Chapter 18
Alaric stared at the two distinct piles before him.
The first contained all the items Stella had sent back–gifts he’d given her over the years. Looking through them, he barely recognized most. They were things his assistant had purchased on his behalf, generic presents he’d never put any thought into.
Alaric’s eyes darkened with a crushing realization.
So before leaving. Stella had already decided to return everything, cutting him out of her life
completely.
His gaze shifted to the second pile.
He recognized these as gifts Stella had given him over the years.
It hit him like a physical blow–Stella had always loved giving him presents.
For birthdays, anniversaries, every possible holiday.
He’d found it annoying. Eventually, he’d stopped opening them altogether, tossing them carelessly
into the basement storage room.
Now Camilla had unearthed them all.
With trembling hands, Alaric began opening the dust–covered packages one by one.
During his college entrance exam year, she had spent days searching Central Park for four–leaf clovers, staying until dark day after day. She’d found thirteen of them, pressing them into a handmade charm for his academic success.
The scarf she’d knitted for his last birthday–he remembered seeing her practicing for months, her fingers bandaged from countless needle pricks, determined to make it perfect despite never having knitted before.
Last month’s gift–stock transfer documents for a gaming company he’d casually mentioned wanting to acquire but couldn’t. She’d somehow negotiated the deal herself, never even mentioning it until it
was done.
Chapter 18
Each one filled with thoughtfulness and love.
His chest constricted painfully as he realized Stella could never have imagined he hadn’t even
bothered to open them.
What had he done?
A wave of self–loathing crashed over him. He’d trampled the genuine love of this remarkable woman while treasuring a manipulative liar. The weight of his cruelty toward Stella became physically painful, making it hard to breathe.
Gasping, his eyes fell on the final package.
A desperate hope flared within him.
This was what Stella had sent just days ago.
If she had truly given up on him long ago, why would she still give him a gift?
Clinging to this last thread of hope like a drowning man, Alaric tore open the package with shaking
hands.
What he found left him utterly destroyed.
It was the Gilbert family heirloom jade pendant.
So what Stella had sent wasn’t a gift at all–it was the return of their engagement token.
She truly wanted nothing more to do with him.
The last thread of hope snapped. A strangled sound escaped his throat as the room began to spin. The realization that he had lost her–truly lost her–crushed him completely.
“Alaric!”
His mother’s voice seemed to come from miles away as darkness claimed him.
Alaric developed a dangerously high fever.
Chapter 18
The doctor explained it was likely triggered by extreme emotional distress.
For three days and nights, he remained unconscious, thrashing in his delirium, crying out names in
hoarse, broken sobs.
Sometimes Jenna’s. Sometimes Stella’s. Often begging for forgiveness..
Steven and Camilla watched in helpless terror.
On the third day, Alaric finally awoke.
Camilla rushed to his side.
“Alaric, thank God you’re awake! You’ve been unconscious for three days–I thought I was losing
you!”
As she spoke, she suddenly realized something was different about her son.
His eyes held a haunted quality she’d never seen before.
Frightened, her voice trembled.
“Alaric? What is it? Talk to me.
Alaric focused on her, his expression shifting to one she recognized, but the hollow pain remained in
his eyes.
“Mom,” he said, his voice raw from days of unconscious crying, “I had a dream…”
He swallowed hard, tears welling in his eyes.
“In this dream, Stella married me, but I… I destroyed her.”
