Darren looked at her without speaking. His silence made Vanessa nervous. She searched his face carefully, afraid she would find only coldness. Instead, after several long seconds, she noticed that the ice in his eyes had softened ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable. But Vanessa knew him too well. She immediately realized that the wall around his heart had loosened just a little. Joy quietly blossomed inside her. Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity, she smiled gently. "Since today is our birthday, I've already prepared a surprise." "What surprise?" Darren finally raised his eyes to look at her. "I booked the rooftop of the Imperial Crown Restaurant. It's completely private. No other guests. Just the two of us. A candlelight dinner." She squeezed his hand. "I planned it long before everything happened. I wanted us to celebrate our birthday together. And, this time, no matter what happens, I won't leave again." She looked at him seriously. "I'll stay with you the

Vanessa's heart tightened. "Where are you?""At my apartment.""I'll come over immediately." The words escaped her before she could think. Then she stopped and her eyes unconsciously moved toward Darren.She remembered the promise she had made him. She had promised to keep her distance from Adrian.Darren was sitting opposite her, his expression already cold after the repeated calls.Vanessa swallowed. "No." She quickly corrected herself. "You should call emergency services. I'll arrange for someone to come and check on you."On the other end, Adrian was silent for a moment. Clearly, he hadn't expected that answer."Alright." Adrian's voice sounded disappointed. "Thank you."The call ended.Darren had watched everything without saying a word. Yet he had noticed the moment Vanessa changed her response.For the first time that evening, the icy darkness in his eyes eased slightly. At least she had remembered her promise and she hadn't immediately rushed to Adrian.Vanessa put her phone d

Adrian nodded. "I wanted you to see them, and they wanted to see you too." After several seconds, Vanessa sighed. "Fine. I'll stay." A relieved smile appeared on Adrian's face and he turned toward the employees. "Let's begin." The children gathered around Vanessa. Someone played music and the cake was pushed forward. Gradually, the atmosphere became warmer. But Vanessa didn't know that the children were merely the newest batch Adrian had arranged to keep her there because he had known that Vanessa couldn't ignore vulnerable children. While Vanessa stayed behind, Darren remained alone at the rooftop restaurant. The candles had burned for a long time, and half of them had already melted. Wax flowed down their sides in ugly, distorted shapes. The food remained untouched and the second wine glass sat exactly where Vanessa had left it. Minutes passed but Darren didn't call Vanessa or ask where she was. Eventually, he slowly raised his wrist which had an encrypted wrist

Darren looked at her. “I know you’re only trying to help Vanessa. You don’t want to see her unhappy, and you certainly don’t want her marriage to fall apart. Thank you for your concern.” Although Darren understood that Anita's attempt to comfort him was mainly for the sake of the Hartwell family's reputation and Vanessa's happiness, he was still grateful. Anita glanced down at the photographs in his hand. "Then at least think carefully before you destroy those memories. You should have one proper conversation with Vanessa before making a decision you can't take back. Whatever happened with Adrian, perhaps you can both find a way to deal with it." Darren slowly shook his head. "There is nothing left to discuss." "What?" "I've already made my decision." Anita stared at him. "You really intend to divorce Vanessa?" "Yes." The single word left Anita speechless. She had expected Darren to be furious; she had expected him to speak out of frustration and perhaps regret h

Vanessa panicked when she met the icy look in Darren's eyes. Something about him felt different. She had seen him angry before. But this was not anger. His eyes were cold, distant, and strangely unfamiliar, as though the man standing before her had already withdrawn from their relationship. A wave of regret suddenly overwhelmed her. On her way back from Adrian's place, she had already begun regretting what she had done, wondering whether she should have returned sooner. Even if she could not leave Adrian immediately, she should at least have sent Darren a message and explained what had happened. She knew she had promised to return quickly, and she knew Darren had been waiting for her. She had thought that once she came home, she could apologize and everything would eventually settle down. But now, looking at him, she suddenly realized that things might not be that simple. Vanessa ignored everything else and quickly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Darren again.