He was in the break room, just a wall away, tangled up with someone else.

Kanya used to wonder why Billie always appeared after she finished her experiments, why there was always a faint scent of unfamiliar perfume lingering on him.

Now, she finally understood.

Those daily visits, rain or shine, weren’t just for her—they were also for Sabrina.

She stood by the stairs for a while, her thoughts swirling, before quietly returning to the room.

By the time Kanya finished freshening up and stepped out, Billie stumbled in, barely able to steady himself.

Billie's handsome face was flushed from the alcohol, but when he saw Kanya, a hint of admiration flickered in his dazed eyes.

“Honey, you look so beautiful today,” he murmured, his hoarse voice trembling slightly.

He smiled at her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.

In the past, Kanya would have melted under that gentle gaze.

Now, all Kanya felt was disgust.

She avoided his gaze and sat down at the vanity, gently drying her half-damp hair with a towel.

Billie didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about her mood. He walked over gracefully, reaching out to take the towel from her to help.

But just as he was about to touch her, she subtly moved her hand away, the gesture barely noticeable and said calmly, "My junior called me earlier. She said she’s feeling unwell. I’m wondering if I should go check on her."

As the words left Kanya's mouth, she looked into the mirror in front of her, catching Billie's reflection as he stood behind her.

In the mirror, she noticed a fleeting trace of worry on his face.

"Really? How about we go see her together?" he asked tentatively, but as he spoke, he turned to the wardrobe and took out another jacket.

Seeing this, the light in her eyes instantly dimmed and a wave of bitterness spread through her heart.

She had only made a casual remark to test him and he let his guard down completely.

She wondered what she meant to Billie.

Kanya swallowed the tears that were welling up in her eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice, "I'm not feeling well. Could you go check on her instead?"

Billie immediately furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, "No way. Today is our wedding night. I should stay with you."

"I don't need you. Go to Sabrina. She needs you more than I do."

As long as his attention was still on her, he could see that her eyes were already red.

But he didn’t. His heart had already drifted far away.

After hesitating for just a second, he said, “Alright, Kanya, you rest early. I’ll go check on her and be right back.”

Without a second thought, he quickly turned and left.

Kanya stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes already red and the tears fell uncontrollably.

Through her blurry vision, she vaguely saw the image of the seventeen-year-old boy from that year, the one who skipped class and climbed over the wall to buy brown sugar water for her.

Billie was caught by the teacher while climbing the wall. After being scolded, he ran toward her, full of spirit, with a smile on his face.

He carefully took out the brown sugar water he had protected so well from his pocket. “Kanya, this is for you. I heard this can help make you feel better.”

As he spoke, he took out a warm pack from his pocket and seriously advised, "And this. If you feel uncomfortable during class later, just tell me. I'll help you ask for leave. Don't push yourself too hard."

From that moment on, his presence gradually became a part of her life.

Whether it was during school or after class, he was always there, like a knight guarding his princess, standing behind her.

After entering university, his love for her became bolder and more passionate.

Whenever someone mentioned Billie, they would say, "I know him, he's Kanya's boyfriend and bodyguard. They’re always together, it’s so enviable."

And when people talked about her, they’d say, "Kanya is Billie's precious treasure. Don’t mess with her, or you'll regret it."

That night, Kanya slept restlessly, memories of their past flashing through her mind.

But whenever she reached out to touch them, everything slipped away like fleeting smoke.

She could see it, but she couldn't grasp it.

Just like Billie, she could see him, but she couldn't truly understand him.

She woke up and reached for her phone to check the time.

But instead of the time, she saw a message from Sabrina, sent just a minute ago.

[I can see you're serious about the deal, so I’ll agree to it, but you’re not allowed to back out!]

Billie hadn’t returned all night; it seemed like he had stayed at Sabrina’s place.

Kanya glanced at the message, suppressing the bitterness that surged in her heart. She didn’t reply. Instead, she rolled out of bed and started getting ready.

Soon after, she received a call from her mentor.

“Kanya, I heard you're going to be part of the secret research project. Is that true? Aren’t you just married? Are you really willing to leave your husband like that?”

This project was related to national security and once she entered the lab, she had to sign a confidentiality agreement. She would be stuck there for at least three years.

"Yes, it's true. I'll get a divorce from Billie. You don’t have to worry, Professor."

The mentor’s face showed confusion. "But you just got married! Did something happen?"

Kanya briefly explained the current situation, but she didn't mention Sabrina. She couldn't afford to take any risks before leaving.

When her mentor heard her words, she immediately became furious. "I really can't judge a person by their face alone! When I saw how much he loved you, I thought I could trust him with you. I didn't expect that just after a short time, he couldn't even hide it anymore. It's good that you're coming back, there's no need to waste any more time on him."

Her mentor treated her like her own daughter, so Kanya knew she was genuinely angry. She tried to calm her down and reassured her for a while. After comforting her mentor, she hung up the phone.

