As Victoria closed her umbrella, the edge brushed against Edmund’s chest, a light graze that felt heavier than it should have.

Rain had already soaked through the thin fabric of his shirt, leaving faint, damp patches scattered across his chest.

Flustered, Victoria stumbled over her apology, but her words faltered when she caught Edmund’s gaze; his eyes, damp but piercing, held a quiet intensity.

His thick lashes framed those strikingly clear eyes; their corners tinged with a faint redness from the sting of the rain.

"It’s fine. I was walking too fast," he said, his voice low, yet it resonated within her, stirring something deep.

Falling for him had felt effortless, as though it had always been meant to happen.

Victoria memorized the name on the cover of his textbook, traced his school and class and eventually learned about the ex-girlfriend he’d broken up with when she went abroad.

But none of that diminished her enthusiasm, not even for a moment.

She had always loved with all her heart and hated with equal clarity.

Over time, Edmund had unknowingly grown accustomed to having her in his life.

They ate together, sat side by side in every class, celebrated every holiday and gradually embraced each other in every sense.

That night, Edmund kissed every inch of her skin as though he was trying to merge her into his very soul.

Again and again, he whispered her name, "Victoria, Victoria..."

"Promise me, you’ll never leave me!"

At that moment, Victoria truly believed that they would be together forever.

Now, as she fed their photographs into the shredder one by one, her heartfelt surprisingly steady.

The matching couple figurines on the desk, alongside the bouquet of blue roses, were swept into the trash without a second thought.

On the bedside table sat the stuffed bear, a prize from last Christmas.

They had been shopping that day when they stumbled upon a couple’s three-legged race in the mall.

Out of thirty-six pairs, they had taken first place.

A couple in the next lane tripped in the race, crashing directly into Victoria’s right shoulder. Almost instinctively, Edmund had pulled her into his arms, shielding her from the impact.

As they finally received the prize, Victoria’s gaze fell on Edmund’s pale face and she noticed the fine droplets of sweat gathering on his forehead.

When she pulled up his sleeve, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of his entire right arm bruised, dark and swollen.

Panic surged through her, but Edmund’s uninjured hand gently pat her head, his voice calm as ever.

"Protecting you is my duty."

The stuffed bear, large enough to fill an entire seat, was something Victoria had intended to toss right into the trash.

But just as she descended the stairs, a small child peeked out from behind the fence.

"Sister, are you throwing the bear away?" the child asked with a hesitant voice.

Victoria couldn’t help but nod, seeing the spark of hope that appeared in the child’s eyes.

"Do you want it?" she offered.

And just like that, the stuffed bear was spared from the trash, now the child’s new companion. At least it wouldn’t go to waste.

After getting rid of the last remnants, Victoria spotted Edmund approaching.

He must have just dropped Isabella off at her dorm, considering the timing.

"What did you throw away?" Edmund asked, his tone curious and a little wary.

"Just some useless things," Victoria replied casually, her voice light as she turned away, not looking back.

Fortunately, Edmund didn’t push her further. Instead, he shifted the topic to their earlier encounter.

"I really did have something urgent to deal with at school. As for Isabella, we just happened to cross paths on the way back."

"So, don’t overthink it. I really..."

"I know," Victoria cut him off with ease, her tone flat and composed.

"You two are friends, right? Friends help each other out. There’s really nothing for me to overthink."

It was odd, though.

By all logic, Victoria should have been furious.

She should have demanded answers; why was he always with Isabella? Why were their lunch plans tossed aside every time Isabella appeared? What was going on between them and what did she even mean to him?

But instead, she said nothing.

But now, Victoria didn’t ask any more questions. Instead, she seemed to find excuses for him, as if smoothing over the air between them.

So why did Edmund feel no sense of relief, like he had just narrowly escaped a trap?

He stood there, lost in thought, his gaze distant, until Victoria sighed softly and walked over, patting him on the shoulder.

"What’s going on? Don’t tell me the buffalo wings left you all confused?"

"You didn’t finish the noodles at lunch. Are you planning to make up for it tonight?"

Victoria’s smile was effortless, her voice light and teasing, the brightness of her presence filling the space.

For a moment, Edmund almost believed that nothing had changed.

In the past, Victoria adored the noodles he made.

But today, for some reason, whether his cooking had lost its touch or some other reason, she only ate half before setting her spoon and fork down.

"Why aren’t you eating?" he asked, unable to ignore the strange feeling in the air.

"Probably because I had lunch too late," she replied, her tone casual. "I’m just not that hungry yet."

She’d savored the soup he made in the past, but that had been because she loved him. Now that her heart had shifted, even the soup felt lackluster.

When the memory of lunch crossed his mind, his conscience heavy, Edmund didn’t push the matter. Instead, he silently went to the kitchen, washing the dishes in quiet reflection.

As he moved through the apartment, from the kitchen to the living room, Edmund didn’t seem to notice anything was missing. Perhaps his guilt had clouded his awareness, or maybe he simply didn’t care enough to look.

Fresh from her shower, Victoria twisted her damp hair into a loose bun with a pencil. Her face, free of makeup, glowed softly under the gentle warmth of the yellow light.

Suddenly, Edmund couldn’t help but recall the rainy day when they first met. He stepped closer, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist.

Her scent filled the air for a brief second, familiar and comforting. In the past, whenever he did this, Victoria would smile at him, sometimes even turning to kiss him with the same warmth she always had.

But tonight, she didn’t turn around.

A sharp unease struck Edmund.

"Victoria?"

Victoria didn’t respond. Instead, she gently brushed his hand away from her waist.

