Chapter 746:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

I was young and arrogant. I thought she’d eventually come home. But that single mistake ended up lasting more than two decades. Julian, I know I’ve lost the right to advise you on how to live, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that some people, once gone, never come back.”

Julian didn’t argue.

Love had to be mutual for it to mean anything—and Katherine had never loved him. What was left to fight for? He had carried pain on his back for so long he barely remembered what peace felt like. Maybe it was time to stop holding on. Nothing stayed broken forever. Time passed. Scars faded. In a few months, maybe things would look different.

Seeing his son’s calm, detached expression, Laurence didn’t push further. He wiped his face and quietly returned to his room.

Soon after, he gave Camille a large sum of money and told her to leave Bresa for good. Though reluctant at first, she soon accepted the situation. With no skills of her own to rely on, she left quietly without bringing Eloise with her.

That day, it was as if Eloise had grown up all at once. She didn’t complain, didn’t resist. She understood her mother’s greatest wish—that she would one day rise to Julian’s level. And only Laurence and Julian could give her that chance.

Time moved forward, and before long, the new year arrived.

ѕ𝗁𝗮𝘳𝘦 𝘆𝘰u𝘳 𝘁𝘩о𝗎gh𝘁𝗌 о𝗻 𝘨a𝘭𝗻о𝘃𝘦𝗅𝗌.с𝗼𝗺

At the turn of the year, when winter reached its bitterest point, Laurence’s health declined further, prompting Julian to move back into the family estate. On the surface, life carried on as usual. Yet most nights, Julian found himself waking in the dark, unsettled. The emptiness of the room felt suffocating, so he would quietly make his way to the living room for some air.

Eloise often couldn’t sleep either. She would sit curled on the carpet near the window, silently watching the snow outside.

Julian placed a coat over her shoulders.

“Why are you still awake?”

“I’ve been thinking about my mom,” she murmured. “Is Katherine on your mind again?”

Julian shook his head.

“She isn’t.”

But the truth was, Katherine had already embedded herself in every part of his life. Even if her belongings disappeared from sight, the presence she left behind filled the silence. There was no need to consciously think of her. Whether asleep or awake, she remained with him—a shadow, a memory, a haunting presence he couldn’t escape. At times, he wasn’t sure if he had grown cold or simply longed to move on from her.

Eloise stayed beside him, and after a stretch of quiet, her voice trembled.

“Julian… why does this winter feel so hard to survive?”

Outside, homes were filled with warmth and light, families gathered together—but within their own walls, sorrow lingered where love had once lived.

Julian pulled Eloise into a gentle embrace, running a hand through her hair.

“Spring isn’t far now,” he whispered.

Several months later, around three in the morning, Katherine was jolted awake by a sharp sensation—her water had broken.

The two seasoned caregivers she had hired were quick to respond. As they managed her pain, a highly regarded midwife was contacted.

Lila and Effie arrived alongside the delivery team.

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