It was a simple 'bye', but it surely carried the weight of everything Quinn felt at that moment.If it weren't for Charlie, she never would've become a singer. She was incredibly talented at it, but talent alone didn't mean she truly loved it.Her only goal in her career was finding him, and she already considered retirement as soon as she bumped into him that one time.Now, as confetti rained along with the snow, it was a spectacle of breathtaking beauty as Quinn waved at the crowd and bowed once more.Then, she stood still center stage, the elevator quickly descending, and she was gone before long.And amidst the raining confetti, everyone realized that Quinn was never performing again.Every floodlight in the stadium came to life right then, and the public address system warbled, "Tonight's concert has thus concluded. Please leave in an orderly manner to prevent a stampede, and take any litter you have with you. Thank you for your cooperation!"However, most of the fans didn'

Claire's eyes were most as she breathed softly, "Happy birthday, dear! I wish your wish will come true, and a blessed year ahead!"Charlie nodded emphatically, touched. "I wish the same for you too, dear."Claire held up her glass and smiled. "Cheers.""Cheers!"They rarely had the chance to sit down and drink together.Somehow, on this snowy night in the warmth of their hotel, it felt like a special day and they both had an urge to drink.Still, Claire was tipsy after just a couple glasses, but she only felt lightheaded and didn't actually feel sick.If anything, the buoyed sensation actually felt relaxing.Before long, they finished the 750ml bottle of red wine.Claire's cheeks were flushed as she reached for the next bottle, ready to pop it open when Charlie quickly said, "You've already had quite a bit to drink, dear. You should stop."Claire shook her head. "No, this is a rare opportunity. I think I'll finish this one too."Charlie smiled wryly. "You'd wake up with a te

Claire and Charlie were a legally married couple, so suddenly asking why Claire was in his bed felt strange, both for himself and presumably to Claire as well.Claire, reading his mind again, mustered her courage and asked, "We've been married for so long… Don't you think we can take things further?"Charlie was as surprised as he was delighted, but restrained herself and asked gingerly, "I thought you said we'd take it slow… Step by step…"Despite her shyness, Claire pointed out, "We're married anyway, so consummating is only natural… Sure, I was just young and naive, only following Grandfather's wishes to the letter. There's also this wall that went up in my mind, and that's why we allowed this weird marriage to continue for so long…"Pausing, she sighed and said solemnly, "I've thought about changing for a while, but since I'm the one who raised this wall between us, it's awkward for me to suddenly change my mind, and my pride also gets in the way. Even so, I will take this step

However, while Charlie was sleeping soundly, Claire definitely wasn't.Now, she finally realized how much she really loved Charlie Wade.If only she had taken this step sooner, so that they lived a proper marriage, they would surely have shared tons of blissful memories.And who knows? They would have children already.However, there was just no turning back in life.-Early next morning, Claire's phone beeped with a WhatsApp link sent from Stephen's burner account.It was a collection of chat logs of a woman's account.[Outrage! A sixty-year-old Oskian was attacked in broad daylight out on the streets of Melbourne! The assailants were all teenage locals!][This cannot stand! The old man was beaten so badly he was bleeding out of his skull, and had to be rushed to the hospital!]There were several media files attached, including photos and videos from rubberneckers and security camera footage. And in every photo, Stephen's face was clear as he lay on the ground, powerless a

Sighing, Charlie continued, "Even kids from war-torn countries are insulting us Oskians with racist slangs. They're barely surviving and living in shacks that could blow up any day, but they still find the time to insult us. There's just no civility to be found anywhere these days, like they don't even have to be taught—they're just born that way."Claire nodded in agreement. "Yeah, kids these days are as bad-tempered as they are uneducated. And they get all the more fearless when they're in their home country.""Exactly," Charlie sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "That's why all Oskians must unite, here and everywhere else. We can't suffer in silence when we're supposed to defend our basic rights."Claire nodded, looking at her phone as she slid it to Charlie, sighing. "This poor old man… They're saying he just moved there recently, and didn't have any family. I wonder how he is now, after being hurt so terribly… Just see how terrible it looks. I really feel for him…"Charlie