The world seemed to have stopped.

It was a sensation Emmie usually laughed at, the kind of exaggeration she believed only existed in movies, in stories where everything was dramatized for effect.

But at that moment, in that fragile instant when she realized she had been speaking to Brandon all along, revealing her deepest insecurities, her shame, her regrets, her very soul, with wine running like blood through her veins…time truly seemed to freeze.

The bustling bar dissolved into nothingness. The laughter, the chatter, the clinking of glasses, all of it faded into silence. And the only thing that existed within her reality was the pair of calm, dark eyes staring at her…eyes that seemed to devour everything they touched.

She sat there, unmoving, her eyes wide, her delicate, rosy lips parting in a soundless gasp. Her hand trembled violently, threatening to let the glass of red wine slip and shatter on the floor.

But she held it.

There were people around them and Emmie had long learned never to cause a scene, not in public, not with eyes watching. In a world ruled by the internet, one wrong gesture could twist into a story for millions.

So she did her best to steady her breathing, to stop her heart from clawing its way out of her chest, and shakily parted her lips.

"B-Brandon…?" she stammered.

Her voice was low, trembling, as if afraid to be heard, as if terrified of the answer that might come.

But no matter how desperately she wanted to deny what stood before her, no matter how much she longed to run, to drown herself once more in the comfort of wine and oblivion…this time she couldn't.

This time, life didn't give her that escape.

"How long has it been, Emmie?" Noah asked softly, his tone almost wistful. "To me, it feels like… thousands of years have passed."

He looked at her with calm, neutral eyes, no anger, no hatred, no trace of bitterness. None of the scorn she expected, none of the resentment she thought she deserved.

And somehow… that hurt her more.

Instead of relief, instead of happiness, Emmie felt something inside her shatter. Her heart screamed, shrieking in pain and in agony.

She didn't respond. She couldn't even look at him now.

This was truly him, the man she had abandoned for wealth, the man she had traded for comfort and luxury.

And now here he was, dressed in silver, exuding quiet confidence, standing in front of her with more power, grace, and wealth than she had ever imagined.

How ironic.

Seeing her in that silent storm of guilt, Noah simply shook his head with a faint smile, and stood slowly. His movements were unhurried, deliberate, composed, as though every second belonged to him.

He extended his hand toward her, his voice soft and gentle, almost tender.

"How about a more silent place?"

…

Paris was certainly worth the hype. The Eiffel Tower was a sight to behold, it looked so close because of how colossal it was, yet it stood impossibly far away from where they were.

Just like the stars. They always seemed near, as if you could reach out, fly a little higher, and pluck them from the heaven but nothing could be farther from the truth.

Noah and Emmie stood together on a rooftop, alone, surrounded by the cold wind that howled across the quiet Parisian night.

They were both staring at the distant Eiffel Tower.

It had been almost half an hour, and neither had spoken a word.

Emmie was fidgeting with her fingers, her nerves fraying with every second of silence. She kept opening her mouth, then closing it again, over and over — like a fish out of water gasping for breath — as if she wanted to speak but couldn't form the words.

In truth, she knew what she wanted to say.

She wanted to know where he had been these past six years.

She wanted to know what he had done during that time, what he had become.

She wanted to know how he had felt when she ended things with him over the phone, when she had spoken to him in that cold, sharp tone that wasn't truly hers.

She wanted to apologize for that. For everything.

She hadn't meant it. She hadn't wanted to sound that way. But it was the only way she could let him go, the only way to avoid collapsing under his gaze, the only way to keep from cursing herself as a coward. So she had run. She had chosen to hide instead of facing him.

But more than anything else… she wanted to ask him one thing…

"Why are you gentle with me?" Emmie blurted out suddenly, her voice trembling as she slowly squatted and sat at the edge of the roof.

She couldn't stand anymore. She was tired. Not in her body, but in her soul.

The wine she'd drunk was clouding her head, the world spinning and her skull pounding like a drum being beaten from within.

It wasn't a new sensation, she had long grown used to it, but somehow, being in this state before Brandon made her feel deeply ashamed.

Noah looked down at her quietly.

"Do you want me to be angry with you?" he asked lightly, a faint joke in his tone, but…

"Yes." Emmie nodded, her voice raw. Then she slowly lifted her head, her eyes shimmering under the moonlight. "Yes. I'd rather you shout at me, call me whatever names you want, than treat me like this."

Her throat finally unlocked.

"Yes, Brandon… I don't want you to look at me with those eyes," she said, pointing at his calm, unreadable gaze.

"Hate me. Look at me with anger. Look at me with something. With…" she stuttered, "…with feelings."

'Even if it's only scorn,' she added silently.

The world around them faded. The city blurred. The sound of cars, of footsteps, of laughter below…all of it disappeared.

In that moment, there was only the two of them.

Noah sighed softly and sat beside her, his movements quiet, his body sinking into the cold red tiles of the roof.

"Well, hate is a strong feeling, Emmie," he said. "And honestly… I never hated you. Not even when you left me for someone else back then."

Emmie's head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You… you didn't hate me?" she whispered, barely breathing.

She had lived the last six years drowning in guilt because of that because she was certain he must have hated her.

And through those years, no one had ever treated her the way he did.

Emmie had left him to chase wealth, but now… she would give up every piece of luxury she owned if it meant having someone like Brandon again…someone who loved her, who respected her, who cherished her without expecting anything in return.

Someone who didn't see her as an object, a trophy, a prize to be flaunted but as a human being who needed warmth, and respect, and love.

That realization made her laugh bitterly and hollowly.

