brows, cursing herself for being so weak-willed.

They were already divorced anyway, and Ethan had treated her so terribly—why should she care about him?

Yet, as she gradually calmed down, she found herself missing the days when she used to secretly watch Ethan at school.

From her very first day of high school, she had noticed Ethan.

He was the rebellious brat who wore his school uniform completely disheveled, swaggering into the campus with a gang of five or six lackeys following behind him.

Seraphina couldn't remember exactly when she had fallen in love with him. Perhaps it was that night when she was being followed on her way home from school and accidentally ran into Ethan, who had just finished fighting with someone.

He had kicked the stalker away with a single blow, slung his completely empty backpack over his shoulder, and stared at her with his bright eyes.

"Coward. Where do you live?"

Chapter 18: The New Year

...

Seeing Seraphina leaning her head to the side, Julian assumed she had fallen asleep and softened his footsteps.

Approaching the bed, the hand he stretched out to adjust her blanket froze.

The lights in the ward were off, and the ambient glow from outside shone upon Seraphina's face. Her eyes were shimmering with a crystalline sheet of tears, and that faint glint pierced Julian's eyes with a sharp pain.

He slowly withdrew his hand and sat down. "Seraphina."

Seraphina gasped in surprise, quickly wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes as she turned to look.

Under the dim lighting, she thought she might mistake Julian for Ethan, but looking closely, she realized he didn't resemble Ethan much at all.

Seraphina blinked, her eyes filled with confusion.

Julian tightly clenched his hands on his lap, his voice deep. "In a few days, we are going back to Riverdale."

Seraphina's eyes locked. Going back to Riverdale?

"I've contacted a doctor. Once the surgery is done, you should be able to speak again."

Julian explained, forcing himself to ignore the fact that Ethan Vance was still in that city.

Seraphina also knew about her vocal cord nerve injury. It was just that if she returned to Riverdale and managed not to cross paths with Ethan, that would be fine; but if they did meet and he saw her standing alongside Julian, there was no telling what kind of mockery he would hurl at her.

She bit her lip, telling herself that none of that mattered anymore. Since the two of them were already divorced, she didn't need to take anything he said to heart.

Seraphina looked at Julian and nodded.

Riverdale.

As the New Year approached, the entire city was bathed in a joyous, festive atmosphere. Streetlights were hung with fist-sized red lanterns, and shops were packed with all sorts of holiday goods.

Driving the car, Leo couldn't help but steal a few extra glances through the window; to tell the truth, it had been several years since he last went home.

He carefully glanced at Ethan through the rearview mirror, and his urge to open his mouth to ask for leave died instantly.

Over the past two months, his boss had practically turned into a different person, speaking so rarely that the occurrences could be counted on his fingers.

Everyone in the company whispered that the current Ethan Vance was more terrifying than the King of Hell, completely volatile and unpredictable.

"CEO Vance," Leo spoke up, "Mr. Shaw called just now and said..."

"Go back," Ethan opened his thin lips, spitting out two words that were comparable to the freezing ice outside.

Leo quickly nodded, steering the car toward the estate.

The car came to a halt at the gates. Ethan stepped out, adjusting his already loosened tie before walking inside.

The front door opened, and the cold wind rushed into the house through the gaping entryway. A crisp, melodious chime echoed with the wind, as if welcoming its master home.

Staring at the seashell wind chimes hanging in the foyer, the coldness in Ethan's gaze slowly softened.

The living room was far too empty, amplifying the sound of the wind chimes several times over, which only added a few hints of desolation.

With a sharp click, Ethan shut the door, walking familiarly through the dim light to sit on the sofa.

Expressionlessly, he pulled out a cigarette and a lighter, yet he froze just as the flame was about to touch the cigarette.

In the end, he tossed both the cigarette and the lighter back onto the coffee table.

Plunging his long fingers into his dark hair, Ethan propped his head up in irritation, his dark eyes filled with an inescapable shroud of gloom.

The excessively quiet house acted like a sedative, causing a person to calm down along with it.

Yet, Ethan didn't feel at all at peace; his aching heart felt like an ocean tossing with violent waves.

He looked at the nearby French windows. Through the streetlights outside, he could faintly discern the traces where window decorations had once been pasted.

Without needing to think deeply, he knew that Seraphina had done it; there was no one else but her.

Ethan walked over as if possessed, his pale fingertips brushing against the freezing glass, as if seeing a lonely Seraphina decorating the house to fill it with the warmth of the New Year.

Chapter 19: The Candlelit Dinner

Ethan’s eyes narrowed as an intense wave of irritation rushed over his heart. He dropped his hand and turned to leave.

It had already been two months, yet he still hadn't received a call from Seraphina...

He looked at Seraphina's number on his phone, dialing it once again. "We're sorry, the user you are calling..."

Ethan hung up, suddenly feeling a sharp sting in his eyes. What on earth was he thinking? Wasn't it just the departure of someone he didn't love, someone he had even detested?

He took a deep breath, slammed the phone fiercely onto the sofa, and went upstairs.

The second day of the Lunar New Year.

Stepping back into Riverdale, Seraphina truly felt as though a lifetime had passed. She gazed at the familiar streets as bursts of cold wind snuck into the gaps of her scarf through the car window.

Seraphina shrank her neck, wrapping her scarf and face mask tightly before rolling up the window.

"I've rented an apartment near the hospital. You stay there first, and once the surgery is scheduled, you can be admitted," Julian said while driving.

Seraphina nodded half-heartedly.

On previous New Year's Eves, if she didn't manage to wait for Ethan at home, she would go visit her father on New Year's Day.

This New Year's Eve, she supposed he had Janice to keep him company.

The car stopped in front of an apartment building. Julian stepped out first to help Seraphina down before retrieving the luggage, and the two walked inside together.

The apartment was on the eighth floor, a small duplex layout that was spacious and bright. The first floor contained the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, while the second floor had only one bedroom.

Julian set down the suitcase and said, "I live just across the hall. If anything comes up, just knock on my door."

Originally, he had wanted to rent a two-bedroom apartment, but considering Seraphina's personality, he could only rent two separate places.

Julian let out a silent, helpless sigh, wondering if his gentlemanly behavior would become an obstacle in his pursuit of Seraphina.

Seraphina froze for a brief moment, then wrote "Thank you" on the paper.

Yet, she felt rather guilty inside. She didn't have much money on hand right now, so the surgery fees and living expenses were almost entirely being covered by Julian. This left her heart increasingly uneasy, not knowing how many years it would take to fully repay him.