Evelyn’s eyes reddened. Her arms hung by her sides, fingers clenched so tightly her nails dug painfully into her skin. She knew Jason didn’t love her, but she hadn’t fully grasped the depths of his coldness.

Not long ago, there had been a story online about a sanitation worker who sold his only home and even his blood on the black market just to afford treatment for his wife’s kidney disease. Evelyn, on the other hand, had a nodule that had only grown half a centimeter and wasn’t yet confirmed to be benign or malignant. Yet Jason couldn’t wait to shove her out of his life.

“No need to go to Capital City. I’ll make an appointment here in Riverton; a biopsy will be quicker.” She forced back the tears that threatened to spill, holding herself together on the edge of breaking.

Jason grabbed her chin, his gaze slicing through her like an X-ray. “In such a rush to be free, aren’t you?”

“Isn’t that Mr. Stark’s own wish?” She bit down on her lip, the faint taste of blood spreading in her mouth. The sharp pain made even breathing feel laborious.

Jason’s expression darkened as he pinned her to the wall, his voice dripping with venom. “After three years in my bed, you think Johnson would still want you?”

His words tore open the most humiliating memories she’d buried, painfully raw.

“Avoiding my gaze, huh? Feeling guilty? You’ve been dreaming of cheating every second of these three years!”

“Still hung up on Johnson after he fooled you three years ago… You’re pathetic!”

No matter how he lashed out, she remained silent—her heart had long turned to ashes.

Jason’s lips trailed from her earlobe down her cheek, finally capturing her colorless mouth. His warm, rapid breath clouded her senses, and after three years, she knew exactly what he wanted. In the past, she would have either leaned into him or let him have his way.

But this time, her face was cold as she pulled his hand from her waist and retreated to the master bedroom alone.

Jason’s arms were left empty, and he quickly sobered, his desires fading as he passed the closed door to the master bedroom without so much as a glance. He locked himself in his study, settled into the chair by the window, and closed his eyes.

After a long pause, he unlocked his safe and pulled out three identical, exquisitely crafted boxes, each no larger than his palm, made of custom green sandalwood and engraved with a pattern of clouds—an emblem of luck.

He lined them up on his desk. Each box bore a date on its back: one from two years ago, one from last year, and the one he’d just received yesterday. The last two digits were identical: 12 and 06. December 6—Evelyn’s birthday.

Tomorrow.

Inside each of the delicate boxes lay a lustrous Australian white pearl, just the size of a fingertip—each one of exceptional quality, not the sort of gift one would come by easily. Every year, two days before Evelyn’s birthday, Jason would receive a mysterious package. Although Evelyn’s name was on it, the contact number led back to him.

The first year, he found a pearl tucked into a green sandalwood box, along with a handwritten card bearing just four characters: "Wishing you peace on your birthday." The graceful calligraphy almost looked machine-printed. Though Jason had a strong suspicion of the sender, he had Tyler investigate nonetheless.

The next two years were no different. Evelyn hadn’t returned to Lycheeville in three years, yet someone had sent these precious pearls, first from Lycheeville, then rerouted through Harborville. Besides “devotion,” Jason couldn’t think of a better word to describe the gesture. Evelyn knew nothing of the pearls or the birthday wishes, and Jason had no intention of telling her.

From the moment he received the first pearl, he knew he should discard it. But for reasons he couldn’t explain, he kept each one, even though they pricked at him each time he looked at them. That night, while he remained locked away in his study, Evelyn lay awake, restless. She left for work at the station early, her thoughts spinning with nodules, illness, and the prospect of divorce. Twice, she almost ran a red light, and each time she realized how foolish her love for Jason seemed when met with his unfeeling coldness.

If their love was destined to remain in the shadows, then perhaps it was better to let it wither and die in darkness. She had her own plan: file for divorce and, as Director Leech suggested, return for a follow-up exam in a month.

She parked in the station’s lot and, before heading up, dialed Jean. When Jean heard that she wanted a report showing a malignant breast nodule, she spluttered out a series of protests.

“Tomorrow’s your twenty-fifth birthday. It’s just a little nodule, don’t start saying such negative things!” Jean chided.

Evelyn exhaled slowly. “I’ve decided—I’ll get a forged report. It’s a terrible request, and I might be the first to think of it. I just need the figures they’d normally use on a diagnosis.”

Jean fell silent for a moment. “For the sake of freeing you from that bastard, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be in touch.”

“Even if I stay bound to Jason for a lifetime, I wouldn’t want you doing anything illegal for me—”

Jean had already hung up. Just the thought of leaving Jason filled Evelyn with a suffocating sensation. She cursed herself for being weak-willed.

Year-end was a busy season in media, and her workload had doubled or even tripled. New media had overshadowed traditional outlets, and Riverton’s TV station had turned to commercializing as much as possible. For large corporations, hiring Evelyn, one of the station’s top anchors, to host their annual events was a status symbol.

In response to shrinking ad revenues, the station had devised a profit-sharing model: 40% to the station, 60% to the host. Evelyn had barely sat down at her desk when she received a lengthy itinerary from Director Logan. Seven companies had booked her to host their annual events, without even seeking her consent.

Seeing that the first event was today—at none other than the Stark’s Group—gave her a headache. The Stark family had several members employed at Stark’s Group, plus Cecilia. Every fiber of her being resisted going.

She called Director Logan and politely voiced her concern, but he, an expert in corporate maneuvering, dismissed her objections with well-practiced authority, leaving her speechless.

At noon, during her Finance Today segment, Evelyn nearly fumbled over a headline reporting Stark’s Group’s acquisition of Galaxy Media when she saw Jason’s name in the text. It dredged up the conversation about ending their marriage if her illness proved serious.

At one, Stark’s Group sent a luxury minibus to pick up Evelyn and a few colleagues. Waiting in the parking lot to welcome them was Cecilia. Now serving as Jason’s fiercely loyal assistant, her presence was a gesture of respect toward the station. While Cecilia maintained a sweet demeanor around Jason, her frosty attitude toward others was unmistakable as she greeted the event director stiffly, her gaze lingering far too long on Evelyn.