Christopher’s brows furrowed as he stood at the villa's entrance, his sharp gaze fixed on the empty driveway. His voice, low and unwavering, broke the silence.

“Go back and cut the cake yourself.”

Charlotte’s bright smile faltered, her voice softening into a familiar, hesitant tone as she played her usual card.

“But Chris... my heart’s feeling a little fragile and it’s so cold out here.”

At that, Christopher finally turned to look at her. His piercing, icy stare gradually softened, shifting into the warmth and indulgence Charlotte had come to expect.

He reached up and adjusted her coat, tucking it tighter around her shoulders. His tone was gentle now. “It’s snowing and freezing out here. Go inside and warm up. I’ll wait a little longer.”

Charlotte hesitated before reaching for his hand, but just as she did, Evelyn arrived. She stepped through the gate and into the courtyard, only to find Christopher and Charlotte standing side by side, their attention entirely on one another.

Evelyn quickly lowered her gaze, biting her lip. She said nothing, quickening her pace until she reached the center of the snowy courtyard. There, she dropped to her knees without hesitation, her movement precise and practiced.

This was Christopher’s punishment. Yesterday, after an argument with Charlotte that escalated into harsh words, he had decreed that Evelyn should kneel in the snow for the entire day.

No one could defy Christopher—not even Evelyn.

Hearing the noise behind them, Christopher and Charlotte turned their heads. Christopher immediately pulled his hand back from Charlotte and shoved it into his coat pocket, his tone colder than the winter wind.

“Where were you?”

Evelyn’s voice was weak, her breath barely visible in the icy air. “There was something important I had to take care of.”

Christopher’s eyes swept over her pale face, his jaw tightening. His hand flexed inside his pocket, betraying the storm of questions swirling in his mind.

Who had she gone to see? Why was she back so late? And why was she wearing so little in this kind of weather?

But when he finally spoke, the words came out stiff and unforgiving. “Do you know what you did wrong?”

Yesterday, Evelyn had shocked everyone by lashing out at Charlotte, using crude, biting words that left Charlotte shaken—so shaken, in fact, that it triggered a mild heart episode.

Christopher had been forced to cancel his meetings and rush Charlotte to the hospital. He’d spent the entire day apologizing, culminating in tonight’s city-wide fireworks display to make her birthday unforgettable. Only after all that had Charlotte forgiven the incident.

To appease her further, Christopher had declared Evelyn would be punished—kneeling in the snow all day. In truth, it was more of a symbolic gesture. He hadn’t intended to take it seriously.

Charlotte had been his childhood friend, practically family. They’d grown up together and Christopher would never let his fiancée undermine her. Besides, his business partnership with the Sinclair Family was far too important to jeopardize over a petty conflict.

As long as Evelyn apologized and Charlotte calmed down, he’d have been satisfied.

But to his disappointment, Evelyn raised her head stubbornly, her eyes meeting his without flinching.

“And what, exactly, did I do wrong?”

Christopher’s expression darkened instantly.

If she wouldn’t acknowledge her mistakes, then he’d have to teach her.

Standing tall in the snow, Christopher’s cold gaze bore into Evelyn. His voice was like frost. “Then you’ll kneel for another day. Get up tomorrow night.”

With that, he grabbed Charlotte’s wrist and turned away. “Let’s go. Time to cut the cake.”

As they disappeared into the warmth of the villa, Evelyn tilted her head back, watching the snow swirl and fall around her.

Obedience.

The word echoed in her mind as snowflakes melted on her cheeks.

Christopher was her test of obedience, wasn’t he?

Five years ago, he had saved her from a human trafficking ring. And from that moment on, Evelyn had latched onto him, seeing him as her anchor.

Her family had been no anchor at all.

Her father, who had abandoned her for another woman, barely bothered with an occasional call—at least until his new wife and child came along, after which even the rare phone calls stopped altogether.

Her mother, a barely-educated woman who had struggled to raise her alone, had finally remarried and started a new family of her own.

Evelyn had become a leftover piece of her broken family, a shadow nobody wanted.

And so she had clung to Christopher, following him, obeying him.

