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Just what had Andrew done?
The immense pain and regret he felt gnawed at his heart, leaving him in such agony that he could barely breathe.
He rushed out the door with only one thought in mind–to find Emily.
Andrew began camping outside her studio and her new apartment.
The once proud and always composed owner of a business empire now walked around looking unkempt in a wrinkled suit and with stubble on his face. His bloodshot eyes were sunken and hollow, but they stared, unblinking, at every exit.
He stumbled forward, intercepting her path, his voice hoarse and broken as he spoke with feverish urgency. “Emmy… Emily! I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I was so wrong… I’ve found out about everything…”
His words tumbled out in a frenzy as he reached for Emily’s hand, but she deftly avoided him.
Andrew pressed on, saying, “I know it’s too late to say all of this… It’s all too much of a joke. I’m the fool. I’m the blind idiot. I stupidly trusted Lucy and did you wrong… You’re the one who saved me, but I…”
Emily listened quietly, her face unreadable, as though she was taking in a story that didn’t concern her.
It was only after he’d finished speaking, panting as he stared pleadingly at her, that she finally spoke, her voice ice–cold and her tone courteous but detached.
“Thanks for informing me of the truth, Andrew. It answered some of the questions I’ve always had.
#1
She paused there. There was no hatred or anger in her eyes, only a cold sense of acceptance and even a faint trace of pity.
“However, this doesn’t change anything,” she added firmly. “The fate of our relationship was sealed from the moment you kept casting me aside and hurting me for her sake. It’s a tragedy that your love and resentment were all the result of an outrageous misunderstanding.
“I don’t hate you anymore. It takes energy to hate someone, and I don’t want to waste any of mine on you. Nevertheless, I won’t ever love you either. Things between us ended for good long ago.”
Her words were a final judgment, cold and delivered with irrefutable clarity. It left no room for hope.
Each word was like an icicle piercing Andrew’s heart. It splintered the last of his hope and shattered it completely. He watched as she turned to leave resolutely, never once looking back.
He reached out in vain, grabbing nothing but the cold air around him.
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Ever since that day, Andrew entered a near self–destructive mode of “atonement“.
Ignoring the strong objections from Stone Group senior executives and the questioning from the board of directors, he insisted on putting Emily’s studio in charge of a major and highly profitable
project.
He even offered terms so favorable that it almost seemed like he was giving the studio free money, despite knowing that this would incur a huge loss for the company.
Mobilizing every means at his disposal, he quietly cleared obstacles that could hinder her career. He suppressed her competitors who tried to resort to underhanded business methods, smoothed things over for her at critical points, and delivered dream opportunities right up to her on a silver platter.
However, he strictly forbade anyone from revealing any of his involvement in these things. He even started acting like an obsessive guardian, sending people to discreetly watch over her safety
at all times.
Once, on her way home from work, Emily was nearly struck by a bicycle whose rider had lost control of it. Andrew, who’d been following her at a distance, reacted instantly. Almost like a
reflex, he rushed forward and shoved her aside.
He ended up getting knocked down by the bicycle, his blood gushing from his elbows and knees
that were scraped raw against the rough pavement.
Emily had been in shock. When she realized it was Andrew who saved her, a mix of emotions flashed through her eyes, but they swiftly turned still once more.
She came forward and asked in a polite but detached tone, “Are you alright, Mr. Stone? Shall I call
an ambulance?”
Fighting the pain, Andrew struggled to his feet before staring dazedly at Emily, mumbling, “I’m glad you’re alright…”
Frowning slightly, she said curtly, “Thank you for pushing me out of harm’s way just now, but you didn’t have to do that. We’re even now.”
Those last few words plunged Andrew into a bottomless abyss again. She would rather be hit by a bicycle than owe him any favors.
In her eyes, all his sacrifices and attempts at making it up to her were probably nothing more than an unnecessary gesture, or perhaps even a burden.
Andrew stood in place, watching her walk away without a hint of attachment. His wounds stung painfully, but it was nothing compared to the crushing despair in his heart.
His life devolved into one of complete silence and inactivity.
The villa had once been a symbol of power. It had witnessed all the ways he’d coldly hurt Emily. Now, it was akin to a luxurious mausoleum where his belated regret and unending loneliness were buried.
Andrew no longer sought Emily out or no longer appeared at any place she might be. He even
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deliberately avoided any business event where their paths might cross.
He became quiet and withdrawn. During company meetings, he would stare blankly out of the window for extended periods of time, making the senior executives hold their breath in restless
unease.
His once ruthless and decisive side was replaced by heavy weariness.
Only Tyler knew that Andrew wasn’t just spacing out. He was using an almost masochistic method of silently observing every detail of another person’s life through the most discreet of channels.
In the encrypted server of Andrew’s study, there was a folder that contained the meticulously organized publicly reported information about Emily, including her interviews and even every image regarding her products that had been released by her studio.
He watched as her designs won international awards again and again. He looked on as her name started appearing more frequently in top design journals.
Andrew witnessed how she dropped the humiliating label of being his ex–wife and gradually forged her own identity as the independent, respected designer, Emily Jamison.
