Chapter 4

• The phone rang again, a new hope settled in his heart. He answered the call in a hurry.
• "Hello? Valentina?"
• "Mr. President..."
• Kevin was stunned, he looked at the letter in his hand that he had just received and didn't know how to explain. He took a deep breath and spoke.
• "I just received the resignation letter from Mrs..."
• Nathan's mobile phone slipped from his ear and landed heavily on the floor with a loud thud. Suddenly, he ran to Valentina's room.
• Everything was in its place, perfectly organized, as if she had gone to work and would be back.
• Valentina, you cut off all contact with me. Where are you?
• Nathan staggered, walked to the bed, and saw a box on it. He reached out trembling to open it. A red dress, a photo album, and a wedding ring.
• Who bought this ring?
• He still remembered when he handed her the ring, she asked expectantly.
• Kevin, what's wrong?
• Oh, nothing, but I think it looks pretty good. It's very nice.
• At that moment Valentina lowered her head, with a hint of loss in her eyes. It turned out that he had already noticed that loss, but why did he decide to ignore it?
• Nathan held the ring tightly, as if to embed it in the palm of his hand. Looking at the photo album, he reached out and took it out.
• It turned out to be the photos from their wedding.
• Flipping through the first page was the photo of their kiss. The two touched lips and were as beautiful as an old portrait. In the photo, there was a smile at the corner of her mouth, so obvious, but he didn't notice it at that moment. He turned page by page, it was like turning over the memories of when he had happiness in his hands; however, he let it go. Even remembering the first time they met, it was as fresh in his mind as if it were yesterday.
• One summer night three years ago, on the top floor of the MERCER Group.
• The top floor has always been a place for Nathan to relax after work, he goes up to smoke a cigarette, he likes to appreciate the night view of the city and experience the feeling of being at the top of the great city of London.
• That was still the case that day.
• But when he climbed the last step, he found a girl sitting on the bench on the top floor of the building, in front of him, with long hair blowing in the wind, moving freely.
• In the dim light, Nathan looked at his watch. It was already eleven, it was very late, aren't you afraid to be here alone?
• A gust of wind blew, and a faint smell of instant noodles suddenly came out of the air, and the cheap smell made him frown.
• He looked up and looked at the girl, only to see that she was devouring, as if she had a delicious meal in front of her.
• Is it that delicious?
• He, who has always been so picky, unexpectedly opened his mouth.
• Maybe it's because the girl was the first person to go up to the top floor besides him, maybe it's because there are only two of them left in the company, maybe it's for some other unknown reason...
• "Ah!"
• The girl obviously startled, stood up quickly, turned her head and looked at him like a frightened deer.
• "You... Who are you?"
• "I... I'm also from this company."
• Nathan put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly towards the railing.
• "Don't get too close to the railing, said the girl."
• "This is the thirty"fifth floor, it's very dangerous.
• "Why are you here?"
• Nathan didn't answer.
• "I came up here to rest."
• Said the girl timidly.
• "The company is too boring, so I came up and took the opportunity to eat something. Did I bother you?"
• "No."
• In a strange way, Nathan abruptly changed the word "Yes" to "No".
• "Well."
• The girl nodded.
• "I'll go down after I finish eating."
• "Why are you coming back so late?"
• Nathan raised his eyebrows, why didn't he realize earlier that the company still has such hardworking employees?
• "I..."
• The girl hesitated before saying.
• "It doesn't matter."
• "Valentina..."
• "How do you know my name?!"
• Valentina jumped in surprise and quickly stood up to look at him.
• "Your badge says: ASSISTANT OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT."
• Nathan said lightly, suppressing the wild beats of his heart that were gradually increasing.
• "Oh."
• Valentina nodded.
• "I forgot."
• The two didn't speak for a while.
• The tall buildings in the distance are full of lights that shine incessantly; on the top floor, the two, one eating noodles and the other looking at the ethereal landscape, do not interfere with each other.
• "Finish eating."
• Valentina stood up and told Nathan.
• "The company will close in a moment, you must remember to go down quickly or you won't be able to leave."
• Nathan remained silent, of course he knew. But does the girl in front of him know?
• "Then I'll go down."
• Valentina said again.
• Nathan turned to look at her and nodded in agreement.
• Valentina nodded back and turned to leave. Watching her back, Nathan felt a sensation he had never felt before. Faintly, like a feather gently teasing his heart.
• As he descended the stairs and passed by the public relations department, he unexpectedly saw Valentina still in the office. There was a dim yellow light on her desk, and Valentina lay on the table and peacefully fell asleep.
• Later, he never saw her on the top floor again, but unconsciously he paid attention to her in his heart. She often enters the company at the last second, always works overtime late, and there is always a warm smile on her face.
• Later, when his father forced him to marry, he forgot where he heard the advice, to marry under a contract. At that moment, a figure appeared in his mind, and that person was Valentina Miller.
• He checked her information and found out that his father had abandoned her mother and daughter, that she had to sleep in the company for a while because she couldn't afford rent, and that she had several part"time jobs at the same time."
• Suddenly he decided to sign a contract with her, thinking that this way her life should become less difficult, right?
• He still remembered the first time he proposed this agreement, the incredible shock on her face, nothing but shock.
• Looking into her eyes, Nathan felt a little disappointed. Didn't she remember?
• No wonder, the light that night was dim and the moon hid making the landscape darker. How could she remember? But he remembered her, he remembered the long hair, he remembered the green eyes...
• Coming out of the memory, Nathan reached out and touched Valentina's smiling face in the album, accepting that he had lost the happiness of his life.
• It turned out he remembered every detail about her, he remembered it clearly. The things he ignored in the past emerged scene by scene.
• He looked towards the apartment. The living room couch was where he could watch TV, the kitchen was where she clumsily prepared food, and the bedroom was where he could relax. His memory was in every space of the place.
• But now, she was gone.
• Three days had passed, no hospital, no apartment, no company, no home...
• Where are you?
• Tears slid down Nathan's cheeks and fell onto the photo album.
• He never realized how important Valentina was to him. It wasn't until the moment before boarding the plane that he suddenly understood. That by looking back at a past that won't return, you can miss a thousand new paths to walk.
• It turned out Valentina had quietly entered his heart long ago, but he stubbornly clung to a contract, unwilling to forget the past. And when he could live that love, once again he allowed that past to intrude on his happiness.
• Now there are no more laughs, no more warm eyes. Never again.
• I bought you, paid for you!!
• How could he say such a thing? He was a bastard!
• "Valentina..."
• Nathan hugged the album tightly between his arms.
• "Please come back... I was wrong to think that... Please don't leave without saying anything."
• His heart is empty.
• Nathan didn't want to think about the days without Valentina for the rest of his life, he was going crazy when he couldn't find her in just three days. This kind of pain is a hundred times more painful than when he lost Sansa.