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In the hotel''s rear garden, Justin stumbled to a halt by the pond, gasping for air as though drowning. For a long time, he could not steady himself.
His body trembled as he bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, and squeezed it tightly. The biting cold seeped into his skin but did nothing to relieve the throbbing pain in his temples. His eyes turned scarlet as he shoved the snow into his mouth, swallowing it all.
No matter what he did, he could not suppress it. He needed his medication.
"Young Master Justin? Why are you here?" rice''s surprised voice came from behind him.
Justin''s breath hitched as he clenched the snow in his hand. Veins bulged along his knuckles as he straightened his back and turned to face her.
"Just getting some air," Justin said hoarsely.
rice observed him closely, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Young Master Justin, you look unwell. Are you feeling alright?"
"It''s nothing." A bead of sweat slipped quietly down his handsome face.
"Young Master Justin, if you run out of medication, you must let me know right away." Her gaze grew colder as she closed the distance between them. "You need to take it on time and in the right amount, or how else will your condition improve? Over time..."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.
Justin closed his bloodshot eyes and cut her off sharply. "I''m much better now. I don''t need it at the moment."
A dark glint flickered in rice''s eyes before she reced it with a warm smile, gently patting his shoulder.
Justin frowned and turned away.
Their faces were only inches apart. rice looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes, so close that the mist from her breath touched his clean-shaven chin.
This scene, which seemed so intimate, was witnessed by Be, who had arrived there unintentionally. Her heart skipped painfully as she quickly ducked behind a rock formation, hiding herself. Yet, unable to resist, she peered through a gap between the stones, watching the pair as snow fell around them like a romantic painting.
She saw rice smile sweetly, almost like a girl experiencing her first love.
Reaching into the pocket of her ivory coat, rice pulled out a small, elegantly wrapped gift box and held it out to Justin.
"Mr. Justin, tomorrow is your birthday. I wish you a happy birthday in advance. It''s just a little gift-please ept it."
Justin lowered his longshes, his voice detached. "I don''t celebrate
my birthday."
"We''ve known each other for a while. It''s nothing extravagant. Can''t you indulge me?" rice blinked herrge eyes innocently, a hint of hurt in them. "I''ve already bought it. There''s no reason for me to take it back. If you don''t want it, throw it away outside, but don''t return it to me."
She pushed the box almost forcefully into his arms.
Justin''s starry eyes flickered.
At that moment, her gestures bore a resemnce to Be''s.
Back when they were together, that woman was always pouting. Yet no matter how she acted out, he indulged her and spoiled her.
He supposed he must have loved her deeply to do that.
But why could he no longer love her? Why had that passion, that undeniable need for her, fade beyond reach?
"Thank you." Justin epted the gift, opening it right there to find a delicate tie clip inside. From afar, Be watched their interaction, her eyes brimming with tears.
She took a shuddering breath, feeling as if the cold of the world had seeped into her lungs,yer byyer, freezing her heart. Waves of pain hammered at her soul, carving endless cracks that left her teetering on the verge of copse.
She was close to shattering.
"Mr. Justin, do you like it?" rice tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze soft and alluring as her toe traced small circles in the snow.
Though she no longer wore her hair long, some habits unconsciously resurfaced.
In her sorrow, Be''s gaze locked onto rice, and her heart skipped a beat.
Something about the woman''s mannerisms gave Be an inexplicable feeling, something unnervingly familiar.
She barely knew rice. They were practically strangers. But Be could not shake off the eerie sense that she had seen this woman before.