"Professor Thornton, I agree to participate in the cryonics experiment. Please sign me up," Ailaney Kenchatt said calmly.

Braylon Thornton's voice crackled through the phone. "Laney, are you sure about this? I know the diagnosis hit you hard, but there are still treatment options—"

"It's stage four lymphoma. There's no cure."

A heavy sigh came through the line. "But the research team's cryopreservation tech is still in the experimental phase. They've never tested it on a living subject. The second they start freezing you, you could die right then and there! Please, just... take some more time to think this through."

Ailaney offered a faint smile. "My mind's made up, Professor Thornton."

With that, she ended the call.

A few minutes earlier, a news alert had flashed on her phone.

In the photo, Valeria Pelmear and Javier Tidderton held hands, their fingers laced together. A blue diamond ring glittered on Valeria's ring finger.

The diamond's brilliance burned Ailaney's eyes, even through the screen.

She bit her lip hard, but still couldn't hold back her tears. It was her birthday, yet the man she loved had given her own design—the ring she had poured her heart into—to someone else.

She thought, "Was this really necessary, Javier? Do you hate me that much?"

Ailaney sat at the table as the dishes cooled, and her heart grew cold along with them.

At 2:30 a.m., the door finally opened, and Javier stepped inside, a chill following him into the room.

"Why are you still awake?" His expression turned even colder when he saw Ailaney. "I told you I'd be with Val tonight and wouldn't be back until late."

Ailaney looked down. After a long silence, she murmured, "Happy birthday."

But it was too late—midnight had passed, and his birthday was over.

"Ailaney, what is this about?" Javier snapped, irritation clear in his voice. "Val is my girlfriend. She's the one who should be celebrating my birthday with me. Who do you think you are? I'm your uncle! You need to know your place. There was never any chance between us. Those inappropriate thoughts of yours—they disgust me!"

With that, he slammed the door and left.

He was probably going back to Valeria. After all, he'd just made it perfectly clear that she was the one who was actually his girlfriend.

Ailaney kept her head lowered, her eyes fixed on her feet. She whispered, "Jav, I'm sorry. It won't happen again.

"This is the last birthday I can spend with you."

The room was bitterly cold. Ailaney wondered which felt colder, the cryonic pod or this empty room.

She had always been sensitive to the cold since childhood. On winter nights, she would pad barefoot to Javier's room, clutching her plush rabbit, and ask to sleep beside him.

Back then, Javier doted on her. He never spoke to her so harshly—instead, he'd smile, lift her into bed, tell her stories, and gently lull her to sleep.

***

Valeria shared a photo on Instagram of her and Javier with their fingers intertwined, the Ailaney-designed "Mermaid's Heart" sparkling on her ring finger. The caption read: "We're engaged!"

At that moment, Ailaney got the electronic consent form from the Cryonics Research Team.

She didn't sign it right away. Instead, she dialed Javier's number.

The call was declined. After five attempts, he finally picked up.

"Ailaney, what is it this time?" Javier's irritated voice came through the phone.

Ailaney pressed her lips together and said softly, "I just wanted to congratulate you."

Javier scoffed. "I hope you're genuinely congratulating me."

Ailaney lowered her eyes. After a moment of silence, she asked, "When's the wedding?"

"December 12th." His tone was icier than frost.

Those words struck Ailaney like a thousand needles to the heart.

December 12th was her birthday.

Ailaney lost her parents when she was just a child.

The old, worn newspapers still told the story. "Driven to madness, a wealthy socialite stabbed her sleeping husband hundreds of times and then hanged herself, leaving a five-year-old orphan."

She was the five-year-old orphan in the news.

In the dead of winter, she hid in the wardrobe wearing only her pajamas. She shivered, nearly fainting from the cold, but fear kept her from leaving.

It was Javier who eventually found her and carried her out.

"Laney, it's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm here. As long as I'm with you, no one will ever hurt you."

She nestled into his arms, feeling a fleeting sense of safety.

Javier took her in. Maybe it was pity for her loss, but he treated her as if she were the center of his world. Whatever she wanted, he would find a way to give it to her—he even purchased a star naming service and named a star after her.

Her parents' brutal deaths had carved deep psychological wounds. In the early days after Javier took her in, she was consumed by a desperate need for security, shadowing his every move, unable to bear even a minute apart. If she lost sight of him, panic would overwhelm her.