How fascinating life was.

You leave something for another, only to realize what you left behind was everything you truly needed.

And by the time you understand, regret blooms in your chest like a storm…swelling, bursting, flooding your heart with sorrow.

"I never hated you. Don't you know? Sometimes the love, the respect, and the consideration you feel for someone are too deep to allow something as filthy as hate," Noah said, smiling faintly.

"All I felt after that call, after that day… was disappointment. Disappointment in thinking that my five years of saving had been for nothing. Disappointment in realizing that what you meant to me was not what I meant to you. Disappointment in knowing that I had never been enough for you, even though I charred my hands and denied myself sleep only for you."

Emmie's body began to tremble. Her eyes shimmered, her chest rising and falling sporadically, as if she were out of breath.

Shame and pain were choking her.

"That's what I felt," Noah continued softly. "And do you know why I was pestering you that day… why I invited you to meet me on the beach?"

Emmie shook her head violently, panic flashing in her teary eyes. "No… no, don't…" she pleaded, voice breaking. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to know.

But Noah said it anyway. Because he needed to. Because he also needed a release. And the only way to let go of something was to face it…to accept it, and to set it free.

"I wanted to ask you to marry me."

BADUM—!

"No…" she whimpered.

"I had saved five years of my meager salary for that. I bought the ring you told me you wanted, the one you showed me on your phone with those shining eyes. I memorized the brand and the model, just to find it later. I…"

Noah faltered for a moment. He smiled faintly, but it was the kind of smile that came from pain too deep to hide. His soul trembled, his chest heavy with a cry he couldn't let out. For a heartbeat, the world became blurry in his eyes.

But he held it together. He refused to let the rain fall.

He was Noah Vaelgrim. He was the one who would soon own this entire world.

So with the strength of his Will, he spoke again:

"I did everything I could for you, Emmie. You know that, right?"

Emmie could barely breathe. The tears streamed down her face in torrents, like water cascading from a broken dam. Her sobs tore through the quiet night, her voice lost between hiccups and gasps. Her makeup was gone, smeared across her trembling face, her mascara staining her cheeks.

She was a mess.

But still, she forced her trembling lips to move.

"Y-You did… you did, Brandon…" she stammered between sobs. "You fulfilled your duty toward me. You honored me… you respected me… you loved me…" Her voice cracked, breaking under the weight of her own guilt. "You did everything you could… you did it… you did it…"

She repeated the words again and again, her body curled in on itself, shaking violently, as though she wanted to disappear from the world entirely.

She was drowning in unimaginable pain and shame, but most of all, in regret.

Because now, for the first time, she could glimpse what he had felt all those years ago. And in that moment… she understood him.

And in understanding him, she finally understood the full cruelty of what she had done.

Noah stood up, then reached out and gently pulled her to her feet before wrapping his arms around her in a soft, steady embrace.

Emmie froze. Her swollen, tear-stained eyes widened in disbelief.

"You did me wrong, Emmie," Noah said quietly. "You were a coward… and ungrateful. But I don't blame you, because I understand the reasons you did it. So…"

He paused for a heartbeat, his voice lowering, warm and unshaking.

"I forgive you."

Emmie broke. Her sobs flooded the rooftop, replacing the sound of the wind. The night seemed to cry with her.

"I forgive you for everything," Noah continued softly, "and now… you just need to forgive yourself."

"Forgive yourself, and accept that what you did was just a mistake, a mistake any ordinary girl could make nowadays. Life won't end because of that, right?" He added with a faint laugh, and then slowly let her go.

When he stepped back, Emmie was looking at him with eyes that seemed brighter, lighter, as though a weight had been lifted from her heart.

She tried to smile, but with her smeared makeup, glistening tears, and running nose, it was a strange, fragile sight.

Noah laughed gently. "Gods… you should see your face, Emmie. I should take a picture and call it our final farewell."

The words made her expression falter.

"Final farewell?" she echoed, her voice trembling.

Noah smiled faintly.

"This meeting… was a closure," he said, his tone calm. "A closure for me, but also for you."

He lifted a hand and placed it softly on her cheek. His palm was warm, his touch careful.

Emmie leaned into it instinctively, closing her eyes.

"Don't waste your life, Emmie," Noah said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Believe me, this is just the beginning. You've made your mistakes, you've learned from them. Now go on… walk your path."

"Don't chase love. Like death, it will find you at the right time. So go, leave the past in the past, and look forward to the future."

Emmie nodded, though tears still streamed down faster than before. She didn't have the right to ask him to stay, or to tell him she wanted to make up for the years they'd lost.

She wanted to desperately, but she knew this was the moment she had to face the consequences of her choices and let go.

This was life.

Not everything and not everyone was meant to be.

And for Emmie… Brandon and she were simply not meant to be. That was why…

"I will live my life," she said at last, smiling sorrowfully.

"Hopefully not one of an alcoholic," Noah teased lightly, the corner of his lips curling.

Emmie laughed through her tears. "No! I'll stop, I promise!" she said, her tone weirdly cute and fragile.

Noah smiled again, then slowly withdrew his hand and turned away, his steps silent against the roof tiles as he began to walk toward the edge.

Emmie watched his back, her heart tightening. The words left her mouth before she could stop them.

"Will this really be the last time we see each other?" she shouted, her voice shaking, almost pleading.

Noah didn't stop walking, but his voice echoed back through the night, calm and distant.

"As Brandon… yes, this will be the last time."

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind the sound of a woman's quiet sobs carried by the wind.

"…As Brandon…?"

—End of Chapter 365—

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