Chapter 69 Peace (I)

Such a name pierced right through Lily's heart, highlighting a wound deep within. If only she could erase all her memories, she wouldn't have to live in such pain. Yet, paradoxically, she clung to those memories, desperately recalling past sweetness to mask the bitterness of the present, like drinking poison to quench a thirst.

Even she didn't know how she managed to utter that "Congratulations." It was as if driven by a single thought—she could not lose, not to Isabella. At least in front of her, Lily had to maintain the last shred of her dignity. She wouldn't allow Isabella to trample over her wounds and find joy. She didn't deserve that.

Perhaps it was fate, but from that day on, Lily became a regular at the café, though she no longer sat by the window. The owner, Eleanor Brown, was an illustrator and a superb coffee