Then, one quiet, peaceful night, Javier carried her up to the roof. He pointed to the brightest star twinkling in the night sky and said, "Laney, see that star? I bought it for you."

He handed her the certificate of ownership for the star, then gently tapped the tip of her nose. "From now on, this star belongs to you. When I'm not around, it'll watch over you for me."

Ailaney walked to the window and pulled back the curtains, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her star.

But the sky outside was blanketed with dark clouds, and her star was nowhere to be seen.

The next morning, the head of the Cryonics Research Team called and asked Ailaney to come in for a physical exam.

"Is this really necessary?" she asked, her smile tinged with sadness.

She was dying soon, so what was the point of a physical? Even if she took a thousand more tests, the cancer cells would still be there.

"Ms. Kenchatt, we need to determine the cryopreservation method and optimal freezing time based on your physical condition," the team lead explained. "This is to improve your survival rate, so we need your cooperation."

Ailaney had no reason to say no, so she drove to the lab.

The physical examination ended after a long, busy day. As she left, the team lead gave her a thick stack of documents. "You can customize both the cryonic pod's design and where it will be stored. Here are the materials you need to look over."

Ailaney nodded, quietly thanked the team lead, and went home with the documents in her arms.

The living room light was on. Ailaney's heart jumped. Was Javier home?

She felt so weak. Even after how cruelly he had treated her, she still longed to see him.

Ailaney took a deep breath to steady her heart, then walked into the living room.

But instead, she found Valeria there, wearing a silk nightgown.

"Laney, you're back?" Valeria said with a warm smile. "Have you eaten? Your uncle is busy in the kitchen. Just tell me what you want, and I'll ask him to make it for you."

Everything about her words and manner showed she was the female owner of this place.

Bitterness welled up inside Ailaney. She shook her head and was about to say that she wasn't hungry when Javier came out of the kitchen with a plate of stir-fry.

"You're just in time," Javier said. "Val and I are engaged now. From today, Valeria is the lady of this house. She makes all the decisions from now on."

Ailaney lowered her head and mumbled, "I see."

Javier thought she would protest, but he didn't expect her to accept it so quietly. For a moment, surprise showed in his eyes, dark and deep like the midnight sky.

"Don't look so stern. You'll scare Laney," Valeria said with a playful pout. "Ignore him, Laney. Let's eat."

She took Ailaney's hand and led her to the dining room.

Ailaney hadn't expected Valeria to suddenly reach out and pull her. Caught off guard, the documents she was holding scattered across the floor.

Javier frowned and bent down to pick up a design sheet for a cryonic pod. Then, he demanded in a frosty tone, "What is this?"

Though her heart was pounding, Ailaney kept her composure. She explained calmly, "It's a cryonic pod design sheet. It is research material for my summer homework. Before the semester break, our professor assigned us a project to design a product of our choice. I wanted to create a crystal coffin that preserves bodies from decaying, so I looked up some information online and printed it out for reference."

She was a freshman majoring in design, so the excuse sounded plausible enough.

Yet the cloud of gloom still lingered on Javier's face. "Ailaney, are you out of your mind?"

Javier was the one who took care of burying Ailaney's parents.

On the day of the funeral, Ailaney hid herself in the wardrobe again.

Javier found her and, instead of making her come out, he opened the wardrobe door and got in to sit with her.

"Jav," she asked, her eyes red, "is it this dark and cold inside a coffin, too? I dreamed that Mom told me to go keep her company. She said she was cold and scared for being alone in there..."

"It was just a dream," Javier said. "Don't be afraid. You're not going anywhere. I'll never let anyone take you away from me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "Jav, as long as you're here with me. I won't be afraid even if I'm locked in a coffin."

***

It seemed certain that Javier still remembered that incident.

He misunderstood everything. He thought Ailaney was once again bringing up cryonic pods to hint at her feelings for him.

"Jav, if you don't like it, I can choose a different design," Ailaney said quietly. "It's only a summer assignment. Please don't be upset."

Javier stayed quiet with a cold expression. Valeria smiled and tried to ease the tension. "Yes, you should change it. Coffins bring bad luck. A young girl like you shouldn't think about such gloomy things. You should be more cheerful."

Ailaney gathered the papers from the floor and, right in front of Javier, she threw them into the trash. Only then did Javier's face relax a bit.

