Chapter 202
A magnificent hot air balloon drifted through the navy blue sky, while far below, a sleek luxury car carved its path along winding roads.
Brandon had delivered Vivian safely to her doorstep, yet he refused to cross the threshold into her home.
Her voice had grown more insistent with each invitation, but he remained steadfast in his decision to leave.
He understood exactly what desires burned in Vivian's eyes, though he coudn't bring himself to fulfill them.
The digital world buzzed with fervent discussions about Millie and Myron's blossoming romance.
Witness after witness emerged, each painting vivid pictures of Myron's unwavering devotion to her.
"Seriously, does Myron still insist he's pursuing her? Has Millie actually accepted his advances yet?"
"Nobody's heard anything about Millie giving him the green light."
"Does anyone have insight into Brandon's thoughts about this situation? His former wife, barely divorced,now finds herself at the center of Myron's spectacular courtship!"
"Haven't Brandon and Vivian become an item long before Myron did anything? They ought to make it official and move forward."
"Perhaps,but Vivian will be gone in barely four months-what path will Brandon choose then?"
"Nobody can predict that outcome."
Each comment Brandon consumed deepened the turmoil churning within his chest.
He couldn't decipher Myron's true motives.
Was this elaborate display designed to torment him personally, or did it serve to weaken the Watson family's standing? Then there was Millie's role in this theater.
She possessed enough intelligence to recognize that accepting Myron's public invitations would ignite media firestorms and fuel gossip mills. Yet she continued to say yes.
Brandon's mind raced with possibilities-did fragmets of love for Him still linger in her heart? Had she finally abandoned her vigil of waiting for his return?
That rain-soaked evening haunted his memory, when he'd-summoned the courage to ask whether love stil lived within her.
He still vividly remembered her response had been a simple, devastating
The traffic light blazed red ahead, forcing Brandon to slam his brakes with sudden violence.
His gaze lifted instinctively upward, and through the car's sunroof, he imagined glimpsing that distant hot air balloon suspended against the evening sky.
He remained transfixed by this phantom vision until the light shifted to green and angry horns shattered his trance, demanding his attention return to the present moment.
Denial surged through every fiber of his being; he refused to surrender her to Myron's embrace.
He would never permit such a betrayal of his heart.
·.·
High above the earth, Myron expertly maneuvered the hot air balloon's controls, guiding their gradual descent toward a predetermined destination.
Millie remained motionless beside him, her emotions wreaking havoc within her soul.
The revelation of buried truths and the unexpected return of a treasured artifact from years past had left her reeling in emotional chaos.
Now that the storm within her had finally quieted, numbness had settled over her like a heavy blanket. She pressed the blue diamond against her chest, its cool surface grounding her as she studied Myron's profile. Eventually, their aerial journey concluded as the balloon made contact with solid ground, prompting a small army of crew members to rush forward and secure their vessel.
Myron extended his hand, helping her navigate the portable steps the staff had positioned beside their basket.
Millie surveyed their surroundings with growing recognition-they had landed within walking distance of Elliott Mansion.
Their sky-bound voyage had consumed far more time than she'd initially realized.
"Come with me," Myron murmured, his fingers intertwining with hers as he led her toward a waiting shuttle vehicle.
The evening breeze whispered against their skin, and he noticed the telltale signs of her earlier tears-swollen eyelids still tinged with red from weeping. An emotion he couldn't quite name stirred within his chest.
She would never comprehend the truth that had shaped his existence-that she had always represented his most impossible dream.
Her self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy had never diminished her worth in his eyes.
His memory transported him back to that pivotal day at the harbor, when failure in family power struggle had stripped him of everything while she commanded attention from countless admirers, radiating elegance and grace.
Her lustrous hair had cascaded in gentle waves past her shoulders, and her smooth skin had gleamed beneath expensive jewelry that spoke of privilege and refinement.
Despite her queenly bearing and the crowd of suitors surrounding her, she had pushed through their ranks with determined purpose, seeking him out among the masses and extending a delicate pendant toward him.
"Take this-it will guide you toward better days," she had whispered, her voice carrying across the years to reach him in this present moment. Without that fateful encounter and the precious gift she had bestowed upon him, the unforgiving ocean would have claimed his life in some forgotten corner of its depths.
In her radiant presence, he had always remained the perpetual underdog, forever reaching toward something beyond his grasp.
Millie absorbed the nocturnal landscape unfolding around them, her emotions remaining an enigma even to herself,unwilling to excavate memories from the past, following Myron with passive resignation.
Their vehicle glided through the imposing gates of Elliott Mansion, navigating the serpentine pathways that wound through manicured gardens before drawing to a halt directly in front of the grand main residence.
"Welcome back, sir!"
