On a late autumn night, the car was as warm as spring. Ava caught the fresh smell of tobacco on the man. Benjamin smoked the same brand as Ethan. For a moment, she was confused, muddle-headedly thinking the person beside her was Ethan…
Her eyes closed gently, she grabbed the man’s hand and called out: “Ethan.” Half-asleep, half-awake, it was as if she had returned to the past—The past between her and Ethan…
Benjamin didn’t pull his hand back, nor did he speak. He just turned his head to look at the dark night ahead. The night was as thick as silk on a rainy evening, soft and damp, a little like his mood at this moment.
Benjamin had had one-night stands before. But those were relationships of mutual need and consent, with no psychological burdens on either side. He had never experienced such intense emotions as Ava’s. Benjamin suddenly wondered what it would feel like to be loved by Ava…
In the distant night sky, fireworks began to bloom. The night lit up like daytime. The person in the passenger seat shifted slightly, a gentle, subtle movement, but Benjamin noticed it. He turned to look at her, his dark eyes deep: “Awake?”
Ava felt weak all over, but her senses slowly returned. She had drunk too much, but vaguely remembered that Benjamin had gotten her out of the bar, though the details were fuzzy. Ava’s voice was hoarse: “What time is it now?”
Benjamin: “Just past 1:30 a.m.”
Ava stared quietly at the fireworks in the sky, her eyes slightly moist, surprisingly calm. After a while, she spoke softly—”I’ve seen the most brilliant fireworks in the world. I thought those fireworks would always belong to me, but I forgot that no matter how beautiful, fireworks fade in a flash. Just like me and Ethan. I thought if I gave up everything, we could be together forever. It’s only now that I understand: maybe Ethan has imagined love, but the person in that imagination was never me, Ava.”
Ava smiled bitterly: “Benjamin, am I a complete failure?”
“No.”
Benjamin’s expression was calm: “As long as you want, you’ll always be Margret.” It wasn’t empty consolation. A man of Ethan’s status wouldn’t easily divorce and replace his wife. Young girls were just for fun; someone like Ava was still the right fit for Margret. Ava just smiled faintly, then continued to watch the fireworks in silence for a long time.
Shortly after 2 a.m., Benjamin sent Ava back to Imperial Vista. The car stopped. Ava turned to him, thanked him softly, and returned his suit jacket.
But Benjamin said: “Keep it on for now. It’s quite cold outside.”
Ava thought it would be better to return it after dry-cleaning, so she didn’t insist. She took the jacket, got out of the car, and said goodbye to Benjamin. The man nodded politely from the car, then stepped on the gas and drove out of the villa.
The moonlight was cold, and a night wind blew. Ava touched her forehead, feeling a throbbing pain. A servant came to greet her. As soon as they got close, they smelled the alcohol on Ava. The servant didn’t mention it, just said with concern: “Madam, you’ve been drinking? Sir just called and said he’ll come back later to get some changes of clothes. Shall you get them, or shall I go upstairs to pack?”
Ava was determined to divorce, so she didn’t care much about Ethan’s matters. She told the servant to go upstairs to pack, then carried the jacket and stumbled up. As soon as she entered the bedroom and touched the big bed, she fell into a drowsy sleep. A night wind lifted the white curtains, and moonlight poured in, casting a faint, glazed glow over the woman in bed, making her look soft and alluring. The man’s black suit lay casually at the foot of the bed…
Late at night, the sound of a car echoed in the courtyard. It was Ethan who had returned. He didn’t get out of the car, just opened the door of his black Bentley. He’d had an unpleasant fight with Ava tonight, and with Lily’s condition still unstable, he planned to leave as soon as he got his change of clothes.
Hearing the noise, a servant ran over, handing the luggage bag with the clothes to Ethan in the car, adding casually, “Madam just got back! She seems to have drunk a lot, but Lawyer Castell was kind enough to send her home.”
Ethan frowned: Ava drank? After a moment’s thought, he decided to go upstairs to check on her. A short while later, Ethan went up to the second floor and pushed open the master bedroom door. The bedroom was dimly lit, with a faint aroma of red wine lingering in the air, making even the woman’s breathing seem unusually sweet…
Ethan raised his hand and turned on the wall lamp. The bedroom was instantly as bright as day. Then he saw his wife lying on the big bed, her long hair scattered messily over her chest. The collar of her silk shirt was wide open, revealing a patch of delicate skin, and her black skirt had ridden up slightly from tossing and turning, highlighting her alluring curves…
Ava had always had a good figure. This, Ethan, as her husband, knew best. She just couldn’t let go, was habitually cold in bed. Sometimes, even while they were intimate, she could discuss business with him. After a while, it was only natural that he’d lost interest. But the sight of her in bed still stirred a trace of desire in him. He supposed it was because he hadn’t released in a long time—why else would he feel the urge to hold her? Normally, he was used to being ascetic.
Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, watching his wife. She was sound asleep, but her delicate brows were still furrowed, as if she were in sorrow. Ethan had always known that Ava liked him, but he didn’t love her. All he could give her was the title of Margret. Conjugal love had never been part of his plans. Ethan reached out and gently touched his wife’s face—it was cold to the touch.
His eyes grew darker as he spoke softly, “Isn’t the title of Margret enough? Ava, overly intense feelings only lead to ruin. I thought you’d seen enough of the world to let go of love long ago.” All he got in response was Ava’s shallow breathing.
Just as Ethan was about to leave, his gaze flickered casually—and he froze. At the foot of the bed lay a men’s suit jacket. Ethan reached out and picked it up. It was from a high-end custom brand; most of his own suits were from there too, but this one was definitely not his. It must have been left by Benjamin. Suddenly, Ethan felt a sharp discomfort. Even though he knew Benjamin would never have thoughts about Ava, that innate male possessiveness made him uneasy—Ava was his wife!
Downstairs, the hall was brightly lit. The servant had stayed up waiting, and finally heard movement from upstairs. Ethan walked down with a grim expression, handing the jacket to the servant and saying flatly, “Take this suit to be dry-cleaned, then send it to Benjamin’s law firm.”
The servant took the suit, not daring to say a word. Ethan opened the door of his Bentley, ready to drive to the hospital, but paused before starting the car. He looked up at the second floor of the main house. Ava was sleeping up there…
They’d parted on bad terms tonight. Ava had said she had something important to tell him…
