A week later, Xavier had finalized everything—his company, his affairs, and the letters he left behind for his parents and brother. Then, he purchased a private island near the Arctic Ocean and built a secure storage facility to house both his and Starla’s cryogenic chambers. With everything in place, Xavier stepped into the freezing pod. As the temperature dropped to subzero levels, his bodily functions slowed, his consciousness fading into darkness. When he opened his eyes again, fifty years had gone by.Fifty years later, the world was no longer the same.With advances in cryogenic science, many patients once frozen due to terminal illnesses had now been successfully revived. Breast cancer, once a death sentence, was now a fully treatable disease. Inside a high-tech research facility, doctors and engineers worked tirelessly, preparing to awaken Xavier and Starla from their half-century slumber. A sharp alarm shattered the decades-long silence. Frost coated the
After a successful surgery, Starla gradually regained her health. One evening, as they strolled along the shore, Xavier finally told her everything that had happened while she was frozen.That was when Starla learned the truth—Wendy had never been his fiancée. Xavier had only brought her into his life for one reason: to make Starla give up on him.She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. “So… you were lying to me the whole time? And I actually fell for it?!”Crossing her arms, she turned away with an indignant huff. “You made me miserable, Xavier. Why should I forgive you so easily?”Xavier didn’t hesitate. He pulled her into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t understand my own heart back then. And because of that… I hurt you.“I was wrong, Starla. Please forgive me.” Her pout faded into a smile as she leaned into his embrace. “Then tell me,” she asked teasingly, “when did you finally realize you liked me?” Xavier gazed out a
Starla Xander was orphaned at a young age. With both her parents gone, it was her uncle, Xavier Lloyd, who rescued her from that hopeless home.For over a decade, he had cherished her, shielding her from the world, treating her like the most precious gem in his life. She had always believed that one day, she and Xavier would walk down the aisle together.She had fallen hopelessly in love with the man who had cared for her like a father.Back then, one night, a fire broke out in the Xander family home. The house she had grown up in, the parents who had loved her—everything was consumed by the flames.Little Starla curled up in a corner of the balcony, her face streaked with tears, too terrified to move. At that moment, she thought she was going to die. But in the next second, Xavier appeared. He was like a hero descending from the heavens. He kicked open the door and rushed inside, shielding her with his body, blocking the scorching embers with his back. “Starla, d
The next day, Starla sent a message to her mentor, setting up a time to hand over the consent form. Then, she called Xavier. The phone rang for a long time before he finally picked up. “What is it?” His voice was thick with impatience. Starla was silent for a few seconds before asking softly, “When’s your wedding?” “July 9th. Why?” Xavier’s tone turned cold. “What are you planning? I’m warning you—don’t even think about causing trouble at the wedding.” July 9th. The day they first met. The day Xavier had pulled her from the fire. A bitter smile tugged at Starla’s lips. “I see.“I won’t, Uncle Xavier. Congratulations on your marriage.” She hung up the phone and headed to campus to meet her mentor. “Starla, are you really sure about this?” Professor Zimmer sighed as he looked at the young woman in front of him. “Even though you have breast cancer, treatment could still give you another year or two. If you go through with this cryogenic experiment, even the sma
However, Xavier didn’t believe her. “You’re not even planning to become a doctor. Why spend all your time researching this?” Starla fell silent for a moment before replying softly, “I’m just interested in it, that’s all. If you don’t like it, I can choose another topic.” Xavier didn’t say anything else, but his expression remained grim. Sensing the tension, Wendy immediately stepped in to smooth things over. “Oh, come on, Starla’s just studying. It doesn’t matter what she learns—it’s her choice. She’s grown up now, Xavier. You can’t control her forever.“Alright, enough arguing. Weren’t we heading out for dinner?” At that, Xavier’s expression softened slightly. He took Wendy by the arm and walked out the door, not bothering to ask Starla anything more. Starla watched as Wendy moved so freely between Xavier’s bedroom and study, as if she had every right to be there. Ever since she had confessed her feelings to Xavier, he had forbidden her from entering those rooms.