"I need to finish this report tonight. You should rest," she said, her voice steady, though there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes.

"I’ve already explained everything to you," Edmund said, his voice darkening with frustration. "Do you really have to act like this?"

The steady rhythm of keys tapping filled the room as Victoria glanced up at him, her gaze tinged with helplessness.

"I really need to finish this report," she replied, her tone cool and composed. "If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing more I can say."

That night, Edmund, simmering with anger, retreated to the guest room. He didn’t notice the missing stuffed bear nor the emptiness that lingered.

The next day, Victoria sat at her desk, scrolling through websites, searching for gear for her upcoming trip to Antarctica.

Though her academic record was impeccable, she had little experience with fieldwork. The idea of working in Antarctica, so vast, so unforgiving, was still just a concept to her, something learned from textbooks, not lived.

She spent the entire afternoon scrolling through endless pages but made little headway.

Then, a notification popped up, a friend request.

The name on the screen immediately caught Victoria’s attention. It was from a senior who was also going on the expedition.

When she had submitted her application the day before, her advisor had mentioned him and urged her to add him. But between running into Edmund and Isabella, she had completely forgotten about it.

Without hesitation, she accepted the request. Almost instantly, the senior sent her a detailed list of essentials for the trip to Antarctica as if he had known what she needed.

Relieved to have found someone who could help, Victoria quickly sent her thanks.

Clearly busy senior replied with a simple “No problem” before falling silent.

Victoria didn’t mind. She followed the list closely and quickly ordered everything she needed, her heart light with the knowledge that the preparations were finally coming together.

After hours of working, Victoria was just about to take a well-earned break when her phone buzzed. It was a call from Edmund.

“Come out. I’ll take you to dinner,” he said.

Victoria, almost instinctively, began to decline.

“No need, I can—”

Before she could finish, Edmund interrupted, his tone resolute.

“I’m downstairs waiting for you.”

With that, he hung up.

Victoria’s mind raced back to that morning; his expression had been all tight lines and frustration. She knew him well enough to recognize that he’d be up here in a flash, ready to drag her out if she refused again.

There weren’t many meals left between them anyway. With that thought, she sighed, quickly freshened up and headed downstairs.

The weather wasn’t cooperating, with a light drizzle falling through a thick mist, creating a soft blur of the world outside.

Throughout the drive, Edmund wore a solemn expression as though a storm of words was brewing inside him, but he was hesitant to be the one to speak first.

Victoria pretended not to notice, her eyes fixed ahead.

It wasn’t until they halted at a red light that Edmund finally broke the silence.

“About yesterday, I was wrong—”

But before he could finish, his phone rang.

The Bluetooth amplified Isabella’s frantic voice. “Edmund! Come save me!”

Edmund’s expression hardened in an instant, his eyes sharp with urgency. Without a second thought, he swerved into the next lane and floored the gas pedal, sending the car racing in the opposite direction.

The sudden lurch threw Victoria back into her seat, her breath catching in her throat.

“Edmund, do you even realize what you’re doing right now?” she demanded, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Thankfully, there were no cars behind them, or the consequences could’ve been catastrophic.

“Victoria, stop being unreasonable! Didn’t you hear Isabella? She’s in danger! Do you have any empathy at all?” Edmund snapped, his frustration boiling over.

Victoria’s eyes flickered to the phone screen, where Isabella’s desperate messages flashed in frantic succession.

[Edmund, hurry!]

[Edmund, I’m so scared!]

[Edmund, where are you?]

Victoria’s grip on the safety handle tightened, her knuckles turning white. She said nothing, her silence speaking volumes as she watched the roads blur before her.

With each passing second, Edmund pushed the car faster, the speedometer needle climbing past 150 kilometers per hour.

The world outside spun into a smear of colors, trees and guardrails, becoming little more than streaks as they raced toward the outskirts. The wind howled, a haunting sound that blended with the roar of the car’s engine.

Victoria wasn’t typically prone to motion sickness, but the breakneck speed rattled her. Her body trembled and her lips lost all color.

Had she eaten, she might have been sick, but her stomach remained a knot of unease at that moment.

Oblivious to Victoria’s mounting concerns, Edmund was solely focused on confirming Isabella’s location. His hands gripped the wheel tighter as the phone crackled with Isabella’s excited voice.

“Edmund! Edmund, I see you! I’m in the car right in front of you; come save me!”

Edmund’s tone remained calm, though the tension in his voice betrayed his anxiety.

“Isabella, don’t worry. I’ll save you, I promise!”

But the car ahead of them didn’t slow. In fact, it accelerated its taillights a blur as it rushed into the distance.

Isabella’s frantic voice crackled over the phone again, this time breaking into sobs.

“Edmund, just following him like this won’t work! You need to cut in front of him!”

The call ended abruptly, leaving a silence thick with tension.

Victoria’s mind cleared instantly. She shook off the nausea threatening to overwhelm her and tried to reason with him, her voice strained with urgency. “Edmund, this is a mountain road! You’re going over 100 kilometers per hour! Cutting in front of him like this, it's suicide!”

But Edmund seemed deaf to her words. Without hesitation, he slammed his foot down on the accelerator.

The sudden force pressed Victoria back into her seat, her head snapping backward, a sharp pain shooting through her neck. Dizzy and disoriented, she struggled to keep her thoughts together.

“All you’re doing is throwing your life away!” she cried out, her voice rising in desperation.

Trying to make him see reason, she continued, her words tumbling out in a rush.

“That car in front is worth at least three million. No kidnapper would drive something like that! The driver knows Isabella! She’s probably not even in danger; stop risking your life for nothing!”