Liam and I were orphans, bound by fate. The year he loved me most, he signed a contract, becoming the personal bodyguard to a socialite heiress from a prominent family. Through gunfire and firestorms, Liam would do anything, just to earn enough money for my schooling. We had once promised that on my eighteenth birthday, we would go to Switzerland together to see the snow. But that day, he went to Switzerland, and he saw the snow, but not with me. In the photo, he was embracing the heiress, Aurora Hayes, kissing her passionately in the snow. My heart chilled inch by agonizing inch. Yet, I couldn’t give up, still asking, “Liam, will you leave all this with me and start over?” He shook his head decisively. “Aurora is far too innocent compared to you. Her nature… how could she manage without me watching over her?” He added, “Just give it a few more years.” I said no more, quietly watching the messages pop up on my phone. A highly alluring photo of a chiseled torso. [Sister, when are you coming over? Your puppy misses you so much.] Liam didn’t know. I wouldn’t wait for him anymore. Because someone else was far more deserving of my love. … Seeing my prolonged silence, Liam assumed I was simply dejected by his rejection. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face, and he was about to speak. From the room behind him, a chiding voice suddenly rang out. “Liam! Are you done yet? If you don’t come in now, you can forget about sleeping in bed tonight; you’ll be on the floor!” I abruptly looked up at Liam. “You two are sleeping together now?” “Aurora was kidnapped once. She’s afraid of the dark, so I need to stay with her to keep her calm.” His tone was matter-of-fact, as if this were the most ordinary, trivial thing. “Wendy, I’m sorry. Just wait a few more years for me. Aurora truly can’t do without me right now.” With that, he turned and entered the room, as if fearing the girl inside would wait a second longer. I remained rooted to the spot, a bitter laugh escaping me. So, Liam had already crossed the line and changed his heart during his daily interactions with Aurora Hayes. I looked down again; my phone screen was now filled with the torso photo Chase Miller had just sent, accompanied by a barrage of messages. [I’ve waited so long for you.] [Sister, do you really not miss me at all? But your puppy misses you so much.] I felt a little flustered by his relentless messages, but ultimately, I couldn’t resist. The moment I pushed open my apartment door, a fluffy head immediately nuzzled into my embrace. “I’ve been waiting forever.” Chase was wearing a black hoodie, his curly golden hair falling over his forehead as he crouched, looking up at me. “If you came any later, I’d turn into a pillar of stone, gazing for my wife.” He truly had the mannerisms of a puppy. I casually ruffled his golden hair. “I was busy just now, couldn’t leave.” Chase pouted in dissatisfaction. “Busy with what? You must have gone to see that Thorne guy again. Are you still thinking about him? I’m telling you, everyone in the City knows he’s a disloyal bodyguard, even daring to get involved with his employer’s daughter. Don’t let him fool you; he’s just a dirty, rotten…” “Chase Miller,” I cut him off. “I know what I’m doing, and it’s none of your business.” Chase’s eyes instantly widened, looking at me with a watery gaze. He looked hurt and pitiful. I really couldn’t bear it, and wanted to gently persuade him not to meddle in these things, that I could handle them myself. But before I could utter a word, Chase’s eyes already welled up. He suddenly raised his voice, a thick sob in his tone. “You’re yelling at me? You’re yelling at me because of that Liam Thorne!” The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly stepped forward, forcefully pinning me against the wall. Before I could react, warm lips pressed against my neck. First, soft kisses, which quickly turned into possessive nips and bites. Chase buried his face in my neck, his voice muffled. “You’re not allowed to like anyone else, Wendy Reed. You can only be mine.” His sudden, uncontrolled action made me furious. I pushed him away with all my might. “Chase Miller, you’re not thinking clearly right now. You need to calm down.” With that, I didn’t look at him again, opened the door, and quickly left. Chase was right about one thing: I couldn’t let go of Liam that quickly. Fifteen years of feelings—how could I just forget them? But Liam seemed to forget very quickly. I realized I had left some documents at the Hayes residence, and when I arrived, I was met with a scene of pure debauchery. “Oh, Liam… gently…” Ambiguous gasps and moans drifted from the living room. Aurora Hayes was sprawled half-naked on the leather sofa, her silk nightgown disheveled, pushed down to her waist. Liam was kneeling at her feet, two buttons of his shirt undone, his collarbone