Loving Murphy Townsend was a secret Gemma Kirk could never share.

Murphy was not just anyone—he was her uncle.

She was the cherished rose he nurtured, but he was the forbidden love she could never confess to.

"Dr. Lee, I've decided to participate in the cryogenic experiment. Please sign me up," Gemma Kirk said calmly.

On the other end of the line, her professor, Taylor Lee, sounded hesitant. "Gemma, have you really thought this through? I know the cancer diagnosis has been devastating for you, but there's still hope for treatment—"

"But it's late-stage lymphoma. It's untreatable," Gemma interrupted.

Taylor sighed deeply. "But cryogenic technology isn't fully developed yet. They've never experimented on a living person before. There's a high chance you'll lose your life the moment they freeze you! Please think it over…"

Gemma smiled faintly. "Dr. Lee, I've already made up my mind."

With that, she hung up.

A headline notification had appeared on her phone screen just minutes earlier.

The photo showed Evangeline Morris and Murphy Townsend holding hands, and there was a sparkling blue diamond ring on Evangeline's ring finger.

Even through the screen, the blue diamond radiated a brilliance that stung Gemma's eyes. She bit her lip hard, but tears still streamed down her face.

Today was his birthday, yet the man she loved the most had given the ring she designed to someone else.

Did it have to be this way? Did he hate her that much?

The steaming dishes on the table grew colder by the minute. As she sat by the dining table, Gemma felt her heart grow as cold as the room.

At 2:30 am, the tightly shut door finally creaked open. Murphy entered, bringing with him the chill of the night.

"Why are you still awake?" Murphy's expression grew even colder when he saw her. "Didn't I tell you I'd be with Eva tonight and I'd be back late?"

Gemma lowered her head, staying silent for a long time before quietly saying, "Happy birthday..."

It was late now, even past midnight. So technically, his birthday was already over.

"Gemma, what's the point of doing this?" Murphy said impatiently. "Eva is my girlfriend. It's only natural for her to celebrate my birthday with me. Who do you think you are? I'm your uncle! Can't you recognize your place? Whatever improper thoughts you have about me, they disgust me!"

With that, he slammed the door as he left.

He was probably going back to Evangeline. After all, he just said she was his girlfriend.

Gemma kept her head down as she stared at her feet. She whispered so softly it was almost inaudible, "Uncle Murphy, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. This is the last birthday I can spend with you."

The room felt freezing, and Gemma could not help but wonder which was colder, the cryo-casket or this empty room?

She had always hated the cold. As a child, she would run barefoot in winter while clutching her stuffed bunny just to find her Uncle Murphy and sleep in his bed.

Back then, Murphy was kind to her. He would not speak harshly. Instead, he would smile, lift her onto the bed, tell her stories, and lull her to sleep…

At this moment, Evangeline posted a photo on social media of her and Murphy holding hands.

While wearing the 'Mermaid's Heart' ring that Gemma had designed, she proudly announced to everyone: [We're engaged!]

At the same time, Gemma received an electronic consent form from the cryogenic experiment team. She did not sign it immediately. Instead, she called Murphy.

The call was rejected, but she tried again. It was declined five times in a row before it finally connected.

"What do you want now, Gemma?" Murphy's impatient voice came through the line.

Gemma pressed her lips together, her voice soft as she said, "I just wanted to congratulate you."

Murphy let out a cold laugh. "I hope you truly mean that."

She lowered her eyes. She was silent for a moment before asking, "When's the wedding?"

"December 12th," he replied, his tone colder than the harshest winter wind.

Those words pierced Gemma's heart like a thousand arrows. After all, December 12th was her birthday.

Gemma's parents passed away when she was very young.

An old, tattered newspaper still bore the tragic headline: "Socialite Suffers Mental Breakdown, Stabs Husband Over a Hundred Times While He Sleeps, Then Hangs Herself—Leaves Behind a Five-Year-Old Orphan."

She was that five-year-old orphan.

On a freezing winter night, she hid in a wardrobe wearing only her pajamas. The cold seeped into her small body until she was nearly numb, but she did not dare come out.

It was Murphy who eventually found her and carried her out.

"Be good, Gemma. Don't be scared. I'm here. As long as I'm around, no one will ever hurt you," he said gently.

She nestled in Murphy's arms, feeling safe for the first time in what felt like forever.

Murphy took her home. Perhaps he pitied her tragic circumstances, but he spoiled her endlessly. Whatever she wanted—no matter how impossible—he would give it to her, even if it meant reaching for the stars.

In fact, he truly did reach for the stars for her. The horrific death of Gemma's parents left her with severe psychological trauma.

During her early days living with Murphy, she clung to him desperately, unable to be apart from him for even a minute. If she lost sight of him, her anxiety attacks would spiral out of control.

One quiet night, Murphy carried her onto the rooftop, pointed to the brightest star in the sky, and said, "Gemma, do you see that star? I bought it for you."

He handed her a certificate of ownership for the star, then gently tapped her nose and said, "From now on, this star is yours. When I'm not around, the star will watch over you instead."

Now, as she stood by the window, Gemma pulled back the curtains, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her star. However, the sky was blanketed with thick clouds, and her star was nowhere to be seen.

…

The next morning, the head of the cryogenic research team, Andre Freeman, called, asking Gemma to come in for a physical examination.

"There's no need for that," Gemma replied with a faint, sorrowful smile.

She was already on the brink of death. What good would another examination do? No number of tests would make the cancer disappear.

"Ms. Kirk, we need to assess your physical condition to determine the freezing process and the optimal freezing time," Andre explained. "It's also to improve your chances of survival. Please cooperate."

