Unexpectedly, my foot slipped and I accidentally fell to the cliff. At the moment of falling down, I even thought that it would be better to die like this. After all, there was nothing left in this world worth holding on to.

However, fate had other plans. Maybe this was my punishment for past mistakes. Instead of crashing straight to my death, I hit a tree branch on the way down, which slowed my fall. The pain was unbearable. My leg was severely broken, the bone almost visible through the torn flesh.

I had a small first-aid kit, some water and a bit of food. If it were daytime, I might've been able to hold on until rescue arrived. That was if someone even reported me missing. Still, the real problem was the mountain's unpredictable weather. Once the sun went down, the temperature would drop drastically.

I had only worn a thin jacket for convenience while hiking. I opened my bag, only to remember I'd given the food to Mila earlier when she said she was hungry. My phone's screen was shattered and there was no signal. I had no way of knowing which direction to go to find coverage.

I grabbed a dry branch, trying to prop myself up, but the moment I moved, I realized I couldn't feel anything below my waist. At that moment, I gave up. I dropped the branch and lay back wholly. Even if I died here, no one would care.

At the hotel where I worked, I was always alone. The only person who ever spoke to me was Lior, the cheerful one. Other than that, I had no close connections. The sky darkened. The damp air crept into my bones, making me feel even colder.

I found a sticky note and a pen in my bag, intending to write a farewell letter. Too bad my hands were trembling so much that I could barely form words. In the end, I only managed to write a single sentence, less than I had written when I left the hospital back then. "I'm sorry. I love you."

I didn't remember when I lost consciousness. I didn't even know if I was rescued. All I remember was sinking into an endless darkness, cold and silent. Maybe I really did die, but every now and then, I would hear Jace's voice. Sometimes, he was on the phone. Other times, he was calling out "Honey."

Even in death, why did I still have to hear him showing off his love? Eventually, his voice became fainter and less frequent. Had he finally left? Was I truly dead?

***

After humiliating Sharon, Jace left with Mila in his arms. However, only he knew he didn't feel as good as he made it seem. Once they turned the corner, he let go of her, his usual cold and distant demeanor returning. Mila acted as if she hadn't noticed. She clung to his arm and said sweetly, "Hubby, thank you for standing up for me. I'm so happy."

Jace lowered his gaze, looking at the hand wrapped around his arm. His heart remained unmoved. There was a time when, if Sharon took the initiative to hold his arm in public, his heart would swell with warmth. Maybe that's what happens when you've experienced love at its peak. That bittersweet taste was something only he could understand.

Now, when Jace looked at the woman before him, he felt nothing, not even a hint of affection. His family approved of her, so he married her. To make him go through with it, his mother even made up some ridiculous story. She said the "angel in white" had fallen in love with him at first sight, that they were a match made in heaven.

Did they think he was a child? He knew perfectly well what was real and what was just a story. He just didn't care enough to argue. For an entire year after the separation, he had counted the days.

At first, his body rejected the transplant severely. Mila told him it was because the donor's health wasn't excellent. He didn't think much of it. He just obediently took his medicine and went through rehabilitation, like a machine going through motions. Slowly, Mila started acting like his girlfriend, visiting him every day.

News about Sharon would trickle in from time to time. Without exception, every piece of it only made Jace hate her more. He hated that she had abandoned him. Hated that she had given up on their child. That hatred festered in his heart, growing stronger and stronger, fermenting into something extreme.

He secretly searched for information about her. Finally, he found a clue. He went to countless places without telling Mila, but she was nowhere to be seen. In the end, when he learned she was living in Kevern. So, he carefully orchestrated their reunion.

His initial intention was simply to seek revenge. He should have felt satisfied when he humiliated Sharon with money. Yet, for some reason, his heart still ached. He told himself it was just withdrawal, forcing himself to forget her.

If he had just tried a little more complicated and genuinely committed to Mila, he would surely have forgotten her. That night, for the first time, he allowed Mila into his bed. She was bold and passionate, utterly different from Sharon, who always followed his lead. He loved Sharon, but he also enjoyed bullying her in bed. He loved seeing her struggle to hold back tears, but in the end, he stopped before taking the final step.

He got up, grabbed a cigarette and walked out onto the balcony. Sharon had hated his smoking, so he never smoked when they were together. After his lung transplant, he had sunk into depression for a long time. When it got unbearable, he allowed himself one cigarette. Now, there were already three cigarette butts at his feet.

Mila hadn't gotten what she wanted and it frustrated her. As an illegitimate daughter of the Sage family, she had worked hard to secure a marriage with Jace. There was no way Mila would let go now. No matter how he treated her, she wouldn't give up.

When Jace's phone rang, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked out. "Honey, you have a call."

As long as she played the perfect wife, the Sage family would acknowledge her. What future was there in being a doctor? Returning to the family and securing her share of the inheritance was the only way she could feel at ease. Besides, Jace was good-looking. Being with him was a bonus. This deal was worth it.

"He glanced at the unknown caller and declined the call. "It's cold outside. Go back in."

Mila wrapped her arms around his waist. "Honey, want to give it another try?"

"No, I need to take this call." He hadn't expected the caller to be Charles.

At first, he had only wanted an excuse to brush off Mila and make her back off. Still, when he heard that familiar voice on the other end, the anger in his chest exploded. "Charles Lennox! How dare you call me?"

"Jace, no ... Mr. Hawthorne. I'm begging you, please help me find my daughter." Charles's voice trembled with sobs.

Jace's first instinct was that the man was lying. Annoyed, he crushed out his cigarette. "Just tell me, how much do you want this time?"

"I don't want money. I just want my daughter back. She gave up her entire right lung to save you and the doctors say she might not have much time left. I just want to be with her … "