Wendy took the opportunity to lean into Xavier’s arms, her voice trembling with tears. “I’m sorry, Xavier. I don’t know what I did to upset Starla. She really seems to hate me.“I only wanted to check on her since she was still awake so late at night. But the moment she saw me, she got angry. She called me a manipulative vixen trying to seduce you and even pushed me. Look—my wrist is swollen.” As she spoke, tears rolled down her face, making her look as if she had suffered a great injustice. “That’s not true!” Starla blurted out, her voice rising. “She was the one who disrespected my parents first! She even called me an orphan and the daughter of an arsonist!” She turned to Xavier, desperate for even the smallest bit of trust from him. But Wendy only widened her eyes innocently. “How could I say something like that?“I’ve volunteered at orphanages for years, helping so many poor children who don’t have parents. Why would I ever say something so cruel?” Starla ope
Starla made time to visit the lab. Professor Zimmer told her that to prevent any disturbances during cryogenic preservation, the freezing chamber would be stored at the bottom of the ocean. “You can choose any sea you like,” he said. “Really?” Starla thought for a moment before replying, “I want my chamber placed in the Arctic Ocean.” “Why?” She smiled, though a trace of sadness lingered in her eyes. “Because you can see the aurora there. And when the aurora lights up the sky, it hides the Milky Way from view.”She was no longer Xavier’s brightest star. No longer his miracle.The starry sky, once beautiful, was now nothing more than a painful reminder.She was dying. And if nothing else, she wanted her soul to be free—free from this love that had broken her heart.When she returned home, she found her bedroom door wide open. Clothes and shoes were scattered across the floor, as if someone had ransacked the place.Even the medical report she had carefully hidden in h
When Starla opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the ceiling of Xavier’s bedroom. The moment Wendy saw her wake up, she rushed forward and grabbed her hand. “Starla, are you okay?“You suddenly collapsed just now. You scared both me and your uncle to death.” Her face was filled with concern, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of disgust. Behind her, Xavier stood with a dark expression, looking down at Starla. “What’s wrong with you?” His voice was cold. “You’re an adult. Can’t even take care of your own body?” Starla sat up, emotions swirling inside her. Her condition was worsening. If she delayed any longer, she could die at any moment. Her episodes would become more frequent. If Xavier knew she was already at death’s door, would he be sad? Or would he finally feel relieved to have one less burden? Wendy turned to Xavier, her voice soothing. “Xavier, don’t be too harsh on her.“Starla has always been healthy. She’s young. She’ll be fine.”
After a successful surgery, Starla gradually regained her health. One evening, as they strolled along the shore, Xavier finally told her everything that had happened while she was frozen.That was when Starla learned the truth—Wendy had never been his fiancée. Xavier had only brought her into his life for one reason: to make Starla give up on him.She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. “So… you were lying to me the whole time? And I actually fell for it?!”Crossing her arms, she turned away with an indignant huff. “You made me miserable, Xavier. Why should I forgive you so easily?”Xavier didn’t hesitate. He pulled her into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t understand my own heart back then. And because of that… I hurt you.“I was wrong, Starla. Please forgive me.” Her pout faded into a smile as she leaned into his embrace. “Then tell me,” she asked teasingly, “when did you finally realize you liked me?” Xavier gazed out a
A week later, Xavier had finalized everything—his company, his affairs, and the letters he left behind for his parents and brother. Then, he purchased a private island near the Arctic Ocean and built a secure storage facility to house both his and Starla’s cryogenic chambers. With everything in place, Xavier stepped into the freezing pod. As the temperature dropped to subzero levels, his bodily functions slowed, his consciousness fading into darkness. When he opened his eyes again, fifty years had gone by.Fifty years later, the world was no longer the same.With advances in cryogenic science, many patients once frozen due to terminal illnesses had now been successfully revived. Breast cancer, once a death sentence, was now a fully treatable disease. Inside a high-tech research facility, doctors and engineers worked tirelessly, preparing to awaken Xavier and Starla from their half-century slumber. A sharp alarm shattered the decades-long silence. Frost coated the
Xavier sought out Professor Zimmer, the head of the project, and made his request. “I want to be cryogenically frozen. Place my chamber right next to Starla’s.” Professor Zimmer looked at him in shock. “Mr. Lloyd, are you absolutely sure about this?” He tried to dissuade him. “Cryogenic preservation comes with serious risks. The technology to successfully revive a human isn’t guaranteed. There’s a real possibility that you may never wake up.“Even if you do, there’s no certainty that you and Starla will ever be together again.” Xavier’s brows furrowed. “Why not?” Professor Zimmer sighed. “Have you considered what it would mean to wake up in the future? Even if revival technology advances, by then, your family and friends will be gone. You’ll have to adapt to an entirely new world. Are you truly prepared for that?“And what if Starla no longer feels the same way about you?” He met Xavier’s gaze, his voice heavy with caution. “Aren’t you afraid of regretting this decisio
A few days later, Xavier finally arrived in the Arctic Ocean. The team sent by Professor Zimmer led him to a submarine, where he would see Starla’s cryogenic chamber for the first time. Inside, it was frozen solid—temperatures plummeting to dozens of degrees below zero. Yet outside, as Xavier stood before the chamber, his tears began to fall. He reached out, pressing his palm against the cold glass, as if somehow, through it, he could touch her. “Starla… I’m here.” His voice trembled. “I’m sorry, Starla. I lied to you.” He closed his eyes, memories of her laughter, her warmth, her smile flashing through his mind. “The truth is… I fell in love with you a long time ago. I never just saw you as my niece.” His chest tightened as he whispered, “Wendy was never my fiancée. The wedding, the photos—it was all fake.“I don’t love her. The only person I’ve ever loved… is you.” His breath came unsteady. “But I was too much of a coward to admit it.“If I ad
Xavier’s gaze remained fixed on the screen, his voice low and almost dazed. “Professor Zimmer, where is Starla’s cryo-chamber?” Professor Zimmer let out a slow sigh. “It’s in the Arctic Ocean. She chose the location herself.” The Arctic Ocean? Xavier lowered his head with a bitter smile. She must have been so heartbroken. Heartbroken enough to choose a place so far away, so unbearably cold. Professor Zimmer continued, his voice laced with regret. “Our funding and technology are still limited. Right now, we can only monitor the cryo-chamber remotely and send a team down in a submarine for routine inspections. Building a lab in the Arctic isn’t feasible.“But thankfully,” he added with a reassuring look, “Starla’s condition is stable. Her body has been preserved perfectly, down to every last organ.“You can think of it as if she’s only sleeping. Just… for a very, very long time.” Xavier swallowed hard. His vision blurred as a sharp ache settled in his chest.
