Chapter 5

Gabriel had not expected Elena to agree so crisply, without a single argument. For a moment, the bellyful of justifications he had prepared caught in his throat, and he stood there, stunned.

Elena didn't look at Gabriel. Her gaze passed through the frosted windowpane, landing on the withered oak tree in the yard, her thoughts drifting back to that winter ten years ago.

After the fire, she had sat alone in the hospital corridor all night. Her parents were keeping vigil at Mia's bedside; no one even remembered to buy a cup of hot cocoa for her, covered in soot as she was. Desperate and helpless, she had curled up on the bench, feeling abandoned by the entire world.

It was Gabriel who had walked toward her, bringing a warm wool blanket and hot milk, gently holding her freezing hand. "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of you from now on."

Back then, he was upright and gentle, like a ray of warm sun in a Manhattan winter, shining into Elena's gray world. For the first time, she had found a new reliance amidst the ruins.

Gabriel had encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming an architect, saying she had the talent to change the city skyline.

So, when the acceptance letter from Columbia University arrived, Elena had been ecstatic. She thought she could stand side by side with Gabriel at the top of the pyramid. But now, it all seemed like a hallucination of her own wishful thinking.

The Gabriel before her had changed completely. He forced her to retreat step by step, and now, to soothe Mia's pathological possessiveness, he was willing to postpone the wedding he had once treated as sacred. Truly a "touching" love story.

When Gabriel mentioned postponing the registration, Elena felt no ripple of emotion. She no longer held any expectations of him.

Today, he said postpone. Tomorrow, he would cancel it entirely.

By then, Elena would have lost her career, and Gabriel wouldn't marry her either.

It was the inevitable ending.

Fortunately, she hadn't actually given up that opportunity. In twenty-something days, she would leave this suffocating Brooklyn and head to the "Polar Night" research station in Norway, severing all ties with them.

"Elena, don't overthink it. I promised to marry you, and I won't go back on my word. It's just that Mia's mental state is too unstable right now; I don't want to provoke her," Gabriel explained, evidently feeling a vague unease at Elena's overly calm reaction.

Elena withdrew her gaze from the oak tree and suddenly asked, "Gabriel, do you remember ten years ago, in that disinfectant-scented hospital hallway, what you promised me?"

Gabriel's expression stiffened slightly, a flash of guilt passing through his eyes as if those dust-covered memories were awakening. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, the butler ran over, looking anxious. "Sir, the hospital called—Miss Mia is on a hunger strike and self-harming again."

Gabriel frowned deeply, ignoring Elena as he grabbed his car keys and rushed out the door.

Watching the Land Rover's taillights vanish into the wind and snow, Elena turned and went back to the basement. There was almost nothing worth keeping in her dark, damp room. After burning Gabriel's gifts, only a few practical, warm clothes remained. Aside from this physical shell, this home seemed to have given her nothing.

Once, they had given her promises, but later, all were transferred to Mia.

For a whole week, Gabriel didn't return. During this time, both he and her parents stayed at the hospital to care for Mia. Elena enjoyed the rare peace, no longer having to watch Mia's sickening performance or face her biased parents.

She went to find Mr. Hans, a retired explorer who lived on the next block, hoping to undergo special physical training to prepare for the polar environment. If she was to survive on the ice sheets there, she needed to condition her body to its peak.

Hans didn't ask many questions. Seeing the determined light in Elena's eyes, he unreservedly guided her through high-intensity cold endurance training.

Another week passed. One day, Elena was shoveling snow in the backyard as exercise, sweat sliding down her cheeks, her entire demeanor looking capable and cold. She had cut off the long, golden curly hair she had originally kept to suit Gabriel's aesthetic.

Gabriel had said he liked women who were classically elegant, so she had carefully maintained her long hair.

Now, she no longer lived for Gabriel. Shearing off the long locks felt like surgically removing a tumor growing on her body. Hans noticed the change through the fence and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Now that has the boldness of a polar explorer."

Although Hans didn't know why Elena was undergoing such devilish training, he vaguely guessed some of it and chose not to pry. This strong girl deserved her own vast world, even though the favoritism of the family next door was infamous throughout the neighborhood.

Hans simply silently passed on his mountaineering experience to her. If Elena needed help, he would support her without hesitation.

The peaceful days were eventually broken by Mia's discharge from the hospital.

Elena was doing squats in the yard when she looked up to see her parents and Gabriel walking in with Mia. They were talking and laughing. Mia was intimately holding Gabriel's arm, her entire body practically hanging off him, while her parents pretended not to see, even indulging this boundary-crossing behavior.

Gabriel didn't resist, but when he felt Elena's icy gaze, he seemed to realize something and quickly extracted his arm, pushing Mia away.

Mia's eyes immediately reddened, tears swirling in them. "Gabriel, do you despise me?"

Gabriel looked embarrassed and could only allow Mia to lean on him again.

As Mia entered the house, she shot Elena a look full of mockery and provocation, as if declaring sovereignty.

Elena remained calm, as if the farce of these four people had nothing to do with her, and continued to focus on her training rhythm.

Time passed unknowingly. An hour later, Elena finished her workout. She exhaled deeply, white mist dissipating in the cold air. She enjoyed the rare silence of the winter day, closing her eyes to steady her breathing.

"Norwegian Polar Institute?"

A trembling voice came from behind her.

Elena opened her eyes and turned around to see Gabriel holding an English document that had slipped out of her coat pocket, his eyes flickering with panic.