She was on the verge of tears, but he, already a member of the city team, patiently practiced with her again and again.
The boy in her memory overlapped with the man before her.
Perhaps out of guilt, Callie seemed to endure everything without complaint.
When Nelson’s illness was nearly better, she took him hiking up a mountain near the old mansion, which was usually open to tourists.
Before dawn, the boardwalk was almost empty. The autumn wind was cold. They climbed to the top of the mountain, overlooking the lights of Ylosea.
Callie opened her mouth, awed by the spectacular view.
At that moment, the sky was neither fully dark nor light. The horizon glowed with a pale white, and one by one, the lights below went out. Nelson stood behind her, watching the sun rise together.
The red light covered the entire sky. Callie shivered from the cold and suddenly shouted, “Nelson.”
“Yes?”
Callie cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled towards the horizon, “It will be okay, right?”
Her voice echoed around them.
Nelson was stunned for a moment and then looked down into her hopeful eyes.
He smiled, a genuine smile that relaxed his face, making his eyes bright.
They descended the mountain after the sun rose high in the sky and returned to the old mansion where a servant had been waiting for a long time. “Mr. Oconnor, someone is here to see you.”
Nelson carried his coat, his expression darkening slightly.
In the study, Charlotte stood with the directors of Oconnor Group. She wore white clothes, and the bandage on her wrist hadn’t been removed yet. She looked surprised to see him in sportswear.
“Nelson, no one could reach you. The directors had no choice but to find me. I’m sorry,” she said cautiously.
Nelson tossed his coat onto the sofa, expressionless. “It’s fine.”
“Are you feeling better?” Charlotte asked carefully, clenching her fingers.
“What’s wrong with me?” Nelson’s response was cold. “Nothing, thank you for your concern.”
The directors had matters to report to him. Charlotte left the study on her own and walked into the corridor where she saw Callie sitting and peeling an orange.
Her fingers were pale white. Charlotte thought of a phrase: delicate hands peeling fresh oranges.
“Are you leaving?” she asked bitterly, pointing at Callie’s bag.
Callie seemed to notice her then and put a slice of orange in her mouth. “I’ve finished what I needed to do. Of course I’m leaving. Don’t misunderstand, Mr. Oconnor’s fiancee.”
Her tone was light as if she didn’t care.
Charlotte felt tormented. “What have you two been doing these past few days?”
Callie made a puzzled sound and smiled at Charlotte. “Didn’t he tell you?”
That beautiful, lively smile left Charlotte dazed. She shook her head. “No.”
“Then forget it. If I tell you, he’ll get angry. Ask him yourself.”
Charlotte frowned deeply. “Explain clearly.”
Callie slowly chewed her orange without speaking.
“Callie, it’s over between you two, right? I’m his fiancee now. I’m begging you, stay away from him.”
Her words were full of insecurity. Callie looked up after hearing them. “But even marriages can end in divorce. What does a fiancee count for?”
To Callie, it seemed like Charlotte was begging her to stay away from herself.
Charlotte’s face turned pale. She raised her wrist. “Consider that I almost died for him.”
Callie remained calm. “Died? Life is the least valuable thing.”
With that, Callie stood up and walked past her through the corridor.