Chapter 83 Before(I)

Once, Lily Parker thought the happiest thing was simply holding Ethan Hart's hand. Even if they did nothing, even if they had nothing, just being quietly by his side, feeling his tender presence so close, was all she ever wanted. But now, after everything that had happened, she found herself at a loss for how to be with him. They sat together, wordless, their shared melancholy fate hanging between them.

The moon over the Western Sea seemed especially large and bright, like a pearl set against the black velvet of the night sky. Its soft light spilled over the shimmering surface of the lake, reminiscent of the tenderness between lovers.

They had rented a small boat, drifting across the misty waters, far from the madding crowd, with no one to disturb them.

Ethan stood at the bow, still in his black suit that he hadn't had time to change out of, the first three buttons of his shirt undone. His hand was casually tucked into his pocket, his gaze fixed on the distant lights on the shore. His