"Good evening, Mr.Elliott!"
A chorus of respectful greetings erupted from the assembled staff, though Myron acknowledged them with only brief nods, his hand guiding Millie past ornate rockeries and tranquil ponds toward the house's entrance.
The timeless elegance of Elliott Mansion's classical interior design seemed to mirror Myron's sophisticated character perfectly.
Millie had wandered these very halls before, accompanying Ari during playful visits centered around the mansion's beloved feline resident-Kiki.
"Meow!"
The moment they crossed the threshold, an exquisitely fluffy ragdoll cat materialized to welcome them,weaving elegant figure-eights around their ankles while its luxurious tail swayed like a ceremonial banner.
"Behave yourself properly," Myron addressed the mischievous feline with gentle authority.
Millie's face brightened with genuine warmth as she crouched down to stroke the cat's silky fur.
Truthfully, she harbored deep affection for this charming creature. "Jayceon relocated to his own residence recently," Myron mentioned casually as they began their ascent up the mansion's sweeping staircase.
Millie nodded in acknowledgment, puzzled by his decision to share this information, though she recognized that this moment hardly provided the appropriaté time to analyze his motivations.
She maintained her position just behind him as they approached a particular room's elaborately carved entrance.
"What you're about to witness might overwhelm you." Myron paused at the threshold, his hand hesitating on the ornate door handle. "I wrestled with this decision for a considerable amount of time before concluding that you deserve to see what lies beyond this threshold."
Millie braced herself mentally, drawing upon her inner reserves of strength as she nodded her consent.
The door swung open to reveal rows upon rows of carefully arranged shelving units stretching into the dimly lit space beyond.
With the room shrouded in darkness, she found herself unable to distinguish the specific contents of each carefully arranged display.
Fortunately, no terrifying totems or disturbing artifacts greeted her initial inspection.
Myron's hand found the light switch, instantly flooding the room with brilliant illumination that revealed the shelves' extraordinary contents.
Paintings filled every available surface, and every single canvas bore her likeness captured in exquisite detail.
The discovery genuinely stole her breath and left her reeling with disbelief.
"Sorry," Myron murmured quietly, his voice heavy with remorse. "Now you might properly think I'm a creep."④
Millie steadied herself, glanced questioningly at Myron, and blinked repeatedly in complete bewilderment.
What strange circumstances had led to this moment? Why did every artwork feature her as the subject? The sheer scope of his obsession felt both flattering and deeply unsettling.
"Please, come with me," Myron requested, extending his hand once again to guide her deeper into the cavernous space.
They ventured deeper into what she now reallżed was an expansive gallery rather than merely a single room.He led her directly to one specific shelf, where he activated a small spotlight and carefully unrolled a canvas that had been stored with obvious reverence.
The painting depicted her younger self dancing with joyful abandon in a snow-covered town square from years past. Her hand was clasped securely in someone else's grip, a festive Christmas scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, while she beamed with pure joy at the mysterious figure beyond the canvas's edge.
Positioned beside this painted memory sat a faded photograph and an intricately crafted mask.
The cobblestone square, magical Christmas Eve atmosphere, charming red-roofed houses, and pristine blanket of snow-everything transported her into what felt like stepping directly into an enchanted fairy tale.
There had been steaming mulled red wine available that evening as well.
Millie's lips parted slightly as recogntion dawned with startling clarity.
The mask triggered a flood of buried memories, and she slowly turned to face Myron with dawning comprehension.
"The masked dancer was mMyron confirmed, his voice carrying the weight of long-held secrets."1t marked the first occasion I summoned enough courage to approach you."
During that pivotal period, he had been fighting for his very survival, his chest bearing a potentially fatal gunshot wound that had nearly claimed his ife.
The harsh conditions aboard the ship had severely hampered his recovery process, requiring two grueling months before his body had healed sufficiently to function normally again.
Christmas Eve had arrived, presenting him with an unexpected opportunity to encounter her in that magical square.
He had made a life-altering decision in that moment-to embrace bravery for once in his cautious existence.
Even though his heart recognized that her deepest affections belonged to another man, he craved nothing more than a single stolen moment to hold her in his arms as they moved together to the music.
He hadn't fully comprehended the depth of his feelings during that time, yet witnessing her willingness to sacrifice everything for someone else had awakened something profound and transformative within his soul.
Gradually, that extraordinary sensation had blossomed into genuine, all-consuming love.
This single act of bravery had planted the seeds of his devotion, marking the first meaningful encounter between two adults who had shared a brief connection during their distant youth.
Despite the anonymity provided by his mask, this hadn't been a stolen glance or a fleeting glimpse from the shadows-it had been a face-to-face meeting, a formal introduction between equals.