Chapter 18
Sylvie and Lance made their way to Caledra. The place was known for its untouched beaches, where the sea was crystal clear and the sand felt soft underfoot.
The blue sky melted into the ocean, creating a sight so breathtaking it almost didn’t seem real. Sylvie and Lance walked hand in hand through Caledra’s sacred site, the Isle of the Love Goddess.
The deep blue of Lance’s eyes reflected the sea around them, and to Sylvie, it was the most beautiful sight she saw there.
“They say this is where Aridessa, the goddess of love and beauty, was born. If couples make a wish here, the goddess will bless them with everlasting love.”
Sylvie gazed out at the horizon, where a rock shaped like the goddess still stood, unworn by the waves. She couldn’t help but believe what Lance had said.
“But… does everlasting love really exist?”
Lance watched her quietly before replying, “Everlasting love is rare, and maybe that’s why people come here searching for it. Sylvie, I can’t promise a love that never fades, but I hope everything I feel for you is genuine,”
The ocean in his eyes seemed to hold restless waves. “And maybe if you gather up every moment of my love, it could add up to forever.”
Sylvie met his gaze. His eyes were gentle with affection. She thought that even if she drowned and suffocated in the tenderness of this moment, it would still be worth it.
Their breaths mingled, and the warmth from their lips hung in the air between them.
Lance’s lashes fluttered as he asked, “Sylvie, are you going to push me away again?”
Their lips were just about to touch.
“Sylvie! What do you think you’re doing?”
Sylvie jolted back at that familiar yet distant voice, nearly losing her balance and falling into the ocean. Luckily, Lance moved fast, catching her and pulling her trembling body close.
“Let go of her!” Soren snapped.
He gripped Sylvie’s wrist, as if preparing to pull her toward him. His eyes burned with fury. He couldn’t even begin to explain what he felt when he saw Sylvie about to kiss someone else.
“You’re the one who needs to let her go! Do you have any idea how much you’ve hurt her?” Lance’s face twisted with anger. His brows pulled tight, and his eyes
darkened like a storm rolling in.
Soren’s grip loosened at Lance’s words. Noticing this, Lance quickly moved to shield Sylvie, pulling her behind him.
The action only served to intensify Soren’s anger. “This is between her and me. You have no right to interfere! What are you, just a fling? Or not even that?”
Lance stiffened at the insult. Despite his inner turmoil, he stood his ground, ensuring Sylvie’s safety.
Soren sneered, “Do you even know our history? She loved me for 15 years. And you? Have you even known her for two months?”
Lance’s head dropped, his body trembling slightly.
Feeling he had the upper hand, Soren moved closer. “You’d better walk away while you still can.”
Lance finally lost control. He sprang into action, his fist colliding with Soren’s jaw, catching him off guard and sending him tumbling into the sea.
“Let me make one thing clear,” Lance said, his eyes burning with intensity. “I won the Elyndrian boxing championship three years in a row. Sure, that was before I became an adult, but trust me–it’s more than enough to handle you.”
His next punch cut through the salty air, slamming into Soren’s face.
Soren raised his arms to defend himself, but his weakened state and the overwhelming difference in their strength left him vulnerable. Blood poured from his face.
Lance flicked the blood from his hand and looked at Soren indifferently. “Sylvie loved you for 15 years, and what did you give her in return? Heartache? Fear? Trauma? Or something even worse?”
He took Sylvie’s hand and gave Soren, who was still sprawled out in the sea, a warning. “Stay away from her.”
Then, the two of them walked away, their silhouettes gradually fading into the distance.
Soren stayed there in the water, too drained to move. The salty waves washed the blood from his face and rushed into his nose. He coughed and sat up, his vacant eyes locked on the horizon.
“Why…” he murmured, helpless.
His body was growing weaker by the second, but Sylvie’s image grew clearer in his mind.
Some overwhelming emotion had crashed over him, shattering every bit of self–control. It had pushed him here without a second thought, leaving Zoe behind.
And when he saw Sylvie – the woman he’d longed for all this time–standing so close to Lance, their lips nearly touching, he completely lost it.
Could it be…
Soren pressed a hand against his chest, feeling his heart pound violently. Could it be that he’d loved Sylvie all along?
He recalled the odd, mechanical voice he’d heard on two separate occasions. Was it possible that he and Zoe were meant to be the main characters and that he’d veered off course by falling for Sylvie instead?
Soten looked down and let out an abrupt laugh. So, everything had been part of someone else’s script–Parker Group’s collapse, Rodney’s and Joyce’s deaths, his inexplicable resentment toward Sylvie, and even how he’d fallen for Zoe the moment he saw her.
The mechanical voice echoed in his mind again. “Soren, you now understand the truth about your world. You have to fulfill your role as the male lead and go back
Chapter 18
to Zoe. Or else…”
