The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains onto the bed.
Aria Snow was awakened by the familiar aroma of coffee. She opened her eyes to see Kane Rivers standing by the bed, holding a cup of coffee.
"Awake?" His voice was gentle, like every morning five years ago.
Aria Snow instinctively tried to sit up, only to realize she was wearing only thin pajamas. She quickly pulled the blanket to cover herself: "You... why are you here?"
"This is my house, my room." Kane Rivers placed the coffee on the nightstand, "You slept in my bed, and now you're asking why I'm here?"
"I clearly slept in the guest room last night..." Aria Snow recalled the events of the previous night, her face immediately turning pale.
She had been unable to sleep last night, getting up to sit in the living room for a long time. She must have fallen asleep on the sofa from exhaustion. When she woke up, she was in this master bedroom, and her clothes had been changed.
"Did you... did you change my clothes?" Her voice was trembling.
Kane Rivers didn't answer, just quietly watching her. That gaze made Aria Snow feel utterly ashamed.
"Drink your coffee, still the old way—one spoonful of sugar, no milk." He changed the subject naturally, as if the earlier awkwardness had never happened.
Aria Snow bit her lip and reached for the coffee cup. The moment her fingers touched the cup, Kane Rivers suddenly grasped her wrist.
"You've lost weight." His voice was soft, carrying a hint of heartache.
Aria Snow tried to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly: "Let go of me."
"How have these five years been for you?" Kane Rivers didn't release her hand, instead tightening his grip.
"Very good." Aria Snow turned her face away, not looking at him, "Much better than when I was with you."
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Kane Rivers' expression instantly darkened, and his grip on her wrist tightened.
"Is that so?" His voice was cold as ice, "Then why haven't you married?"
Aria Snow looked at him in shock: "You investigated me?"
"Aria Snow, there's nothing in this world that Kane Rivers can't find out." The man's eyes flashed with dangerous light, "These five years, I know every single day of your life. Which city you were in, what job you did, even who you had contact with—I know everything."
"You're sick!" Aria Snow glared at him angrily.
"Sick?" Kane Rivers suddenly released her and stood up, "If I weren't sick with missing you, how would I know your brother had gambling debts? How would I have the chance to bring you back to my side?"
Aria Snow was thunderstruck, completely stunned: "You mean... Felix's debt..."
"That's right, it was a trap I set." Kane Rivers' smile was cold and triumphant, "To get you back, I waited five whole years."
"Kane Rivers!" Aria Snow almost shouted his name, "How could you do this to me?"
"How could I do this to you?" The man leaned down, meeting her eyes, "Aria Snow, when you left without a word five years ago, did you think about how you were treating me?"
Aria Snow saw the pain and anger in his eyes, her heart feeling like it was being tightly gripped. She wanted to explain, to tell him the truth from back then, but the words stuck in her throat.
Because she knew that even if she explained, it wouldn't change anything. Some wounds, once inflicted, could never be healed.
"Get dressed, we're going out for breakfast." Kane Rivers straightened up, returning to his calm tone, "Today I'm taking you to meet some friends."
"What friends?"
"You'll know when you see them."
Kane Rivers left the room, leaving Aria Snow sitting alone on the bed in a daze.
She looked at the cup of coffee on the nightstand, her emotions incredibly complex. He still remembered her preferences, her habits, even her life trajectory over the past five years.
But what good was remembering?
Some things, once missed, could never be retrieved.