Late at night, after everyone was asleep, Ailaney slipped out of bed and quietly took the papers back from the trash.

She was on her way back to her room when Valeria stepped out of Javier's bedroom wearing a camisole.

There were unclear marks on her shoulders and back.

It was obvious what she and Javier had been doing in that room.

Ailaney made herself look away and kept telling herself in her mind not to look, don't think about it. She's Javier's fiancée. Whatever they do is perfectly justified.

She told herself that Javier loved Valeria. She could make him happy. That should be enough.

"Ailaney, why won't you look at me?" Valeria's face showed clear provocation, making her seem like a different person from just a few hours ago. "Can't you accept that the person Javier loves is me, not you?"

Ailaney looked down. "No. I've already accepted it."

"Stop pretending. Do you think I can't see it?" Valeria scoffed. "The way you look at Javier isn't normal.

"Even though you treated him as your uncle, he raised you. Technically, he's your adoptive father. And yet you actually fell in love with your own adoptive father... Ailaney, are you sick in the head?"

Ailaney bit her lower lip hard, staying silent.

Was she... truly sick in the head?

No wonder Javier had grown disgusted after learning her feelings. To the world, her love was despicable.

"I heard you became an orphan because your insane mother stabbed your father over a hundred times at night," Valeria said, stepping closer to goad her. "No wonder you're disturbed—it's genetic. Your mother was twisted, and you're the same."

Ailaney could endure insults aimed at her, but not slander of her deceased parents.

"Shut up!" She lunged, grabbing Valeria's throat. "You don't know the full story. You have no right..."

Before she could finish, a cold voice cut through the air.

"Ailaney, what are you doing?"

Javier had woken up without her noticing. He stood in the doorway and glared at Ailaney.

Valeria's legs seemed to give out, and she fell weakly into Javier's arms. With tears glistening in her eyes, she sobbed, "Jav, don't blame Laney. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have come out dressed like this to get some water.

"I thought it was so late and that Laney would already be asleep. So I didn't bother with a robe and just went out in my camisole. But as soon as I opened the door, I ran right into her. When she saw these marks on me, she called me shameless. She even said someone like me could never deserve you."

With just a few words, she made Ailaney seem twisted—someone who'd stayed up late lurking outside Javier's door, driven by jealousy to attack his fiancée.

"She's lying! I never insulted her!" Ailaney's eyes grew red at the corners. "She brought up my parents just to upset me, and... and she called my mom a lunatic!"

When Ailaney was in elementary school, her classmates bullied her because of what happened to her mother.

They surrounded her, throwing garbage at her while chanting that she was a madwoman's child.

After that incident, Javier stepped in and put a stop to it.

Ailaney thought Javier must know she would never lie about this because it was a permanent wound carved deep in her heart.

"What lunatic? Laney, what are you talking about?" Valeria looked completely confused. "What happened to your parents? All I know is that they passed away when you were little. I don't know anything else."

Javier gently comforted Valeria, then turned and gave Ailaney a cold look.

"Ailaney, I never thought you would go so far as to say these things just to hurt Val," he said, his eyes full of disappointment. "Val knows nothing about this. I've never told her anything about your background!"

"If you didn't tell her, do you really think she couldn't look it up on her own?" Ailaney asked, her voice heavy with hurt. "It's not like she couldn't find it online."

"Enough!" Javier cut Ailaney off sharply before she could finish. "Do you think everyone is as twisted and trouble-making as you are?"

Ailaney froze.

Twisted. Trouble-making. Was this really how Javier saw her?

Right then, every explanation felt pointless.

"Apologize to Val right now," Javier demanded with a cold expression.

Ailaney bit her lip and stayed silent. She wouldn't apologize—she hadn't done anything wrong. Valeria was the one who should apologize.

"I've really spoiled you," Javier said, his voice even colder. "But this time, I won't let it slide. Starting today, you're not to leave your room. Stay in there and think about what you've done. You can't come out until you understand and are ready to apologize."

Ever since she was a child, Ailaney had always been Javier's favorite.

But today, he chose someone else over her.

Locked in her room, Ailaney curled up on the bed, hugged her knees, and shrank into herself. Still, she felt bone-chillingly cold.

At that moment, her phone vibrated. The head of the Cryonics Research Team had sent her a message.

"Ms. Kenchatt, your physical exam report is ready. After reviewing it, our team has found that your best window for cryopreservation is between the 7th and 21st of next month. You can choose any date within that range."