With things in place, she was about to tidy up the room when Billie came back, carrying breakfast.

She put down the broom in her hand and walked out.

He was still wearing the clothes he had left in last night, but they were no longer clean. He had clearly tried to tidy himself up before coming back. But when she looked closely, she could spot a faint lipstick mark on his white collar, barely noticeable but still there.

Perhaps her gaze was too intense and he awkwardly turned his body away, continuing to speak on his own, “I was planning to come back after taking Sabrina to the hospital last night, but the company had an urgent matter and by the time I finished, it was already morning. That’s why I’m only back now…”

“I know. You don’t need to explain so much.”

Kanya smiled faintly and sat down at the table to eat breakfast. The soup dumplings, which she usually found delicious, tasted bland and tasteless at that moment.

She put down her spoon after only a few bites.

Billie didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about her. “Honey, we’re on our honeymoon leave now. We can’t go too far, but let’s just travel nearby and relax a bit.”

“Okay, you decide.”

Since they had honeymoon leave, staying at home felt like a waste of time. It would be better to use this free time to unwind and relax.

Billie seemed very excited about the honeymoon, eagerly picking a destination.

They finally decided to spend their honeymoon at the hot spring resort in Eryndor.

After she knew the location, Kanya sent the coordinates to Sabrina.

As expected, she didn’t disappoint.

As soon as they arrived at the resort, Sabrina showed up right after them.

When Billie saw her, his expression changed slightly and he said stiffly, "What are you doing here?"

Sabrina smiled casually and replied, "I saw a video about this place, so I thought I’d visit during my break. Didn’t expect to run into you two here."

"I’ll join you guys. You don't mind, do you?" She raised an eyebrow at Kanya, her eyes filled with challenge and the expectation of success.

"This place isn’t owned by me, so why would I mind?" Kanya said.

In contrast to her calm demeanor, Billie seemed a little tense.

After putting down their luggage, he suddenly said, "Kanya, the owner of this resort is a friend of mine. I’ll go greet him and I’ll be back soon."

Kanya nodded.

Billie left the room and after thinking for a moment, she followed him out.

Soon, she saw him knocking on the door of another room.

Sabrina quickly opened the door. Upon seeing him, her eyes filled with delight as she threw herself into his arms. "Came to find me now? Did you miss me?"

Billie's entire body was filled with hostility as he shoved her away, grabbing her chin tightly and warning, "Stay in your place. If Kanya finds out about us, I won’t let you off."

Sabrina winced in pain, her eyes welling up with tears as she pitifully said, "I only came because I missed you. I even wore a new lingerie set today, just for you. Want to take a look?"

She spoke as the strap of her dress slid down her shoulder, revealing a hint of her fair skin beneath.

Billie's breath immediately hitched and a dark glint flashed in his eyes. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Wear this tonight and I'll come find you then."

Kanya had suspected their relationship was indulgent and reckless, but seeing it firsthand still broke her heart.

Billie had promised her that he would love her in this lifetime. But why did the "lifetime" he spoke of feel so short?

She hid in the corner of the hallway, her eyes brimming with tears, her body trembling uncontrollably.

That night, she climbed into bed early, hoping to sleep. But her mind was in turmoil and sleep wouldn't come.

In her daze, she felt Billie slowly getting out of bed.

When she opened her eyes, she saw his figure leaving the room.

At that moment, if he had just turned around, he would have seen that she was awake. But he didn't. He didn't look back and just left the room.

In the vast, dark room, Kanya was left all alone. Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore and cried out loud.

In the past, Billie couldn't bear to see a single tear fall from her eyes. Just watching her cry would break his heart.

But now, the one who made her cry was him.

She didn't want to love him anymore.

For three consecutive nights, Billie quietly left at night and returned in the early morning, unnoticed.

He thought his actions were flawless, that he could do whatever he wanted without any hesitation.

But little did he know, every time he left, Kanya was awake. She silently endured his betrayal, fully aware of every moment.

She wanted to ask him, when he went to find Sabrina, did he ever think of her, the one he had once comforted and deceived? Did he ever feel the slightest guilt?

But clearly, she would never get an answer. Just like she could never fully possess his heart.

The day they left the mountain resort was also the day Kanya decided to leave.

Billie still didn't notice anything and happily shared with her the interesting things that had happened these past few days.

He took out his phone, flipped through the photos he had taken and said with a smile, "When we get home, I'll have these photos developed as keepsakes. When we're old, we'll take them out and show them to our children and grandchildren..."

Hearing his words, Kanya felt no emotion at all because they no longer have a future together.

Billie packed his bags and led her to the parking lot. Just then, Sabrina rushed over, pushing her suitcase.

"Kanya, it's hard to get a taxi here. Can you take me along?"

Billie shot her an annoyed glance.