Chapter 21
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In stark contrast to the bright splendor of Perona, a chilly atmosphere seemed to shroud a secluded and highly luxurious wellness center in Sandrina all year round.
Andrew lived in a lakeside villa there. The place was breathtakingly beautiful, yet so empty it could make a person feel suffocated. Ever since leaving the Freye continent, he had been living here, year after year.
Others thought he was stepping away from the limelight after having achieved great success to enjoy the rest of his life. Only he knew that this was a form of self–imposed exile, one that would last indefinitely.
He had grown exceedingly reticent, sometimes going an entire day without uttering more than a couple of words. More and more gray hairs sprouted across his head, and the weary dullness in his eyes never faded.
Andrew would sit by the lake for hours, staring at the chilly water, his gaze vacant. It was impossible to tell what was on his mind.
He always had a finance magazine behind him. Now and then, Emily would grace the cover, with
the magazine featuring an interview with her. She always glowed with life.
He would stare at her photo, his fingertips subconsciously brushing over her face. His heart would clench in pain, as if it were being pounded with a mallet, leaving him scarcely able to breathe.
Regret had become a part of him, sinking deep into his bones and gnawing at him without respite.
Andrew had replayed everything countless times. If only he’d paid more attention to her or
discovered the truth earlier…
But there was no ifs in life.
He had wealth and power beyond imagination, but he felt like he had nothing.
Andrew had lost the only woman who had ever truly loved him and had even once saved his life. All he’d ever given her was immeasurable pain and humiliation.
The realization became a nightmare from which he could never escape.
From time to time, Ian would bring him news of Emily. He knew she was doing better and better for her life, and that she had someone even more suitable for her by her side.
Andrew knew he should be happy for Emily, but whenever he received news that confirmed just how happy she was–and how that happiness had nothing to do with him–the wave of jealousy and despair that washed over him would almost seem to drown him.
All he could do was punish himself by living in isolation.
He shut the world out, refusing all forms of human connection and entertainment. As if locked away on a deserted island, he kept himself caged in a prison that was the past.
He tried to numb himself through charity work, spending his fortune on building schools and
Chapter 21
hospitals in the poorest corners of the world.
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But in the stillness of the night, the overwhelming sense of emptiness and regret always returned. No matter how many people he saved, he’d lost the chance to redeem himself for good.
Perhaps he still had many years ahead of him, but he would continue to live this all–consuming shadow of his remorse, which had come too late and could serve no purpose.
Andrew had every material thing in life, but he’d lost the love of his life forever. He knew better than anyone that he’d brought this upon himself. When all the glory faded, what awaited him was nothing but endless solitude and repentance.
In two parts of the world, two people lead completely different lives.
Emily charged forward steadily, leaving the past behind her. The world was now her oyster. She was truly living as the main character of her own life, one that was filled with happiness and
satisfaction.
As for Andrew, he would forever be imprisoned in the past. He spent the rest of his life dwelling on the catastrophic mistakes he made and a loss that could never be undone. In spite of his
wealth and power, he experienced the most extreme of loneliness and regret.
Both had found their place in life, and both were living the results of their choices.
