Chapter 13
Fabian’s pupils shrank sharply, and his fingers clenched instinctively.
Terance continued, “Then Sasha arrived. Valerie actually handed you over to her and let her take credit for saving you. I found it strange at the time. If Valerie was truly as vicious as people say, why would she save you? And if she did, why wouldn’t she take the credit?”
A vivid image of that night flashed through Fabian’s mind.
He remembered waking up to see Sasha sitting by his bedside. Her eyes were filled with worry.
She told him she had risked her life, that she had rushed into the fire to save him. And he had never doubted her.
“Are you sure… it was Valerie who saved me?” Fabian’s voice came out hoarse.
Terrance nodded. “I saw it with my own eyes. There’s no mistake.”
A weight settled deep in Fabian’s chest as Valerie’s pale face surfaced in his memory.
The scars on her back, her indifferent answers, and the way she had never hesitated to admit she was vicious. All these fragments suddenly connected at this moment.
“Why would she do that?” Fabian murmured, as if asking himself, or perhaps the one who had long since vanished.
Terrance shook his head. “I don’t know. But I’ve always had this feeling that maybe Valerie isn’t as bad as everyone made her out to be.”
Fabian said nothing. A storm raged inside him.
Emotions he had buried deep and memories he had sealed away came crashing back all at once.
He thought of every moment with Valerie.
“But if she was truly heartless, why had she saved him? And why had she let Sasha take the credit?
“What’s wrong, Fab? What did Terrance say to you?”
Sasha’s voice cut through Fabian’s thoughts and snapped him back to the present. Terrance had already left.
Fabian pulled himself together and said calmly, “It’s nothing. Let’s go home.”
Sasha nodded and clung to his arm. Her sweet smile returned.
Yet, Fabian’s heart remained restless.
Back home, Fabian stood alone by the floor–to–ceiling window as he stared at the night sky.
A glass of red wine rested in his hand, untouched.
Terrance’s words echoed in his mind, and so did Valerie’s pale face.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to steady the storm inside him. But the past refused to stay buried. The memories rushed in, relentless as the tide. They drowned him completely.
Late at night, Fabian sat alone in his study. Between his fingers was an old, yellowed envelope.
It was Valerie’s letter to herself, ten years in the future. He had taken it from the reunion earlier when no one was looking.
The edges of the envelope were worn, bearing the weight of time. His fingers trembled slightly as he slowly tore it open and pulled out the letter inside.
The handwriting was neat and familiar. Each stroke carved itself deeper into his heart.
Fabian took a deep breath and let his gaze fall on the words.
“To Valerie, ten years from now:
“If you’re reading this, I hope you still remember Fabian–the man who always wore a cold expression but was endlessly gentle with you. He was the man you once swore to love for a lifetime.
“Are you still together? If you are, does he still take care of everything for you, just like before? Do you remember how he promised to take you to Eleyburn to get married and have the gods of Azure Summit witness your love?
“Have you already been there? Is the sky there as pure as the legends say? Have you stood beneath Azure Summit and vowed to love each other for eternity?
“Do you have children now? I remember we once promised to have two–a boy who looks like him, and a girl who looks like me.
“They must be adorable, right? Can they call you Mommy and Daddy yet? Do you read them bedtime stories every night? Does Fabian spoil them the way he used to spoil you?
“Is your home warm and cozy? I remember you saying you wanted a house with a garden, filled with your favorite flowers. Do you wake up every morning and drink coffee in the garden while watching your children run through the grass?
“Do you cook dinner together in the evenings, then curl up on the couch while watching TV and talking about nothing and everything? Fab, if you ever read this letter, please remember that I love you more than anything in this world.
“Even if ten years have passed, even if our youth tades and life talls into a quiet rhythm, I hope you never forget how deeply we loved and how happy we once were.”
