Chapter 276
Chapter 276
+25 Bonus
Winter knelt on a large rock by the shore and let the last handful of ashes slip into the ocean.
“Mom. Dad. No one will ever use you to threaten me again p>
From now on, Chris had nothing left he could use against her.
She stayed there on her knees for a long time. Once the ashes were scattered into the water, there was nothing left to see. But that was okay. As long as she remembered them, her parents would always live on in her mind and in
her heart.
No one could ever take that away from her.
The weather had turned warmer that day, and with it being the weekend, the beach was crowded with people.
Winter looked at the lively scene around her. The last time she had been here was on New Year’s Eve, when Roy had brought her to release floating lanterns. It hadn’t even been ten days, but it felt like much longer.
Her phone buzzed in her bag. She took it out and glanced at the screen. She had just been thinking about Roy, and now he had texted her.
“You’re at the beach p>
That really was strange.
Winter froze for a moment and tightened her grip on her phone. She turned and looked around, but didn’t see a familiar face. Then a car horn sounded from across the road.
She got to her feet and finally spotted a black G-Wagon parked there.
Raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, she watched as the window rolled down. The man in the driver’s seat was dressed all in black, with a black baseball cap and a black face mask. Who else could it be but Roy?
He pushed open the door, tugged the cap lower, and started walking toward the beach with long, steady strides.
Winter hurried over to him, her face lighting up.
“Roy, what are you doing here p>
He took out his phone. A small section of his fingertips showed beneath his black gloves as he typed out two lines.
“I was nearby taking care of something. I saw someone who looked like you p>
“What a coincidence. Weren’t you away? When did you get back p>
Her eyes drifted to his slightly rumpled collar.
In her memory, Roy had always been cool and reserved, but also meticulous about his appearance. Every time she had seen him, he had looked neat and put together.
What had happened to make him rush so much that he hadn’t even straightened his clothes?
“Not long ago p>
He glanced toward the beach, then asked, “Do you want to take a walk p>
“Sure,” Winter said with a nod.
182
+25 Bonus
This was already the second time. Whenever she was feeling low, Roy seemed to appear out of nowhere and stay by her side. Something about this friendship made her feel safe.
The two of them walked along the sand with the soft sound of waves brushing the shore in their ears.
Winter pointed toward a spot not far away, where a large rock stood near the water.
“That’s where we released the floating lanterns last time. Do you remember p>
Roy followed the direction of her finger.
Then he drew his gaze back and looked at her instead. The sea breeze stirred her hair, and a few loose strands swept across her slightly reddened eyes.
His hand tightened faintly at his side.
When she looked back at him, he gave a nod.
He took out his phone and typed, “Why are you here by yourself p>
Winter’s eyes lingered on the screen for a moment. Then she gave a small, bitter smile.
“I’m taking care of a few things before I leave Liono City p>
It would still take some time to finish the resignation paperwork, and the divorce filing documents were almost ready. All she had to do was take an hour off work tomorrow and submit them at the courthouse.
Once those two major things were done, she could leave.
Under the brim of his cap, his dark brown eyes tightened slightly. So scattering the ashes really had been her way of cutting every last tie before leaving Liono City for good.
As they kept walking, Roy typed again.
“Do you mean the foreign correspondent posting in Eveland you mentioned before p>
Winter shook her head.
“I got taken off the list, so that’s not happening anymore. I’m planning to move somewhere new and start over p>
P
Comments
Support
Share
2/2
Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.