Next month would be December.

A sharp pain went through Ailaney's chest. Next month...

She sat in the dark for a long time before typing her chosen date with shaking fingers. "December 12th."

December 12th was her birthday, but it was also the day Javier would marry Valeria.

She decided not to go to their wedding after all. Javier was already tired of her, and seeing her there would only make things worse.

She would slip away quietly, hoping never to bother anyone again.

Next month was approaching, and Ailaney was running out of time.

She still had a lot to do, and she didn't want to spend her valuable time stuck in her room.

So she lowered her head in defeat. She went to Javier, bit her lip, and apologized, "Jav, I've come to my senses. It was all my fault. I'm sorry."

But Javier's face remained cold. The way he looked at her held none of the warmth it once had. "The apology isn't for me. It's for Val."

A metallic taste filled Ailaney's mouth as she bit her lip until it bled. Bitterly, she realized that all his tenderness had already been given to someone else.

"Fine! I'll apologize to her!" She was so upset that her body shook. "I'm sorry, Val. Or should I be more respectful now that she's going to be my aunt?"

Just hearing the word "aunt" made him freeze for a moment.

A look of shock flashed in Javier's eyes, and for a moment, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"Is it okay now, Jav?" Ailaney tried to smile, but her eyes turned red. "Are you satisfied?"

Javier should have felt satisfied. But Ailaney's distressed apology and her admission that Valeria would be her aunt triggered a surge of unease in his chest.

He looked away, unable to face Ailaney, and said in a cold voice, "Starting today, you'll move downstairs."

Ailaney stood still for a moment as she realized he believed Valeria's lies.

She thought, "Jav... in your eyes, am I really that twisted? Do you think I would hide outside your bedroom door, listening to you with another woman?

"So this is what you think of me, too!"

A cold sensation swept over her again. Her head spun, and she felt like she might pass out.

But she stayed on her feet. She leaned against the wall, clenched her jaw, and managed to say, "Fine."

If her uncle wanted her to move downstairs, she would.

After all, she didn't have many days left to live anyway.

That evening, Ailaney drove back to the cryonics lab.

She needed to talk to the team lead about where her cryonic pod would be kept after she was frozen.

"I read in the materials that you have cryonic pod storage underwater. Is that true?" Ailaney asked.

"Absolutely. Most of our cryonic pod storage is actually on the seabed," the team lead said. "Keeping pods at several hundred degrees below zero on land uses a huge amount of electricity. But underwater, it takes much less energy because the seabed is already very cold."

"Perfect," Ailaney smiled. "I want my cryonic pod stored on the seabed."

"May I ask why?"

She kept smiling. "Because the stars won't be able to find me there."

Javier had given her a star as a gift. He said it would always follow her, watching over her for him, wherever she went.

But now, Javier didn't love her anymore.

She knew she would die soon. It felt too sad for the star to watch over someone no one cared about. So she decided to let the star go, letting her body sink to the seabed where the star couldn't reach her, and pass away quietly, without bothering the star.

Ailaney stayed out late on purpose, in order to avoid Valeria. But when she came home, the villa was brightly lit, and Javier was in the living room, waiting for her with a deep frown.

"Jav, what's wrong?" Ailaney stared at him, feeling confused. She had no idea what she had done wrong again.

She had been out all day.

Javier threw a stack of documents in front of her, then demanded through gritted teeth as he suppressed his anger, "Ailaney, tell me what this is?"

Ailaney lowered her gaze, and there among the scattered documents was her cancer diagnosis report.

"How dare you snoop through my things?" Ailaney froze, her heart racing. Instead of answering Javier's question, she tried to change the subject. "I'm already 18. You can't just come into my room and go through my stuff whenever you feel like it."

Javier's anger boiled over. He grabbed the ashtray from the table and threw it to the floor. "Is that the point?"

The ashtray crashed to the floor with a dull thud, making Ailaney jump.

"Laney, you're mistaken about your uncle," Valeria said, trying to calm things down. "He didn't go into your room. I didn't bring any clothes to change into, and the dress I wore yesterday was ruined by your uncle..."

Her cheeks flushed pink, and she looked down, hesitating before she went on. "I really had nothing to wear, so I went into your room to find some old clothes. I didn't expect to find this cancer diagnosis report on your desk."

It was clear she was lying.