But now, kneeling in the snow, Evelyn wondered if she was clinging to salvation—or if she had simply traded one prison for another.

Evelyn’s past had shaped her rebellious streak. She had grown strong, fiercely independent and stubborn to a fault. Her reasoning was simple: if even her own parents had abandoned her, how could she possibly expect goodness from anyone else?

That was, until she met Christopher.

The day they met was etched into her memory—a moment both humiliating and life-changing.

She had been grabbed by a group of angry strangers, accusing her of being a mistress. The crowd around her jeered, their judgmental whispers cutting like knives. No one listened to her frantic protests that she didn’t even know these people. No one stepped in to help.

Then, like a figure descending from the heavens, Christopher had intervened.

He pulled Evelyn out of the mob, his deep, calm voice cutting through the chaos like a balm. His words were firm, authoritative and laced with an unshakable confidence, “I’m her husband. Who are you? Let go of her, or I’ll call the police.”

Just like that, he had saved her.

As the mob dispersed, Evelyn shoved herself away from him, her pride as bruised as her arms. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the only money she had left—a single crumpled hundred-dollar bill—and thrust it toward him. Her distrust of people dripped from every syllable.

“Thanks for saving me. This is all I’ve got. Is it enough? If not, I’ll find a job and pay the rest later.”

Christopher had looked at the wrinkled bill, his lips quirking into an amused smirk. He should’ve walked away, but instead, he lingered, something about her defiance intriguing him.

“Well,” he said, “as it happens, my company’s looking for a clerk. Interested?”

Evelyn frowned suspiciously, snatching the bill back. “You’re not part of some scam, are you? Pretend to save me, then trick me into something worse?”

Christopher blinked, momentarily stunned. “...You’re unbelievable.”

In the end, with nowhere else to go, Evelyn followed him.

What began as an arrangement of necessity gradually blossomed into something deeper.

At first, Christopher admired her tenacity. Maybe it was because she was so different from the women in his world—particularly Charlotte. Evelyn’s fiery independence and unpolished honesty were a stark contrast to Charlotte’s delicate, polished demeanor.

For three years, their relationship was blissful. They were inseparable and for the first time in her life, Evelyn felt like the world wasn’t entirely against her.

But then Charlotte returned.

Fresh from her studies abroad, Charlotte re-entered Christopher’s life with all the subtlety of a hurricane. Her presence disrupted the fragile balance Evelyn and Christopher had built.

It was around this time that Christopher’s feelings began to shift.

At first, he appreciated Evelyn’s stubbornness, her refusal to conform. But then he began to see it as a flaw—a flaw he wanted to fix.

“You can’t keep acting like this. You need to change.”

“Evelyn, why can’t you be more like Charlotte? Do you always have to be so difficult?”

“There’s only so much patience a person has. Don’t test mine.”

Evelyn loved Christopher deeply, but she wasn’t naive. She knew love wasn’t permanent. Her parents’ love for her had faded; why wouldn’t Christopher’s?

So, she began changing—bit by bit, piece by piece—molding herself into the version of Evelyn that Christopher seemed to want.

She hid her temper, bit her tongue and tried to be as poised and agreeable as Charlotte.

But the more she changed, the less of herself remained. Depression crept in and soon, Evelyn was a shadow of the person she used to be. She spoke less, smiled rarely and lost interest in everything.

And yet, it still wasn’t enough for Christopher.

Now, as snowflakes tumbled from the sky, Evelyn knelt in the courtyard, her body trembling from the cold. The icy flakes melted on her cheeks and trickled down her neck, but she didn’t move.

Through the windows of the villa, warm light spilled out, accompanied by the sound of laughter. Christopher and Charlotte’s voices mingled inside, their laughter ringing clear as they talked about something amusing.

Human instinct craved warmth and light, but Evelyn only bowed her head lower. Her legs had gone numb long ago, but the faint smile on her lips was bitter and indifferent.

None of it mattered.

A month from now, she would be on the operating table, her life hanging by a thread. She had already decided that if she didn’t make it, so be it.

Warmth, love, health, life—it all seemed so pointless.

Later that night, after the birthday celebration, Christopher drove Charlotte home.