Xavier unfolded the letter, his breath catching the moment he saw Starla’s delicate handwriting. Dear Uncle Xavier, “By the time you read this, I will probably no longer be in this world.“I lost my parents early, and it was you who pulled me out of the darkness. You gave me warmth, shelter, and a place to belong.“When I was little, every time I was afraid of the dark, you would hold me in your arms and comfort me.“You don’t know this, but when you told me I was your miracle, it lit up my entire world.“Somewhere along the way, my dependence on you turned into something deeper—love.“My life has always been simple and barren. You were the only light in it, the only person I ever cared about.“But I suppose my feelings were never meant to bloom. They were destined to be buried in the mud, weren’t they?“I used to imagine what it would be like if I were the one standing beside you. How happy that would have been.“But Uncle Xavier, I don’t regret meeting you. You were the
Xavier knew that he had brought all of this upon himself. If he hadn’t been so stubborn, if he had just faced Starla’s feelings honestly and openly, she wouldn’t have been forced into despair. She wouldn’t have left. Xavier collapsed onto the couch, a deep, aching bitterness settling in his chest.Wendy was right. No matter how much he had tried to deny it, deep down, he had felt the same way about Starla all along.He remembered a moment from Starla’s teenage years.One day, in passing, she had casually mentioned a boy in her class.A bright, kind boy she admired.It was just an offhand comment, something Starla mentioned casually, without much thought.But when Xavier heard it, his first reaction wasn’t amusement.It wasn’t happiness that she was growing up.It was jealousy.A deep, unshakable resentment.He couldn’t imagine a day when Starla would leave him—when she would fall into another man’s arms.No.He wouldn’t allow it.From that moment until she went
A flicker of panic flashed in Wendy’s eyes. “I-I never stopped you from looking for her! I’m her aunt-in-law, too. Why wouldn’t I be worried about her?” Xavier let out a cold laugh. “Aunt-in-law? What kind of aunt-in-law are you?“The only reason I ever played along with this farce was for Starla’s sake. You were never really my wife. Did you actually believe you were Mrs. Lloyd?” Wendy barely managed to break free from his grip, forcing a strained smile. “I’m sorry, Xavier. I was just worried about you, afraid you’d be too heartbroken. I only wanted to comfort you.“If I upset you, I’ll leave…” But Xavier didn’t give her a chance to escape. Something had always felt off. And now, those doubts he had ignored were all coming back, falling into place. His expression darkened. Memories of that day at the hospital surfaced in his mind. He grabbed Wendy by the throat, his grip tightening. “Why didn’t the hospital detect Starla’s illness?“Where were you when
“Who gave you permission to annul the identity of a living person? She’s not dead!” Xavier slammed his palm against the desk, his voice seething with rage. “You can’t even confirm whether someone is alive or not? Is this how you do your job?!” The officer flinched at his outburst and quickly tried to calm him down. “Mr. Lloyd, please don’t get agitated. We’ll call in the staff who handled the case and get to the bottom of this.” A few minutes later, another officer arrived with a document in hand. “Mr. Lloyd, Miss Xander’s identity records have indeed been annulled and she confirmed it herself.”The officer handed him a signed consent form. At the very bottom, in black ink on white paper, was Starla’s signature. Xavier recognized the handwriting instantly. It was hers. “She wasn’t alone when she came in,” the officer continued. “There was an older man with her—seemed to be one of her professors.“He had all the necessary paperwork, something about cancer an