On the day she got the cancer diagnosis, Ailaney locked the report away.

Yet Valeria made it sound like Ailaney had left the report out on purpose, wanting someone to find it.

"Laney, you're so young. How could you possibly have cancer?" Valeria pressed a hand to her chest, her face full of sorrow. "Tell me the truth. Is this diagnosis real, or is it just another one of your pranks?"

Ailaney turned to look at Javier. It hit her then that he looked more angry than concerned.

Valeria had probably filled his head with doubts before Ailaney got home. That was why he didn't believe she had cancer. He just thought she was pretending to get his attention.

Ailaney told herself this was for the best. At least her secret would stay hidden.

"It was just a prank," she whispered. "I was messing around with my best friend. I never thought you'd find..."

Before Ailaney could finish, Javier stood up from the couch, his face dark with anger. "Get in the car. We're going to the hospital for a checkup right now."

The truth about the prank would finally come out at the hospital.

"Jav..." Ailaney's voice was shaky. She didn't want to go.

Javier gave her a cold glare. That one look was enough to crush any thought of arguing in Ailaney's mind.

She knew her uncle well. She also knew there was no way out of this checkup.

They arrived at the hospital at midnight. Normally, only the emergency room would be open at that hour. But Javier had called the hospital director ahead of time, and no one wanted to cross him. The director quickly found a doctor to give Ailaney a full checkup.

Even the fastest cancer tests would still take at least two hours for results.

For Ailaney, every minute of those two hours felt like torture.

She couldn't help but wonder if her uncle knew that she might die soon, would he be sad for her?

Or maybe, to him now, she was just a burden—a jealous, twisted burden he had wanted to be free of for a long time.

After what seemed like forever, the wait was finally over. A doctor came out, holding the test results.

"Mr. Tidderton, we have the test results. Ms. Kenchatt is in great health, and there are no signs of cancer at all."

Ailaney never thought that after everything she had suffered, things would end up like this.

She quickly turned to glare at Valeria. It was obvious this was another one of her sneaky tricks.

"That's such a relief," Valeria said with a deep sigh, trying to look completely reassured. "It was just a prank after all. Laney's perfectly fine. Jav and I can finally stop worrying."

Javier, however, said nothing. He cast Ailaney with a long, penetrating gaze, and it suddenly struck him how deathly pale her face was—completely drained of color.

The girl he had cherished for years now seemed to wither away.

"While there's no sign of cancer, the test results show that Ms. Kenchatt is very weak and suffering from serious malnutrition." Noticing Javier's silent concern, the doctor asked calmly, "Has she been dieting to lose weight lately?

"It's natural for young women to want to look good, but extreme dieting isn't advisable—especially in Ms. Kenchatt's case. It's seriously affected her health. Look how pale she is; no wonder you thought she had cancer."

Javier's face fell right away.

It was true that Ailaney had hardly been able to eat lately. How could she have the appetite? She was sick, and her uncle had been so cold and unkind to her.

But in Javier's eyes, it was an entirely different story.

"You're going to ruin your body like this just to fake illness and fool me?" Javier's eyes were cold as he looked at Ailaney. "What do you want from me? My pity, so I'll stay with you? Ailaney, snap out of it!"

"I didn't..." Tears streamed down her face. She knew he wouldn't believe her, but she still tried to deny it. "I really didn't."

But her denial sounded weak compared to what seemed obvious.

Javier looked at her with deep disappointment. "How did I raise you to be like this?"

Ailaney felt as if her heart had been pierced by a thousand arrows.

He left her alone in the hospital and walked away with Valeria, not looking back once.

He didn't speak to Ailaney at all for the whole week that followed.

She tried more than once to fix things between them, but nothing worked.

This continued right up until the day before Javier and Valeria's wedding.

"Jav, you're getting married tomorrow. Are you really still not going to talk to me?" Ailaney looked down, her long lashes making soft shadows under her eyes. Her face showed how sad she was.

Javier's face stayed cold. "Have you finally given up?"

Ailaney nodded, her eyes growing red. "Yes. And I promise I'm not lying to you this time."

This time, she really was telling the truth, because she knew she would die soon.

When someone dies, their heart should stop longing too, shouldn't it?

Javier glanced at her reddened eyes, clearly not believing a word of it.

Still, he softened. She had been the girl he had cared for all these years. How could he bear to shut her out forever?