As he passed the courtyard, he saw Evelyn, still kneeling in the snow. She didn’t lift her head to look at him, her figure a motionless silhouette against the white backdrop.

Christopher hesitated for a moment, his lips pressing into a thin line. He climbed into his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly, annoyance flickering in his chest.

He didn’t know why he felt that way, but it bothered him.

Breaking the silence, he glanced at Charlotte and asked, “Do you think I’m... too harsh on her?”

“How’s the surgery coming along? Did they find a donor?” Charlotte asked, her tone light and cheerful.

Her smile brightened as she added, “Oh, I was just about to tell you—Mother sent word. It’s all settled. The donor is from Cedar Creek and the surgery is scheduled for the end of the month. The paperwork’s already signed.”

Christopher gave a small nod. “Be sure to thank them. This surgery is risky—you could still die on the operating table.”

Charlotte frowned, brushing the concern aside with a casual wave. “There’s no need. Mother mentioned the donor insisted on staying anonymous. Apparently, they didn’t want to meet me and even refused the money we offered.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile as she added, “From what Mother said, the donor has been dealing with depression for a long time—didn’t want to live anymore. It took a lot of convincing for them to agree. Let’s not bother them unnecessarily.”

Charlotte’s emotions were a whirlwind that day—disheartened by Christopher’s persistent concern for Evelyn, yet buoyed by the news of her impending heart transplant. Despite her outward composure, unease lingered.

Someone willing to give up their heart so easily, choosing to remain anonymous… Why?

What if reaching out to thank them caused them to change their mind? The thought alone sent a chill through her.

Besides, her family had already offered payment and the donor had refused. If the donor no longer valued their life, perhaps they viewed this as a form of gratitude to themselves.

Christopher’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Alright. Handle it as you see fit.”

Charlotte exhaled in relief, her tense shoulders relaxing. She gave him a soft, bashful smile. “Chris, you said you’d grant me any birthday wish this year. About the wish I just made…”

“No.”

He cut her off sharply before she could finish.

Her smile faltered and she noticed the shift in his expression. His eyes had opened, cold and unyielding, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

“I won’t leave Evelyn. Don’t bring it up again, Charlotte. I’ll grant you anything else, but not this.”

For a moment, Charlotte sat frozen, the rejection sinking in. The corners of her lips twitched awkwardly, but she quickly recovered, masking her disappointment with her usual charm.

Disguising her true feelings had become second nature—she knew exactly how to present herself as the woman Christopher admired.

Two seconds later, she giggled lightly, as though his stern words had rolled right off her. “Alright, then let’s pretend I didn’t make that wish. But if that one doesn’t count, you still owe me a wish for later, okay? You’ll have to agree to one condition in the future!”

Her playful tone was enough to make Christopher chuckle. “Fine. Save it for later.”

Satisfied, Charlotte straightened up, choosing not to press the issue further.

But inside, resentment burned hotter than ever, simmering beneath her polished facade.

This was the first time Christopher had denied her anything—and it was because of that woman, Evelyn, who had only entered their lives five years ago.

In the past, Christopher had entertained other women in his life, but none of them had ever mattered. Charlotte had always been his priority, his constant. If she’d asked him to end things with someone, he wouldn’t have hesitated.

Why was Evelyn different? What made her so special?

If Charlotte hadn’t left for her studies abroad, Evelyn would never have had the chance to worm her way into Christopher’s life.

But no matter. Soon, Charlotte’s health would be restored and time would be on her side. She had no intention of losing to Evelyn.

***

Later that night, when Christopher returned home, he found Evelyn still kneeling in the snow.

Her body trembled from the cold and snowflakes had piled onto her shoulders, forming a thick, undisturbed layer. She hadn’t even bothered to brush them off.

Christopher stood there for a moment, watching her silently. The sight of her like this stirred something unnameable within him—frustration, concern, perhaps guilt.

Finally, he walked toward her and broke the silence.

“Do you know what you did wrong?”

Evelyn’s eyelashes quivered as the frost clinging to them glinted faintly in the moonlight. The icy crust masked most of the emotions in her eyes, leaving her expression unreadable.