Chapter 458

Chapter 458:
Millie’s attention remained focused on the intricate details of the wooden fox.
“Exactly as you advised me, I abandoned my frivolous ways and began genuinely pursuing the dreams that mattered, the goals I wanted to command, and learning to love and protect the people who held importance in my heart. The transformation demanded considerable time and patience. Many, many years of dedicated work.”
He smiled, though his eyes betrayed an ocean of sorrow. He pressed forward with his confession. “But despite all my searching and growth, I never succeeded in finding that person you described, Millie. Throughout that entire deep autumn season, and in all the seasons that followed, the person you spoke of with such certainty never actually materialized in my life, not from beginning to end.”
Millie’s gaze abandoned the wooden fox and settled on a patch of ground at her feet. The sun maintained its brilliant intensity overhead, yet darkness seemed to pool within her eyes.
“The words I spoke earlier inside the Watson Group weren’t completely fabricated,” Egbert admitted with raw honesty. “I’ve never harbored any genuine concern about Brandon or his welfare. All these years of conducting business with the Watson Group, negotiating renewals, and maintaining professional relationships—every single interaction was motivated entirely by you. That fateful wager we made years ago altered the entire trajectory of my existence. So now, I must ask you the same question.”
He studied Millie with focused intensity, ensuring that no fleeting microexpression escaped his notice.
“Did you ultimately obtain everything your heart desired? Do you still carry that same unwavering determination that once defined you?” he asked with growing intensity.
His eyes took on a reddish tinge as he lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. “Throughout all these passing years, have you ever experienced a single moment of genuine regret?”
Talking about the past now was pointless. What once was no longer mattered. All Millie could say was that her love had been sincere. And when she chose to take it back, that decision had been just as sincere. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn.net
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She looked at the wooden fox carving in her hand.
A fox? Was that how Egbert saw her? But she had never been sly or cunning. She had only ever given her heart. And now, that heart was worn thin.
She held out the carving to Egbert, but he didn’t take it.
“Keep it,” he said softly. “Since I’ve come back, I should at least offer you something. I carved it myself. It’s not worth much, but you can come to me one day with it and make a request.”
He smiled. “Anything you want from me. Even if it means giving you everything I have—my life included.”
Over the years, he had come to understand something. It wasn’t that he had never met the one he loved—it was that she had once stood before him, and he simply hadn’t realized it. And back then, she had belonged to someone else.
Luckily for him, she was now free. And so was he. It gave him hope.
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