"Come to the wedding tomorrow," he said coldly. "Wish Val and me sincerely, and I'll forgive you. But don't try anything tricky. I'm marrying Val, and nothing you do is going to change that."

Ailaney kept her gaze lowered. "I won't cause any trouble."

Her unexpected obedience and calmness sent a pang through his chest.

A strange restlessness rose inside him, swallowing him whole. Javier looked away, unable to bear the sight of her face any longer.

But just then, Ailaney spoke. "Jav, I'll come to your wedding. But could you have a meal with me afterward?"

Javier and Valeria chose a traditional church wedding, a ceremony that usually ends by noon.

"Tomorrow is my birthday. You've always celebrated it with me. Could you spend my last one with me?

"I know it's a lot to ask on your wedding day, but I won't intrude on the ceremony. By four in the afternoon, everything will be over. You just need to stop by, share a bite of cake with me, and wish me a happy birthday. That would be enough for me."

He couldn't say no to such a simple request. Javier was a bit tense as he agreed.

Ailaney hardly slept that night. She stayed awake until morning, then got ready and left to go to Javier's wedding.

The wedding was a lavish event, drawing almost all of the city's social elite. Valeria, wrapped in her flowing gown, rested happily in Javier's arms, her face bright with joy.

Javier wore a crisp black suit.

"Jav looks so handsome," Ailaney thought. He was poised, sophisticated, and carried himself with ease. Time had been kind to him; his face showed no signs of age. Thirteen years had gone by, but he was still as striking as the day he'd helped her out of that wardrobe.

She let her eyes rest on him for a moment before stepping forward. Then she held out the gift she had brought, offering it with both hands.

"Congratulations, Jav," she said. She meant every word. She hoped he would find lasting happiness and good health in the years to come.

Javier took the gift and stared at her for a long moment, saying nothing.

Beneath the surface, something shifted in his eyes—an emotion he couldn't show was simmering wildly.

But Ailaney didn't notice.

She handed over the gift and slipped away from the wedding quietly.

She hoped he would forgive her cowardice. She just couldn't bring herself to watch Javier marry Valeria.

She felt sorry for not having a big heart. She truly wished him happiness—but she could never accept Valeria.

After leaving the wedding, Ailaney went to the cemetery and laid one last bouquet at her parents' graves.

"Mom, I think I finally understand why you chose to end your life.

"Living in this world hurts so much.

"Why didn't you take me with you? You hated Dad so much that you took him with you instead. You always said you love me, but why did you leave me here all alone?"

The world seemed huge, but right then, she felt completely alone.

It felt like no one had ever really chosen her, loved her enough to stay by her side through everything, or cared for her beyond all else, and never gave up on her.

Not even her mother had.

"Never mind. If even you didn't love me that much, then Jav, my foster father, has already done more than enough.

"If you're watching over us from heaven, don't bless me. Bless him instead."

Ailaney knelt, pressed a gentle kiss to her parents' tombstone, and walked away.

She went to the restaurant by herself and waited for Javier to join her for her last birthday together.

Fireworks lit up the distant sky. Even from far away, the message was easy to read. "Congratulations to Javier and Valeria on their wedding day!"

Fireworks in broad daylight.

It was such an extravagant display.

It was extravagant, but also romantic. Javier was the kind of man who would shower his beloved with endless devotion.

It was just a shame that the person he loved wasn't her.

Time passed, minute by minute. The wedding venue was still lively, and even the people in the restaurant were talking about it. They gossiped about how Valeria's wedding dress cost a fortune and was covered in real diamonds, and how Javier loved Valeria so much that he brought in her favorite singer to perform at the ceremony.

Ailaney listened as the world buzzed around her, feeling alone and silent.

By 3:00 p.m., she wondered if Javier would be here soon.

When 4:00 p.m. arrived—their agreed meeting time—she wondered why Javier wasn't here yet. Had something held him up?

At 5:00 p.m., the wedding was long over, and the people at the restaurant had stopped talking about it. Still, Javier hadn't come.

Her phone buzzed, and a notification popped up. Valeria had just posted on Instagram.

"The wedding is done, and the honeymoon begins. Off we go to our first stop, Provence!"

Above the caption, there was a photo of two plane tickets stacked together. The top ticket had Valeria's name on it, and it was obvious who the other one belonged to.

The departure time was 5:30 p.m.

At this time, Ailaney finally understood. Javier wouldn't come.

