Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Return
Just like that, he was forced to break up with Maggie Monroe, and she vanished from his world.
It wasn’t until he graduated from college and was just starting out in the entertainment industry that he saw Maggie Monroe again.
At the time, she was the stunt double for the female lead in his new drama. He saw her lying on the ground, covered in injuries.
For the first time in his life, his heart ached for someone like that.
Later, he learned that Maggie Monroe had been working day and night as a stunt double just to save up enough money for medical bills.
He also found out why she had disappeared after their breakup.
To protect her, to prevent history from repeating itself, and to maintain his so-called public image, he had no choice but to start a secret relationship with her.
He couldn’t even marry the woman he loved.
Recalling the past, Tristan Grayson’s eyes revealed nothing but endless exhaustion and sorrow.
「Regalia Fields.」
Mika Summers was curled up on the sofa, watching TV.
’Even though she knew he wouldn’t be back, she just couldn’t help herself. She wanted to keep waiting.’
Just then, the phone on the coffee table suddenly rang. "RING... RING RING..."
She shot up, grabbing the phone and answering it without even looking at who was calling. "Hello?"
"..."
However, there was no sound from the other end. She frowned and glanced at the screen—it was an unknown number. Worried, she spoke again, "Hello? This is Mika Summers. May I ask who’s calling?"
"COUGH... COUGH... COUGH..." A man’s coughing suddenly came through the phone.
Hearing this, her brow furrowed even deeper. ’It seems like no one ever calls this number besides him.’ "Young Master Grayson?"
The moment she spoke, a disgruntled voice came through the phone. "Young Master Grayson? Who’s Young Master Grayson? Mika, don’t tell me you can’t even recognize my voice anymore."
Hearing this, she said in surprise, "Bro? Why are you calling me?" After speaking, she looked down at the phone several times. ’This doesn’t look like an international number.’ Her frown deepened.
"What’s with that tone? Sounds like you’re not very happy to get a call from your big brother!"
She pouted and retorted guiltily, "No, no, I just didn’t expect you to call me this late, Bro."
"You’re my little sister. If I don’t call you, who would I call? You, on the other hand, Mika... you don’t seem too happy to hear from me. Fess up, are you dating someone?"
"No, no! How could I possibly be dating someone?"
"And why not? My little sister is so cute, who wouldn’t like you?"
"Oh, stop teasing me, Bro. By the way, did you change your number?"
"I didn’t. My phone just died, and since I just got off the plane, I couldn’t find a place to charge it. I had to use a public phone to call you."
Listening to her brother’s explanation, she replied faintly, "Oh..." ’So his phone just ran out of battery...’
However, hearing his sister’s response, the person on the other end of the line got annoyed. "Hey... Sis! Your big brother just got off the plane! Aren’t you going to show a little appreciation??"
"What? Just got off the plane?? Bro, what do you mean?" Hearing this, Mika Summers snapped back to reality and shouted in shock.
"What do I mean? What do I mean? It means your big brother is back, of course! The first thing I did when I got back—I didn’t even call Mom and Dad—was call you. Shouldn’t you show some appreciation?"
"Appreciation? What kind of appreciation do you want?" ’Before Tristan left, he warned me over and over not to go outside. If I go out...’