Amidst the swirling wind and snow, a man in black with ink-black hair let his distinct fingers dance across the black and white keys of the piano.
It felt as if only three colors remained in the world.
Black, white, and red—extreme and stunning.
As the last note fell, Victoria Monroe raised her hand to applaud him.
Julian Fordham saw the petite woman leaning against the door; she wore no makeup, yet her skin was as white as snow, impossibly beautiful.
A distant and formal smile played on her lips: "That was great."
It seemed to her that he was no longer the husband who once shared intimate whispers with her, but rather a stranger.
Victoria Monroe was dressed to the nines, solely to say goodbye to him.
Realizing her intention, Julian Fordham felt even more distressed.
He slowly rose, walked toward her, closed the door and pulled out a chair for her.
"Is Grandma feeling better today?"
"Mm, although she has lost the ability to take care of herself, her spirits are good. Thankfully, you made the decision in time to save Grandma."
Victoria Monroe pushed a box toward him, "Happy Birthday."
"Nothing of great value."
With Julian Fordham’s wealth today, even the most expensive luxury item wouldn’t be surprising.
When Julian Fordham opened the box, inside was a silver watch, worth a few thousand, not from a major brand, yet it was what eighteen-year-old him had most desired.
Victoria Monroe explained, "Actually, I wanted to buy it for you years ago. That year, I saved a few thousand dollars doing minor roles; your company urgently needed money, so I couldn’t bear to buy it. Now, it counts as fulfilling a long-held wish."
Julian Fordham tightened his grip on the box, making the green veins on the back of his hand prominent, a somber look in his eyes, his throat constricted, "Thank you."
The waiter started serving meals, which turned out to be Chinese dishes, not Western cuisine.
Victoria Monroe was a bit taken aback, "Making it so romantic but not Western food?"
Julian Fordham’s lips curled into a doting smile: "The first time I took you to have Western food, it took hours. You said you’d never go again—it’s too expensive, and you didn’t feel full."
At that time, neither of them had much money. On their first visit to an upscale Western restaurant, Victoria Monroe had specially worn a little dress, fearing being kicked out for being underdressed.
After eating, Victoria Monroe dragged him out to have a bowl of wontons.
Now, with Julian Fordham’s high status, having Chinese food in a Western restaurant wasn’t surprising.
He served her soup, prepared her dish, just like he had done countless times over the years.
"Eat more; you’ve lost a lot of weight lately. You shouldn’t drink medicine anymore."
Victoria Monroe didn’t refuse; she nodded in response, "Okay. You also just recovered from illness and need proper nourishment. If Mrs. Xu isn’t willing to work anymore, just hire another helper."
"I want to stay by Grandma’s side to take care of her."
Victoria Monroe sipped the soup lightly, then looked up at him, "Julian Fordham, we were once friends, family, and lovers—anything but enemies, right? In about ten days, our marital bond ends this life. Can you let go then?"
Her brows and eyes were so gentle, "Just like how the story began, let’s not end with regrets and resentment."
He knew that Victoria Monroe was backing away to advance, wanting him to give up and stop entangling.
He lifted a bitter smile, "But Victoria, the ending of a story is already a regret."
Victoria Monroe gazed at his face and proactively placed some food on his plate, "Perhaps this is life. Take care of yourself in the future."
How many times can one live eighteen years?
So far, all her joys and sorrows had been closely tied to this man, thinking about not seeing this face again for the latter half of life.
No longer feeling his presence, touching his warmth and embrace, her heart felt as though it was being cut inch by inch with a knife.
That was an instinct developed over years, beyond her brain’s control.
Julian Fordham lifted a glass of red wine, "Have a drink."
Victoria Monroe smiled, "My stomach has been unwell lately; I’ll use water instead of wine."
"I’ll help you arrange a good checkup with the experts."
"It’s fine, I’ve looked into it. It’s just an old problem."
Victoria Monroe raised her glass toward him, the crisp clink like a pleasant wind chime.
"Julian, don’t hold on to me any longer. You’ll meet a better woman in the future; your life is still long—I’m just exiting early."
Julian Fordham did not respond; he tilted his neck back, his porcelain white Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed the wine.
That bitterness spread from the tip of his tongue to his stomach and then extended to all of his limbs.
In this world, aside from death, parting was the most painful.
Victoria Monroe closed her eyes; though she was drinking pure water, it was not only cold but also piercingly sharp.
This meal, neither of them mentioned those unpleasant matters again.
No matter how hard Julian Fordham tried to stay with her a while longer.
It had been a long time since he properly dined with her; Victoria Monroe hadn’t been this gentle to him for ages.
He carefully coaxed her.
Victoria Monroe understood, but gatherings always end.
She used a napkin to wipe her lips and smiled a little, "I’ve finished eating. It’s late; I have to go back to the mountain to take care of Grandmother. Let’s end it here."
Their lives, too, would end here.
Victoria Monroe rose to get her coat; Julian Fordham embraced her from behind.
The scent of cool pine cologne at her nose was familiar, elegant, and clean.
His warm body heat seeped through her thin cheongsam.
The man buried his head in the crook of her neck, holding her waist without using too much force.
He feared injuring her once again.
"Victoria..." His voice was husky and deep with emotion.
Victoria Monroe did not struggle and turned to wrap her arms around his waist.
She buried her head in his chest, greedily inhaling his scent.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, drop by drop.
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Her small hands clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly, as Victoria Monroe choked, "Julian Fordham, why did you have to do this? Clearly..."
She was just a little shy of getting pregnant.
Julian Fordham wrapped his arms around her slender waist tightly, apologizing over and over in a low voice, "I’m sorry, Victoria, I’m sorry. Can we still go back?"
Victoria Monroe raised her head from his embrace, tears streaming down her face, "We can’t go back anymore."
Julian Fordham reached out to wipe the tears from her eyes, but Victoria Monroe stepped back from his arms at that moment.
Although her eyes were red, they were becoming clear, like murky water gradually clearing.
She stepped out of his embrace step by step, "You tied me once, I tied you for a night; Julian Fordham, from now on, we owe each other nothing."
Watching her lift her leg to leave, Julian Fordham spoke, "Victoria, I want to know. What was the surprise you mentioned a month ago?"