She would poke his forehead lightly, a few taps, and say, “It’s not that I’many to please I still love you, an I’llongae puno matter what you do.
“And one day don’t love you anymore, even if poukil poured in front of me, it won’t matter.”
As those memories drifted acry, Jonathan pulled out a box consizing the face cakes and smiled allectionately. “As expected, lean never hide anything from you.
At his words. Anna smiled and replied. “Yes, you can’t hide anything from me.”
For some raion, nathan’s heart skipped a boat, and he moment, “Anna”
Armadidn’t pond. She got out of bed and went to the buson is fresham E
When she came out, shesam Jonathan hastily lerring thehouse
She remained silent for two seconds before folewing him out.
However, on she reached the door, she froze when she saw babella standing not far away.
was she so bold rose that she had found her way into the villa!
iwan’i jint Ännu who was surprised, jonathan was clearly more shuken,
He quickly walked over to iebela, his face dark, grabbing her hand. “Have you list your mind
yan you here? Told you, when sound, you’re allowed to show up!”
Upon hearing him shout, tubela trembled, her eyes turning red with genes. She reached for he clothes, pourne, “Tran’t be way in your a second! And neither cathe baby”
As she spoke, she grabbed his hand and placed it on her small belly.
Janathan coldly pulled bis hand back. “Stepmessing around I’ll have my asistant take you home in a few days, 17 come and spend time with you and the baby.”
Bubelarried to learn. She grabbed his hand, acting spoiled, “No, I don’t want to go with the assistant Twant you to stay with me!!
She stood on tiptoe, piling at Jonathan’s the and trying to kissm
Jonathan furrowed his brows, about to push her away, but after a few seconds of her insistence, he suddenly puffedher into a tight loss.
They stood there in the garden, the kiss deepening
When his fingers slipped under her clothes, it was clear things were about to escalde. He quickly pulled back, shaving her away “You need to leave.”
Jubel, yes glating with tears, loaned against him, whispering something in ha var.
Jonathan’s expression shifted slightly
Finally, he sighed “Okory, 11 stay with you today. Get in the car, come over Liner ”
Isabella beamed, utstied, and eased her belly as she got lathe car.
As Jonathan temned to leave, Anna suddenly tuned away.
A short while later, Imathan entered the house, the first words out of his mouth being:
“Anna, I wanted to spend the day with you, but I just got a call from work. There’s an urgent issue, Thave to go out. You stay home and wait for me. Once I’m done, I’ll stay with you for the rest of the day, okay?”
He anxiously awaited her response, but Anna only looked up at him once.
That one lock stopped him in his tracks.
When happened? When had Anna’s eyes last their light?
His throat tightened as he subconsciously whispered her name. “Anna”
Befree he could say anything more, Anna spoke up. She smiled falsy, her voice soft, “Go ahead. Teade your work”
Het lone was as gentle as always, with no trace of abnormality.
Emally, Jonathan relaxed. He no longer thought about fi, ran his fingers through her hair, and turned to leave
Soon, the sound of the car’s engine roared outside, then grew fainter, restuly disappearing entirely
Anna’s smiled completely. Two lines of tears traced down face
She quietly wiped them away, then threw the little cakes from the table into the trash. Afterward, she entered her room, took out the stotrase she had already packed, and we the
She then send Jonathan her final message.
“It’s been hall a month. You can see the wedding anniversary gift we you now.”
The reply came almost instantly
“Honey, I’ll be back soon, and we’ll look at it together.
Anna smiled
“Together
Jan, it’s only you
From now on, it will vody be you.
- She forwarded all the messages Isabella had sent her to Jonathan, then withsur hesitation, broke her phone card inis preres.
Finally, she grabbed her wilde and let the host.
Outside, the morning sun was bright, the time of day til of prontise
Fronowon, no one would find Anna–house
duptero
Anna, holding her temperary M, hurried to the airport.
The moment the plane took at, everything was in the pal
After landing in France, she took on a new identity as the owner of a sidepuuse
Meanwhile, Jonathan was nearly losing his mind.
After dropping Isabella ott at home, she still wouldn’t let go of him
“Jonathan, since you’re already here, why don’t you come upstairs and take a look?” she said, tracing cirles on his palm with a flirtatious smile
Jonathan heated, feeling an inexplicable sense of pain him
“I can’t right now Go upstairs and go home. I still need to go back and be with Anna,” he said, gently pushing tobella’s hand away, remembering the promise he made to Anna
had been a long time since he had properly spent time with her Otherwise, she’d get upset.
Thinking of this, Jonathan’s lips curled into a slight, contented unde
But bella wasn’t done she wrapped her arms around his wont, holding him tightly.
“Jonathan, didn’t you want to see me wear that outfit? You’ve already brought me home. If you don’t look now, I won’t wear it next time!” she teased, her hands reaching under his shot
Jonathan’s expression grew colder. “No, promised Anna,” he said tim
But after several more advances from Isabella, he finally pavein.
Afew hours later, be straightened his clothes, making sure there were no wrinkles beise heading home.
“Anna, I’m back. Sorry for the delay” he began, but his words traded off as soon as he need the home.
Something ot
The villa was eerily quiet. Anna wan’t anywhere to be seen.
The small cakes in the trash bin were perfectly intact, as if they had never been touched.
A wave of ptic surged though Jonathan as he instinetherly started searching the living room.
It was as if he was waiting for Anna to suddenly appear intent of him
“Anna” hecalled her name again and again, but the panic in his chest kept growing
An impossible thought slowly began to take shape in his mind.
Had Annat him?
“Anna ar you joking with me? Come out, let’s open the gifts from hall a month ago Hewe planned Jonathan pleaded.
“I’m sorry for this morning, 1 was busy with work. Please borger,” he comed, his steps hurried as he looked around, hoping to find Annahing somewhere.
was then that he noticed something that made his bevet skipa best—things in the villa seemed to be missing
Where were their photos? All of them, gone
Even their wedding pictures were nowhere to be found
Jonathan felt his sanity slipping. He couldn’t believe his p
All their photos were one.
Without thinking, berished to the backyard of the villa. The spot where the cherry me had once stood was now just flat ground,
There was no sign of the time we having been there.
The housekeeper was planting flowers and plants on the bare land, filling in the empty space.
“Who told you to plant flowers here? Whose did the c
The housekeepers, contused, answered nervously.
cherrytre go? jonathan snapped, his wake tinged with an underlying tension.
*Mr. Jonathan, three days ago, Mrs. Anna said she wanted to remove the cherry tree and have it burned. Since you abys spoil her, we just followed her orders.”
The housekeepers exchanged uneasy glances, feeling the tension in the air.
“What? Burned it?” Jonathan stepped back, as if struck by lightning. Ha legs newly pwe out beneath him
