Ethan had a knack for making money. He not only ran a food cart but also had an online store that specialized in selling cold dishes. He even invited bloggers to do taste test videos, offering reasonable prices, and monthly sales were always ideal.
With the online store running smoothly and the food cart turning into a shop, there were always plenty of customers every day.
Ethan went from someone who couldn’t even cook properly to now being a talented home chef who excelled at everything he made.
As Christmas approached, the shops were filled with festive cheer. Aoife wanted to go outside to see the fireworks, so Ethan quickly found clothes and a cloak to bundle her up warmly.
The two of them walked through the town streets, admiring the colorful lights and lanterns hanging on the streets, feeling like they had returned to their homeland.
As the night approached dawn, the sky lit up with more and more fireworks, bursting in the air with a resounding bang, creating a mesmerizing display.
The colorful light shone on Aoife’s face, and Ethan turned to look at her, his gaze filled with admiration.
In his heart, Ethan silently made a wish, wishing for Aoife’s safety every year and hoping to be with her every year.
“As the year is coming to an end, Ethan, don’t you want to go back? After all, your parents are still in your home country.”
Ethan shook his head, “There will be a chance to go back in the future, but right now, you are the most important to me.”
The winter night was cold, and Ethan held Aoife’s hand, and she seemed to have gotten used to his touch.
“Aoife, you are so beautiful,” her beauty was captivating, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Aoife absentmindedly touched her face, wondering if her makeup was too much, why else would Ethan be so complimentary?
Unable to contain himself, Ethan chuckled, holding Aoife’s hand firmly, “When I say you are beautiful, I don’t just mean your face. Like the fireworks in the sky, your eyes are more beautiful than any display.”
Feeling the cold outside, Ethan, fearing Aoife would catch a cold, held her hand and walked slowly back home.
“Aoife, I’ve thought of two names for our child, one is Wait, and the other is Think. If it’s a girl, we can call her Natalie, Natalie Johnson.”
Natalie, unforgettable thoughts must have recollections.
Time passed, and Aoife squeezed his hand, responding with a soft “mm,” agreeing to his thoughtful suggestion.
…
Aoife ran away, and Finn searched for her for three months. He didn’t rest during Christmas and New Year’s and spent the cold winter nights looking for any news of her.
During the day, he ate when needed, worked as usual, and didn’t let exhaustion get the better of him. To others, it seemed like nothing had changed, but only he knew how he was struggling to suppress his violent urges.
After returning home from work, he would go straight to the basement where various medical supplies and syringes were kept.
In the cold basement, Finn, with an expressionless face, adjusted the equipment, and nearby, in a cage, lay a pile of dead rabbits.
Finn didn’t rush; his composure seemed unwavering.
Besides storing medical supplies in the basement, he had the area modified, creating a small enclosure.
The workers, looking at the design, speculated that Finn might be getting a pet, perhaps a large dog.
However, as soon as the enclosure was built, they were asked to fill it with water. From the outside, it looked like a water prison. And a week later, as workers carried plastic boxes inside, the faint outlines of long shapes inside became visible.
The workers, holding their breath, looked nervous, and upon seeing Finn, respectfully asked, “Mr. Snearl, do we pour everything in?”
“Yes.”
They carried three boxes in total.
After placing them on the ground and catching their breath, the workers exchanged glances and then pushed the boxes towards the enclosure. Opening the lids, they swiftly tilted the boxes, releasing their contents.
Inside, all that spilled out were snakes: long and short, of various colors and sizes.
The sight of the writhing snakes made even the burliest workers, who weren’t afraid of snakes, uneasy. But this time, they were dealing with an overwhelming number.
Although the snakes were not venomous, being bitten by one would be painful. After pouring three boxes of snakes into the pool, closing the glass door, the workers left hastily without saying a word to Finn.
To them, what was more terrifying than the pool of snakes was Finn. Despite appearing normal on the surface, showing no signs of any unusual activity, they could sense the darkness and ruthlessness in his eyes.
Every day, Finn contemplated how to capture Aoife and punish her for not listening. He unleashed the violent tendencies he had suppressed onto the experimental rabbits in the cage.
The pure white rabbits with red eyes always reminded him of Aoife.
He recalled how she cried in front of him, trying to hold back her tears, and how she looked so helpless and on the verge of crying but held back. He remembered their first meeting.
“Her eyes were as red as a rabbit’s.”
Yes… he had always seen Aoife as soft and vulnerable, like a rabbit that could be easily caught, but once caught, it would shrink in fear, trembling, refusing to eat, eyes wide with fear.
But rabbits, as he had learned, could escape when least expected, evading any pursuit.