covered in lipstick marks. Aurora held a lady’s cigarette, deliberately grinding her foot against his shoulder. “Liam, keep going.” My steps faltered at the entrance, my gaze fixed on the man kneeling on the floor. In my memory, Liam was not easily swayed. Even when bullied by older kids in the orphanage, he wouldn’t lower his head or beg for mercy. If he didn’t want to do something, no one could force him. But now, that iron-willed boy was kneeling obediently, letting Aurora Hayes toy with him. Liam’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was hoarse with desire. “Aurora, let’s go to the bedroom. There are cameras in the living room.” “Cameras?” Aurora chuckled softly. “Liam, have you forgotten? Is there any spot in this villa that doesn’t bear the traces of our lovemaking? The desk in the study, the hallway on the second floor, even the gazebo in the garden… My dad had the cameras removed ages ago. Who would dare to say anything?” Liam lowered his eyes, silently acknowledging her words, and continued his actions beneath her. Aurora still seemed to want more, raising a hand to cup his chin. “Liam, tell me, who’s better, me or Wendy Reed?” Liam’s voice was husky, tinged with a dazed passion. “Of course, you are, Aurora. You’re the best.” “What makes me better?” Aurora persisted, her fingertip tracing his cheek. “You’re gentle, cheerful, unlike her…” Liam paused. “Unlike her, who’s so much trouble, always distracting me.” Aurora smiled, satisfied. “Since you know, then just ditch that baggage already. A girl from an orphanage like her isn’t good enough for you.” Liam said nothing, just nodded slightly. Just then, Aurora suddenly looked up, her gaze sweeping towards my direction. The moment our eyes met, I saw the triumph and provocation in hers. She didn’t expose my presence, and I had no desire for a hysterical confrontation. I didn’t linger, gently closing the door, shutting out the sordid scene. I pulled my coat tighter as I walked through the streets of the City, and a cold drop suddenly landed on my nose. Looking up, I froze. Snow was falling in this city, which was perennially warm and humid. My fingertip caught a snowflake, watching it instantly melt into water. In a daze, my memory was pulled back to the orphanage years ago. Liam and I were both outcasts there. Because we were naturally quiet, we were often cornered and bullied by the older kids. He was half a head taller than me, and he would always shield me behind him. During those dark, sunless days, we were each other’s only light. Later, Liam was the one who pulled me out of that cage. We were penniless, wandering the streets of the City. When hungry, we picked up discarded bread; when cold, we huddled under a bridge for warmth. Back then, he stroked my head and said, “Wendy, one day I’ll make sure you have a good life.” I believed him. Until that day, we stumbled upon Aurora Hayes, the heiress of the powerful Hayes family, cornered in a dark alley by her family’s enemies. Liam, without a moment’s hesitation, grabbed a wooden stick from the ground and charged in. In the chaos, his arm was deeply cut, revealing bone, yet he stubbornly protected the young woman, who remained completely unharmed. Later, he came to me with a contract of servitude, his eyes holding a depth I couldn’t understand. He said the Hayes family would fund my education until I turned eighteen. But the condition was that he had to become Aurora Hayes’s personal bodyguard, never leaving her side. We agreed that on my eighteenth birthday, we would go to Switzerland together to see the snow. But he became increasingly busy. On my birthday, Liam told me on the phone that he had urgent business, then quickly hung up. I consoled myself, telling myself he was merely constrained by circumstances. But the photo I received on my phone told the whole story. In the snow in Switzerland, Liam, wearing a black coat, bent his head slightly to kiss the person in his arms. Aurora Hayes leaned against him, her eyes curving into a joyous smile. The snow fell heavier, landing on my face, icy and biting. I stumbled into a warm chest, carrying a faint scent of cedar. Chase Miller held a black umbrella, leaning down to brush the snowflakes from my hair. He frowned slightly, complaining with a touch of resentment. “You just left me without a word and ran off. And now you’re standing here alone in the snow. If you catch a cold, what will you do?” He rambled on, taking a hand warmer and tucking it into my palm, then unwound his scarf and wrapped it around my neck. I gazed at his constantly moving lips, and the frozen stiffness in my chest surprisingly began to thaw with a hint of warmth. Actually, Chase and I met entirely because of Liam. That year, Liam had already become Aurora Hayes’s personal bodyguard, and I constantly saw new bruises and scars on him. There was