The cream on the cake was already melting. Moving as if hollow inside, she picked up her fork and just kept eating one bite after another.

Why did the cream taste salty? It really didn't taste good.

She made herself finish the whole slice. Then, she paid the bill and left.

She thought, "Unhappy birthday to you, Ailaney."

She wished that, after she was gone, she would finally be free from pain.

Those were the wishes she made for herself on her birthday.

She drove to the cryonics lab. The staff were already there, waiting for her.

No one had celebrated her birthday with her, but at least someone would be there to see her off.

Even if they were all strangers, it was something.

Ailaney stopped for a moment, took out a letter containing her last words from her bag, and gave it to the head of the Cryonics Research Team.

"If anyone comes looking for me, give them this. If no one does... just throw it away."

The letter wasn't very important, anyway.

The team lead took the note. "I'll keep it safe."

Ailaney turned and walked slowly toward the waiting coffin.

She climbed in and lay down, just as she used to when she was a child, hiding in the wardrobe while her parents argued. The small space had always made her feel safe.

The world always felt too big and complicated. She had never learned how to handle it.

So she was returning to her "wardrobe" once again.

"All preparations complete. Begin cooling!"

When the team lead gave the order, a blast of cold air rushed in. Ailaney lost consciousness right away.

She thought, "Goodbye, Jav. I hope you have a happy marriage."

A week later, Javier and Valeria returned to the villa together.

The villa was eerily quiet. Javier instinctively frowned, feeling as if something was missing.

He quickly realized what it was—Ailaney was not there to greet them.

In the past, every time he came back from a business trip, Ailaney would rush over to him and childishly say, "Jav, why are you only back now? I missed you so much!"

But this time, there was no one to welcome him home.

Javier felt a slight irritation in his heart, but remembering that he had indeed stood her up before leaving, he forcibly suppressed the nameless anger rising within him.

"Laney?" he called out, hoping she would come out.

This time, he had brought her a gift from his trip, as a small gesture to make up for it.

However, the villa remained silent, with no response from anyone.

"What's with this girl, why isn't she saying anything?" Valeria said with a bright smile, "Could she still be mad at you? But it was all so sudden that day—even our wedding, you didn't finish attending and left in a hurry to fly to Europe."

"Afterwards, I was worried your assistant might not explain things clearly, so I went to see Laney myself and told her what happened, but she..."

Valeria deliberately left her sentence unfinished, leaving the rest for Javier to imagine on his own.

Sure enough, Javier's anger was instantly ignited: "I've really spoiled her too much!"

"Alright, alright, after all, it was Laney's birthday that day. You stood her up, so it's normal for her to be a little upset." Valeria walked slowly to Javier's side and gently persuaded him, "Let me call Laney and ask her to come back. Don't be angry anymore. We're all family—harmony brings prosperity."

On the surface, Valeria seemed to be speaking up for Ailaney.

But in reality, she was using her own understanding nature to highlight Ailaney's unreasonable behavior.

After all, Javier had left his new bride alone at the wedding for work, yet she hadn't cried or made a fuss. She had even gently reminded Javier over the phone to take care of himself and not overwork. Meanwhile, Ailaney was making a scene just because she was stood up on her birthday... With such a comparison, it was obvious where Javier's sympathies would lie.

Valeria took out her phone and pretended to dial Ailaney's number.

Then, she let out a puzzled "Huh?"

Javier frowned again. "What's wrong?"

Valeria looked confused. "Did I dial the wrong number? Why did the customer service say it's an invalid number?"

"I have Laney's number saved. It always worked before, so how did it suddenly become invalid?"

A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Javier's heart. He quickly took out his phone and dialed Ailaney's number.

But the next second, just like Valeria, he heard the lifeless voice of the automated service: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is invalid..."

Ailaney had always had only one phone number.

And now, that number had become invalid.

Valeria seemed to realize something. She put on a worried face, but secretly fanned the flames: "...Jav, could it be that Laney left home because she was angry?"

Javier's expression turned extremely grim. He strode toward Ailaney's room and kicked the door open.

The room, once cozy and cute, full of girlish charm, was now completely empty.

The gifts he had given her, the bunny plush she always hugged while sleeping, and her collection of cotton dolls... all had disappeared without a trace.

Even the bedsheets and pillows were gone, leaving only the bare bed frame standing awkwardly in the room.

