Before Sera could offer a response, he promptly ended the call.

The following day.

Sera touched down in Seattle.

As she pulled her suitcases out of the bustling arrivals terminal, her eyes locked onto Charles almost immediately within the crowd.

Though three months had passed since their last encounter, looking at him now stirred absolutely no emotion in her heart.

Charles closed the distance between them, automatically reaching out to take the handles of her luggage.

"Welcome back."

As he spoke, he presented her with a vibrant, fresh bouquet of lilies.

Sera stared at the delicate blooms cradled in her arms, a flash of genuine confusion crossing her features.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Charles's voice was entirely flat, betraying no emotion whatsoever. "I stumbled upon your travel gallery online and noticed you photographed these flowers quite frequently. I wanted to welcome you home properly."

Sera offered a terse nod, choosing not to press the matter, and followed him out to his car.

The moment the passenger door of his luxury sedan swung open, Sera raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

The vehicle's interior maintained his usual sterile, minimalist preference, except the front passenger seat was now outfitted with a plush ergonomic cushion and a soft wool blanket.

Noticing her gaze, Charles offered a quiet explanation.

"I picked them up on my way to the terminal. I was worried the long flight might have left your body feeling sore and fatigued."

With that, he handed her a chilled bottle of spring water and a container of freshly sliced fruit.

"If you experience any dizziness or discomfort during the drive, let me know immediately. You don't have to push through it."

Sera looked down at the soft blanket draped over her lap and the container of fruit in her hands.

A moment later, she cast a brief glance at the man focused on the road beside her, her heart entirely empty of warmth or gratitude.

If she hadn't faced a terminal diagnosis, she likely would have gone her entire life without ever discovering that Charles was actually capable of showing consideration for another human being.

The affection and care she had spent five agonizing years begging for now struck her as deeply pathetic and almost comical.

Sera accepted his sudden attentiveness with absolute tranquility.

After all, she had poured five years of silent sacrifice into this man; she was well within her rights to enjoy the luxury now.

An hour later, they arrived at the apartment.

The moment the front door swung open, Sera's brows knit together instinctively.

The interior was somewhat untidy; it was obvious someone had made an effort to clean, but it lacked the pristine, meticulous order she used to maintain when she lived here.

Charles set her luggage aside, slid his tailored trench coat off, and walked straight into the kitchen.

He began pulling premium ingredients from the refrigerator as he called out, "What would you like for lunch? I can whip up something quick."

Sera remained standing in the center of the living room, watching his busy movements in a state of mild disbelief.

In the old days, the moment he crossed the threshold, he wouldn't utter a single syllable to her.

Much less step into the kitchen to prepare a meal.

Charles's domestic devotion and culinary talents had only ever belonged to Chloe.

The sudden shift was purely because he believed she was drawing her final breaths.

Suddenly, Charles materialized right in front of her, offering her a glass of warm water.

"What's caught your attention? I called your name twice but you didn't seem to hear. Why don't you take a hot shower to wash off the travel fatigue? Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."

Sera didn't reach for the glass, her gaze perfectly level and icy cold.

"Charles, we need to talk."

Meeting her detached stare, Charles felt an automatic knot of anxiety tighten in his chest.

"Whatever it is, let's sit down and enjoy lunch first."

"I want a divorce."

Both statements echoed through the quiet living room at the exact same moment.

Charles's grip on the glass tightened to the point of turning his knuckles white, his throat bobbing.

After a long, heavy pause, he finally spoke. "You are dealing with a severe medical condition, Sera. There is absolutely no way I am going to divorce you right now."

"It's precisely because I am sick and running out of time that we need to finalize this divorce immediately."

Sera's expression remained entirely flat, her delivery carrying an unshakeable finality.

"A clean divorce sounds far more dignified than leaving you a widower. We both know you never truly got over Chloe. Marrying me was nothing more than a convenient compromise to satisfy your family's expectations."

"We've spent five miserable years draining the life out of each other. Your parents have never hidden their disdain for me, and your heart has always been entirely empty of my presence. There is absolutely no logical reason to keep dragging out this dead marriage."

"I refuse to let my resting place bear a monument identifying me as the wife of Charles Vance."

"So, let's end this cleanly."

Charles's brows snapped together, his gaze locked onto her distant expression as he spoke heavily.

"Your parents passed away years ago, meaning you have no immediate family left to look after you through this battle. I am your legal husband, and I refuse to abandon you in your hour of need. I intend to fulfill my responsibilities to you."

"Your responsibilities?"

Sera couldn't contain a sharp, mocking chuckle. "Fulfilling your duty is entirely unnecessary, Charles. You don't need to stress over public backlash or a ruined reputation; I will issue a public statement clarifying that the divorce was entirely my decision and has nothing to do with you."

Charles's frown deepened further, an edge of freezing irritation seeping into his tone.

"Sera, why must you insist on being so incredibly stubborn and combative? Do you even comprehend the reality of your medical situation? At any moment, you could—"

He broke off abruptly, realizing the cruelty of his words, and forced the rest of the sentence back down.

After a sharp intake of breath, he muttered, "Regardless of your arguments, I am not signing any dissolution papers."

Sera calmly stepped in to complete the thought he had cut short.

"At any moment, I could collapse and die alone in some corner of the world. Even if that happens, I accept the outcome, and I certainly don't require you to handle my remains."

"For five entire years of marriage, you kept your heart anchored to Chloe while holding me captive in this apartment. It was deeply unfair to both of us."

"I have spent far too long enduring a miserable, suffocating existence. I want my freedom now, and I refuse to have my legacy intertwined with yours for eternity."

"Even if you refuse to cooperate, I will file a contested petition through the courts. I have absolutely no intention of wasting my remaining days playing house with you."

Hearing this final declaration, Charles's hands curled into tight fists at his sides before slowly releasing.

"Drop the matter, Sera. I am not agreeing to a divorce."

With that final word, he turned on his heel and walked back into the kitchen.

Sera felt her mind go entirely blank at the physician's words.

She froze in place, her fingertips trembling faintly, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief.

It took a long, quiet moment before she could finally find her voice.

"Doctor, are you absolutely certain?"

"The chest pains I had, the nosebleeds, the dull ache in my lower abdomen... what about all those symptoms?"

The physician offered a reassuring, gentle smile to put her at ease.

"They were likely induced by extreme stress. When a person remains under high pressure for an extended period, the body begins to push back. Comparing your initial scans with today's panel, you are in perfect health. That original tissue growth has dissolved naturally."

"And as you mentioned, your condition has been wonderful over the past month, and those symptoms have completely vanished. When your mental state clears up, your physical health naturally follows. So please don't worry, your body is completely fine."

When Sera returned to her resort, she felt as though she were floating through a dream.

Her emotional state today was remarkably similar to the day she had first been handed her terminal diagnosis.

Except this time, the conclusion was a beautiful one.

She didn't sleep a single wink that night.

To absolutely verify the incredible turn of events, she went out of her way to schedule comprehensive evaluations at two separate, prominent medical centers.

The physicians at both facilities delivered the exact same verdict.

"Miss Moss, your body is perfectly healthy. You do not have cancer."

Clutching the pristine medical clearance reports in her hands, the heavy weight that had pressed down on her soul finally lifted entirely.

She treated herself to a bottle of premium red wine she had been preserving for a special occasion.