even one time I saw him shielding Aurora from drinks, being cursed at by a Hayes family relative, yet he could only lower his head and remain silent. I watched Liam trapped in the Hayes family’s gilded cage, doing dangerous, life-risking work, and my heart ached as if pricked by needles. Unable to bear his suffering, I scoured job listings and, relying on my mathematical talent, knocked on the doors of the Miller Group. The person who interviewed me was Chase Miller. He was the young heir of the Miller family, but without a trace of the typical arrogance. Looking at the proposal I handed him, his eyes lit up, and he slapped the table, saying, “Your mind, it’s a waste not to be in actuarial science.” Just like that, I became the Miller Group’s youngest actuary. Relying on those dense numbers and formulas, I saved a substantial amount of money. I had planned to tell Liam this surprise on my eighteenth birthday, when we would be watching the snow in Switzerland together. I would tell him that he no longer had to risk his life for the Hayes family, no longer had to be covered in scars—I could support both of us now. But what I got instead was him, with someone else, watching a snowfall I had dreamed of for years. “What are you staring at?” Chase’s voice pulled me back to reality. He reached out and squeezed my cheek. “Your face is all frozen white. Come on, I’ll take you for some hot noodle soup.” The umbrella tilted, shielding me from the swirling snow. The noodle soup was steaming, and Chase added a spoonful of chili oil to my bowl. “Oh, right, about studying abroad… have you thought about it? If you agree, you can’t back out.” My hand, holding the chopsticks, paused. It was then I remembered that study abroad application was still at the Hayes residence. After witnessing that scene just now, I hadn’t even thought to retrieve it. After a moment of hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed Liam’s number. “I left some documents at the Hayes residence. When is a good time for me to come and get them?” The moment I finished speaking, Chase suddenly leaned in close. His voice was low, but just loud enough for the person on the other end to hear: “Sister, eat more, otherwise you won’t have any energy tonight.” With that, he picked up a spare rib and placed it in my bowl. The breathing on the other end of the phone clearly hitched. After a few seconds of silence, Liam’s voice cooled. “Send me the address. I’ll bring them over.” I was taken aback, then quickly refused. “No need. The snow is falling so heavily outside, I…” He cut me off, repeating, “Send me the address.” I sighed helplessly and sent him my location. When Liam arrived, I was chastising Chase for his earlier behavior. “Wendy.” Liam stood outside the glass door, the hem of his black coat lifted by the wind. His gaze fell directly on my shoulder, pressed against Chase’s, and his face darkened. Chase, following my gaze, turned around, a smirk playing on his lips, an ambiguous smile. Liam didn’t look at Chase. He pushed the door open and walked straight to me, grabbing my wrist. “Come outside with me.” I stumbled, following his pace. He didn’t release my hand until we reached the street corner outside the restaurant. He handed me the sealed documents. I took them. He stared at me, complex emotions swirling in his eyes. “Is Chase Miller pursuing you?” The air instantly thickened. I fell silent. Liam’s frown deepened. “Stay away from him. A rich playboy like Chase Miller never lacks women throwing themselves at him. He’s just playing with you; how could he be serious?” His voice was urgent. “Wendy, just wait a little longer for me. I can’t get out of the Hayes family’s grasp that quickly.” “How long is ‘a little longer’?” My long-suppressed emotions finally erupted. “Is it one year? Two years? Or a lifetime? Liam, are you truly unable to leave, or are you just unwilling to leave?” I looked into his eyes, asking each word distinctly. “Just give me a straight answer. If you don’t love me anymore, then let’s part amicably and stop wasting each other’s time.” Liam’s face instantly turned grim. He clenched his fists. “I haven’t stopped loving you, don’t overthink it! I just need time.” Just then, Liam’s phone in his pocket suddenly rang. The screen displayed the name “Aurora.” His expression subtly changed. He glanced at me. “I need to take this call. I’ll talk to you later.” Without waiting for my response, he quickly walked to the side and answered. “Hello, Aurora… stomach ache acting up? I’ll be right there, don’t move.” He didn’t even look at me again, turning and rushing away. I stood rooted, looking at the documents in my hand, a cold smirk on my lips. If only Liam had paid a little more attention to me, he would have realized these were study abroad application forms.
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