"Ah!" Valeria, following behind Javier, covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Where are Laney's things? How could everything be gone? Did she really run away from home?"

Under Valeria's deliberate guidance, Javier was also led to believe from the start that Ailaney had run away from home in a fit of pique.

In an instant, his anger flared even more: "She wants to run away from home over such a trivial matter? How dare she!"

Seeing Javier so furious, Valeria was secretly delighted, but on the surface she put on a worried expression, furrowing her brows anxiously as she said, "Laney is such an impulsive child. Jav, Laney probably hasn't gone far yet. You should send your men to look for her right away!"

"The world is so chaotic these days. It's so dangerous for a young girl like her to be out there alone!"

Javier's face was extremely grim: "A child? She's already eighteen!"

In America, eighteen is already considered an adult.

And as an adult, she should be responsible for her own actions.

Yet Ailaney was still as willful as ever, showing no sign of growing up.

Thinking of this, the anger Javier had barely managed to suppress flared up again. With a cold expression, he said, "Since she doesn't want to come back to this house, let her stay out there! Pass on my order: no one is allowed to look for her!"

With that one sentence, Valeria was overjoyed.

Wonderful—she had finally managed to drive that troublesome Ailaney out.

Just one more step, and she could rightfully become Javier's official wife!

However, no matter how harsh his words, Javier eventually softened.

After all, he had raised Ailaney himself, caring for her meticulously since she was little, always afraid she might suffer even the slightest grievance... Now, Ailaney had indeed become a bit unruly because of his indulgence, but as her guardian, he couldn't really just ignore her.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if something truly happened to her out there, Javier knew he would regret it for the rest of his life.

So after making those harsh statements, the next day, he secretly sent his men to look for Ailaney.

However, the more people he sent, the more fruitless the search became—Ailaney was still nowhere to be found!

"Boss, I've contacted all of Ms. Kenchatt's classmates from kindergarten to university. They all said that Ms. Kenchatt hasn't been in touch with them at all this summer, and none of them have seen her."

"Boss, I've also checked all the places Ms. Kenchatt frequented, but I couldn't find her anywhere..."

"Boss, I found out that a week ago, Ms. Kenchatt donated all her belongings to the welfare center. I saw her collection of cotton dolls there, as well as some of her clothes and bags... Should I retrieve these items?"

***

One by one, the subordinates returned to report, but all the news they brought was useless.

Ailaney was still missing, and they hadn't even found a single useful clue!

Until Javier's assistant brought back explosive news: "Boss, the private detective I hired just found out that Ms. Kenchatt... has been deregistered."

Javier's body visibly stiffened: "What did you say?!"

Deregistering a household registration is usually done at the police station.

Javier rushed to the police station as fast as he could. He found the staff member who had handled Ailaney's deregistration and questioned him furiously: "Why did you deregister Ailaney? Who told you to do it? She's still alive! What right did you have to deregister her!"

The staff member was terrified, but still tried to remain calm: "Sir, please calm down. Let's sit and talk this through. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them for you."

Afraid his boss would lose control, the assistant quickly spoke up: "Sorry, we're Ailaney's family. We just received a notice saying you deregistered her, but our child is still alive. How could she be deregistered?"

"Could you please check for us and tell us what's going on?"

The staff member suddenly looked as if he understood: "Ailaney? Oh! I remember her! Such a beautiful young lady, and she spoke so gently. She left a deep impression on me."

"About ten days ago, she came here to apply for deregistration, saying she had cancer and didn't have much time left."

"Normally, we only process deregistration after someone has passed away and their family comes in. She came to deregister herself, which clearly doesn't follow procedure, so I didn't agree and didn't process it for her."

"You didn't process it?" The assistant was shocked. "Then why did we receive a notice saying Ms. Kenchatt had been deregistered?"

"Let me finish!" the staff member said. "At the time, I really didn't process it. But a few days later, someone from the Cryonics Research Team came over, saying they needed to deregister Ailaney."

"This research team has handled similar procedures here before. I don't know the details, but apparently, they freeze people with terminal illnesses and plan to thaw them out centuries later... Anyway, once someone is frozen, even if they're not dead, it will be hundreds of years before they wake up. To prevent misuse of their identity information, the research team comes here after freezing someone to temporarily deregister them."

"If, in the future, these frozen people have a chance to wake up, they can come back and restore their household registration information."