Love is separated by mountains and seas, and long separation does not bring sorrow
Chapter 3
When Maria opened her eyes again, it was to the incessant vibration of her phone.
She blinked dazedly at her surroundings. Darkness had fallen, and she still lay on the floor, alone and forgotten.
A bitter smile touched her lips as she picked up her phone. On the screen was a post from Diane—a grid of nine photos showing William embracing her, both smiling with sweet, unguarded happiness.
*Another perfect day! Thank you, William, for the treats!*
So, while she’d been unconscious, William had spent the whole day with Diane.
They’d gone to the movies, shopped at the mall, visited an amusement park, even shared a kiss on a Ferris wheel and made a wish to be together forever.
Everything he was giving Diane now were promises he’d once made to her.
Back then, their love had been rejected by both families. William had run away from home for it, and the two of them had squeezed into a ten-square-meter basement apartment, dreaming about the future together. He’d promised her everything would work out.
But now, everything had changed.
Like a form of self-punishment, Maria scrolled through the photos again and again. A dull, heavy ache settled in her chest—a strange mix of sorrow and relief. He was finally moving on.
Lost in the bitterness, her vision blurred with tears.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She quickly wiped her eyes. “Hello?”
“Be extra vigilant these next few days. Oliver is making his move soon, likely within forty-eight hours. Signal detection puts him near your location, but he’s masking his source. Stay careful.”
Maria frowned. “Understood. I’ll be on guard.”
Scott hummed in acknowledgment. “I found the gravesite you asked about. While there’s still time, go see it tomorrow.” He couldn’t help adding, “You know, you still have a chance. And back then… it wasn’t your fault. Your brother-in-law betrayed your sister first. You have every right to seek justice. You—”
“That’s enough, Scott. Thank you. But the grudges of the last generation end with me.”
She didn’t want to discuss it further. “I’ll meet you at the cemetery tomorrow,” she said, then hung up.
William didn’t come home all night. Maria, for her part, was glad for the quiet and managed one of the few decent nights of sleep she’d had in a long time.
The next morning, she met Scott at the cemetery.
Seeing her sister’s headstone placed right beside her brother-in-law’s, Maria’s brow furrowed instantly. “What is this?”
How could her sister be buried next to that traitor?
Scott sighed. “It was your sister’s wish. She… forgave him. And it was also for William’s sake.”
Maria let out a cold laugh. “Hah! My sister was a fool.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than William’s furious voice rang out from nearby. “Maria! How dare you show your face here?!”
Before she could react, she was shoved roughly aside. Then, a kick sent her crashing to her knees on the hard ground.
Scott stepped forward, alarmed. “What are you doing?!”
William’s eyes held nothing but murderous intent. “Stay out of this if you want to live.”
Scott started to protest, but Maria, still on the ground, stopped him with a sharp look.
Seeing their silent exchange, William’s anger flared even hotter. “Maria, you bring your lover to my parents’ grave just to insult my mother?! Have you no shame?! Apologize to my parents!”
He forced her head down, pressing her forehead toward the earth.
Maria’s eyes burned red. “Apologize for what?”
His father had killed her sister! He’d betrayed both their families! She would never apologize.
The defiant anger in her eyes only enraged him further. He turned and ordered his bodyguard, “Make her kowtow. Make her apologize to my parents.”
Leaning down, his voice dropped to a low, venomous threat. “If you don’t apologize today, you’ll kowtow until you die.”
On his command, the bodyguard grabbed her hair and slammed her forehead against the ground—over and over, a dozen brutal impacts, until Maria’s face was a mask of blood and William finally ordered him to stop.
The sight of her battered state sent a sharp pang through William’s chest. His hands trembled uncontrollably, a sour ache twisting inside him.
He fought it down, grabbing the front of Maria’s shirt and hauling her up. “Stay away from my parents’ grave from now on!”
Maria stared directly into his tormented eyes and laughed, a raw, pained sound. “She was my sister. What’s wrong with me visiting? And I’m your elder. Show some respect!”
William shoved her away violently. “My elder? An elder who killed my father and indirectly caused my mother’s death?!”
He stood up, looking down at her with cold contempt. “Fine. Since you’re my elder, you can do me a favor.”
Without another word, ignoring her fresh wounds and disheveled state, he dragged her to his car. He drove at breakneck speed to a private, high-end custom atelier in the suburbs.
Shoving her inside, he gave her a twisted, humorless smile. “Auntie, help your nephew pick out a wedding suit. Since you took my parents’ lives, it’s only right you take over their duties, isn’t it?”
Maria, her wounds barely bandaged, winced from the shove and the throbbing in her head.
When she opened her eyes and looked around, her breath caught.
Every single gown in the studio… was a design she had once sketched for herself and William.
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