When Love Is Shrouded in Fog

Marilyn Hale was overjoyed to hear that her daughter, who had been away for three years, was finally willing to return home.

"That's wonderful! It's about time for you to take over the family business.

"Oh, and the other day you mentioned wanting to introduce someone to me and your dad. It must be your boyfriend, right? Will he be coming back with you this time?"

When Alyssa first learned that Justin's company was about to go public, she had decided to tell him about her true identity on the day of the listing and then introduce him to her parents.

But now…

Alyssa's hand tightened around the phone as she struggled to hold back the overwhelming emotions.

"I have no boyfriend. It was a misunderstanding."

The voice on the other end paused, but ultimately, Marilyn didn't ask anything further. She only sighed and said, "Alright, then. The company will be holding a local press conference in five days. Aly, you'll attend it as the company representative before coming back to Albion.

"It'll be the perfect time to announce your status as heiress to the public."

Alyssa hummed in agreement. She chatted a bit more with Marilyn before hanging up.

Just then, someone happened to push the private room door open. When they saw Alyssa, they asked in surprise, "Alyssa, when did you get here?"

Instantly, the noisy clamor in the room quieted down.

Alyssa could very clearly feel a burning and somewhat nervous gaze lock onto her. She pursed her lips and swallowed down the bitterness that filled her chest.

She tried her best to make her voice sound no different from usual as she said, "I just arrived."

Inside the room, Justin quietly let out a sigh of relief. He smiled at her and said, "Come on in. This celebratory banquet wouldn't be complete without you."

His words prompted friends to chime in.

"That's right! If it weren't for Alyssa staying by Justin's side all this time, the new company probably wouldn't have gone public this fast."

"Alyssa can help Justin secure contracts and also take care of his daily needs. We're all really envious."

"You'd better treat her well, dude."

These were Justin's good friends who helped him establish the new company. They had all witnessed how Alyssa had firmly stayed by his side over the last three years.

Alyssa understood they were trying to persuade Justin to give up on Claudia, who had once abandoned him.

Justin didn't respond at that moment. He simply picked up a glass from the table and took a sip.

Of course, Alyssa noticed his evasive attitude. Her lips twitched faintly as she sat down.

She played dumb, saying, "Congratulations."

When he heard that, Justin turned to look at her with a gentle expression. It was as if the person who had uttered those heartless words earlier was someone else altogether.

"Alyssa, thank you for staying by my side for the past three years. Without you, I—"

Midway, he was abruptly interrupted by a woman's voice at the entrance of the private room.

"Justin, I'm back…"

Claudia's eyes were slightly red-rimmed as she stared at the man sitting in the center.

Justin's hand that was holding the glass tightened abruptly, and his knuckles turned white. His expression instantly turned icy as he enunciated each word slowly.

"Claudia Reed, how dare you show your face in front of me?"

Seeing his chilly demeanor, Alyssa lowered her eyes and sneered internally. If she hadn't personally heard him admit that he couldn't let go of Claudia, she might have been fooled by this icy attitude.

Claudia bit her lower lip, looking like she was on the verge of a breakdown. "I… I know you resent me for leaving you back then, but I…"

Halfway through her sentence, she stopped and didn't continue. Instead, her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she said, "I heard your company went public, so I wanted to congratulate you in person.

"I've said my congratulations, and I know I'll only be a bother here, so I'll leave now."

After speaking, she cast a sorrowful look at the expressionless Justin before covering her face and leaving.

At that moment, the private room was eerily quiet, with everyone focusing their gaze on Justin.

A long while later, he finally let out a light laugh and set down his glass. "Why are you all looking at me? Today is a celebratory banquet. Don't let an irrelevant person ruin the mood. Let's continue."

Only then did the others become lively again.

For the rest of the celebration, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning Claudia, acting as if she had never shown up.

Only Alyssa noticed that even though Justin smiled and celebrated with his friends on the surface, he kept secretly glancing toward the door.

She withdrew her gaze and self-mockingly downed the drink in her glass.

After the celebratory banquet ended, everyone bid farewell to each other.

Alyssa and Justin walked side by side toward the parking garage.

A cold, sharp gust of wind blew by, and she instinctively held herself.

The next moment, a warm coat fell over her shoulders.

"The weather has gotten cold. Remember to keep yourself warm." Justin's voice was gentle as he thoughtfully fastened the buttons for her.

While staring blankly at the man in front of her, who was meticulously buttoning the coat, Alyssa suddenly recalled that it was also a cold winter when she first came to Justin three years ago.

That was when he was at his poorest.

The two of them had huddled in a basement that had no heating and could only keep warm by snuggling close to each other.

Whenever he noticed that her hands and feet were still cold, he repeatedly got up in the middle of the night. Each time, he would refill the hot water bottle before tucking it into her arms.

As the heiress to a wealthy tycoon family, Alyssa had never experienced such harsh living conditions. Yet, on that freezing winter night, she could feel the fiery heart in her chest thumping fiercely.

The scene before her instantly pulled her back to that winter night. Suddenly, she felt an urge to hear his answer to her question, even though she already knew what he would say.

"Justin, will you marry me?"