Luke’s sobs were filled with deep regret and an overwhelming unwillingness to let go. That night, he was no longer the handsome, mature, and confident president of Eclipse Group, nor the domineering heir of the Munoz family. He was just a young man who had broken his promises and lost the girl he loved. He wished so much to go back to the past, to turn back time, to show her that he would never make the same mistakes again. But deep down, he knew they could never go back.
The night felt endless, stretching on as memories of their time together flooded him. He remembered the first time he saw her. She was wearing her school uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail. Her neck was long and delicate, and her sweet face, radiant and glowing, shone like a proud, beautiful star. When she glanced at him, his heart skipped a beat as if fireworks had exploded inside him.
He remembered their first kiss. He had stolen it, and for days afterward, she ignored him. Whenever she saw him, her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and she shot him an irritated glare. So many memories rushed at him, overwhelming him. He cherished those moments so deeply, and the more he thought about them, the more they hurt. They had given each other their best years, and it should have been him holding her hand through the rest of their lives; it should have worked out.
The night seemed too short, so short that dawn was almost breaking. Yet, he greedily wanted to stay a little longer, wishing he could stretch the night out forever, making time stop. In the early morning light, he left. Vespera slowly opened her eyes, turning her head to watch him leave. She hadn’t really slept at all. It was just like that night when he went out to the balcony to take Tina’s call and left the room. Watching his retreating figure, her last bit of hope faded away.
This time, she watched him leave again, knowing that their eight years together had come to an end. Their journey together had finished, and they would each go their separate ways. The right and wrong, the love and hate, had all faded away. In the future, each of them would go their own way. Her eyes felt slightly sore. Her heart felt heavy, as if it had been soaked in a deep, aching sadness that penetrated to her core.
Vespera would be discharged from the hospital by noon. Rebecca went to handle the paperwork. After leaving her room, Vespera wanted to visit Dominic. Out of both obligation and gratitude, as well as her personal and professional ties, she felt it was the right thing to do, especially since he was the one who had saved her multiple times and was now her new boss. But when she arrived at his room, she realized there were quite a few people inside.
Not wanting to cause him trouble or stir up any negative rumors, she decided to wait until he returned to his apartment before visiting him. After leaving the hospital, Vespera went to the police station to provide a supplementary statement before heading home. It was said that the man in black had already been caught, but he denied being hired by Tina. He claimed he was just a friend of hers, and after seeing her being mistreated, he had acted on his own by abducting Vespera. Fina continued to play the victim, claiming she couldn’t remember anything.
Using their usual tactics, the Sowle family claimed that Tina had a mental disorder and presented a psychiatric report from a doctor. But this time, with her stabbing Dominic, it would be much harder for her to get away with it. Vespera finished giving her statement and went home. That afternoon, Rebecca relayed a message from Luke to her. He agreed to the divorce and offered a 20-billion-dollar settlement. “She can get the divorce certificate wherever she wants. Once the time is set, let me know.” “Okay,” Rebecca replied quietly after a brief pause. She walked into the room and shared Luke’s words with Vespera. “Okay,” Vespera nodded, her expression remarkably calm.