Chapter 7

I woke again, frustrated, and punched the mattress.

But I could still feel Ethan’s presence vividly, and my heart swelled with sweetness.

After that night, though, a long time passed without him touching me again.

I missed him terribly.

But I hadn’t been honest with him before. Would it be awkward to approach him now?

My heart was a tangled mess.

For days, I was filled with longing and disappointment.

I had to admit—my feelings for Ethan weren’t pure.

Even though I called him “brother,” I kept imagining calling him something else.

What should I do?

I started to resent him a little.

Was I not his type?

Why didn’t he want to share that pleasure with me again?

I didn’t dare tell even my closest friend.

I bore the punishment of my own cowardice alone.

A week later, I received an international call.

It was from Mom.

She and William were coming home.

I bounced excitedly on my soft bed.

Joy swept over me like a fresh breeze, clearing away the dark clouds over my head.

I missed my mother so much.

Since I could remember, I had never been apart from her for this long.

But then, anxiety crept in.

Ethan had already been distant for so long.

Once Mom and William returned, would he drift even further away?

The missing lingerie reminded me he still cared.

But his absence left me tangled in doubt and heartache.

The excitement of seeing Mom clashed with the pain of Ethan’s silence.

It was tearing me apart.

I felt like I was going insane.

On the day of Mom’s return, I freshened up and went to the airport.

Since I hadn’t been sleeping well, I applied a careful layer of makeup.

Waiting felt endless.

Long waits can bring disappointment, crush hope, and plunge you into despair.

My makeup had smudged, and Mom still hadn’t arrived.

I didn’t know what to do.

When Ethan called for the seventh time to ask if they’d landed, I broke down.

Tears choking my voice, I told him they weren’t here yet.

I was terrified something had happened.

Ethan dropped everything and rushed to the airport.

He sensed something was wrong.

He found me sitting alone on a bench in the waiting area, looking lost.

He wrapped his arms around me gently.

“It’s okay. I’m here.”

I’d been sitting in the cold all day.

His warmth brought me back to myself.

I clung to him and sobbed.

“Victoria, what’s wrong?” he asked, confused by my tears.

“Ethan… Mom and William… they’re gone.”

The deepest grief isn’t loud—it’s when the pain steals your breath.

Trembling, I handed him my phone.

The news was devastating.

An avalanche in the Alps.

Nine dead, thirty-three injured.

Mom and William were among the nine.

Then a fire broke out in the disaster area.

No new casualties, but all nine bodies were burned to ashes.

I had lost my mother.

I couldn’t even see her one last time.

The thought echoed in my mind.

My only family was gone.

Ethan stared at my phone in disbelief.

He gripped my hand tightly.

“Victoria, are you joking?” he demanded, voice rising.

I didn’t know how to answer.

I sat numbly as he shook me.

My head throbbed, as if invaded by a virus.

So this is what it feels like when your world collapses.

That was my last thought before everything went black.