Gemma had no reason to refuse, so she got in her car and drove to the facility.

After a long day of tests, the physical examination was finally over. Before she left, Andre handed her a thick stack of documents.

"The shape of the cryo-casket and its future storage location are customizable. Here's the relevant material for you to review," he explained.

Gemma nodded, softly thanked him, and carried the documents back home.

When she stepped inside, she noticed that the living room lights were on. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought, 'Is Uncle Murphy back?'

Despite how cruelly he had treated her, she still wanted to see him. How pathetic was that?

Trying to steady her racing heart, Gemma quickly walked into the living room, only to find Evangeline dressed in a silk slip dress.

"Gemma, you're back!" Evangeline greeted her warmly. "Have you eaten dinner yet? Your Uncle Murphy is busy in the kitchen. Let me know what you'd like, and I'll have him make it for you."

Her demeanor was every bit that of a lady of the house.

A wave of bitterness surged in Gemma's chest. She shook her head and was about to say she was not hungry. Just then, Murphy emerged from the kitchen carrying a freshly prepared dish.

"You're just in time," Murphy said. "Eva and I are engaged. Starting today, Eva is the lady of this house. So, from now on, she'll handle everything—big and small."

Lowering her head, Gemma replied quietly, "I understand."

He had expected Gemma to lash out, but to his surprise, she accepted his words calmly. This unexpected reaction even brought a rare flicker of astonishment to Murphy's usually dark, inscrutable eyes.

"Don't be so stern. You're scaring Gemma," Evangeline said playfully. "Come on, Gemma, ignore him. Let's eat."

With that, Evangeline grabbed Gemma's arm to pull her toward the dining room.

Caught off guard by Evangeline's sudden gesture, Gemma fumbled, and the stack of documents in her arms scattered to the floor.

Murphy frowned as he bent down to pick up one of the papers. It was a design sketch of a cryo-casket. His tone turned cold as he demanded, "What's this?"

Though her heart pounded in panic, Gemma kept a calm exterior. She casually explained, "It's a cryo-casket design. I'm researching it for a summer project. Before the break, my professor assigned us to freely design a product, so I've decided to create a crystal coffin that can preserve bodies. I printed some materials from the internet as references."

She was currently a freshman studying design, so the excuse sounded plausible enough.

However, Murphy's expression remained grim. "Gemma, are you insane?" he snapped.

Gemma's parents were also buried by Murphy. On the day of their burial, Gemma locked herself in the wardrobe again.

Murphy found her but did not force her to come out. Instead, he opened the wardrobe door and climbed inside to stay with her.

"Uncle Murphy, is it as dark and cold inside a coffin as it is here?" she asked with reddened eyes. "I dreamed that Mom told me to join her in the coffin. She said it's cold and lonely being in there all by herself…"

"That was just a dream," Murphy reassured her. "Don't be afraid. You're not going anywhere. I won't let anyone take you away from me."

She wrapped her arms around Murphy's neck and softly whispered in his ear, "As long as you're with me, I wouldn't even be scared of being in a coffin."

…

It seemed Murphy still remembered that moment.

He had misunderstood. He thought Gemma was using the cryo-casket project as a subtle way to confess her feelings to him again.

"Uncle Murphy, if you don't like it, I'll change my design," Gemma said quietly. "It's just a summer project. Don't be upset."

Murphy's expression remained cold and silent, but Evangeline chimed in with a smile to ease the tension, "Yes, change it. Coffins are so morbid. You're a young girl, so don't involve yourself in such grim matters. Be more cheerful!"

Gemma gathered the scattered documents from the floor. Then, in front of Murphy, she threw them all into the trash. Only then did his expression soften slightly.

…

Late that night, once everyone was asleep, Gemma crept out of bed and retrieved the documents from the trash.

As she returned to her room, Evangeline stepped out of Murphy's bedroom wearing a silk slip dress. Her shoulders and back bore unmistakable marks of intimacy. It was not hard to imagine what she and Murphy had been doing in that room.

Gemma forced herself to look away and silently reminded herself over and over, 'Don't look. Don't think about it. She's Uncle Murphy's fiancée. Whatever they do, it's only natural.'

Murphy loved her, and she could make him happy. That was all that mattered.

"Gemma, why won't you look at me?" Evangeline's eyes glinted with provocation, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor. "Are you still unable to accept that Murphy loves me and not you?"

Gemma lowered her gaze. "No, I've accepted it."

"Stop pretending. Do you think I can't see through you?" Evangeline sneered. "The way you look at Murphy is not normal at all. Even though you call him Uncle Murphy, he raised you. Technically, he's more like your foster father. And yet you've fallen in love with your foster father… Gemma, are you mentally unwell?"

Gemma bit her lip hard, refusing to respond.

Was she… truly broken?

It was no wonder Murphy had grown so disgusted with her after learning about her feelings. To the world, this love was nothing but shameful.

"I heard the reason you're an orphan is that your mother lost her mind, grabbed a knife in the middle of the night, and stabbed your father over a hundred times—killing him on the spot."

Evangeline stepped closer, her words deliberately cruel. "Well, it's no wonder you're mentally unstable. It's hereditary. Your mother was a deranged lunatic, and you're just like her."

Gemma could endure Evangeline's insults toward her, but she could not tolerate anyone speaking ill of her deceased parents.

"Shut up!" she shouted, lunging forward and grabbing Evangeline by the throat. "You don't know the whole story! You have no right—"

Before she could finish, a cold, sharp voice cut through the air.

"Gemma, what are you doing?!"

Murphy had woken up at some point. He stood in the doorway, his face filled with fury as he glared at Gemma.