Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Asher found himself drawn back to the ruins of the Whitman Villa. The place was steeped in memories of Lila, yet the home they once shared was gone. And so was she.

He couldn’t help but think how ruthless Lila truly was. To stop him from clinging to the past, from revisiting places where they had once been together, she had burned everything down, leaving nothing behind.

Someone was sifting through the rubbles not far away, carrying out a safe. Asher recognized the safe almost immediately. It had once sat on his desk; a decoration, untouched for nearly seven years.

Asher checked the lock records. Shocked, he saw that Lila had opened the safe in the days leading up to her accident. How could she not misunderstand when she saw those rings?

Asher recalled how he had crafted a starring role for Serena. He had promised to stay by Lila’s side but still let Serena’s pleas pull him away, leaving Lila behind.

The memories came rushing back like a tidal wave. Every secret Asher believed he had kept was now resurfacing one by one.

At last, Asher pulled out the letters he had preserved so carefully all this time. Spreading them out in his hands, he saw Lila’s familiar handwriting. His heart with every stroke of her pen.

[Hello, Asher. By the time you read this, I will have left you forever. Knowing you, I imagine quite some time has passed since my departure.]

[We honestly did have beautiful memories together. That’s why it broke me so much when I finally realized you never loved me.]

[I’m leaving this letter behind to thank you. Thank you for weaving a seven–year dream for me. Now that the dream has shattered, it’s time for me to leave. Don’t miss me.]

Asher read through the letters calmly. Then, as if seeking more pain, he reopened the old messages Lila had sent to the tabloids and read them over and when the first light of morning broke, Asher picked up his phone and made a call. “Tell everyone to stop looking for Lila. There’s no need… not anymore.”

For most people, a forest ranger’s life would seem dull because day after day of the same snow, the same woods. The animals were quiet. The mountains were quiet. But to me, it was fascinating.

When I first became an actor, a big part of my motivation was the chance to experience all sorts of lives as life was so fleeting. It was interesting to step into someone else’s shoes, even for a while.

And so, I threw myself wholeheartedly into the life of a ranger, savoring the simplicities and nuances of this world. My days were spent patrolling the mountains or reading in the small cabin. Surprisingly, I found it peaceful.

With no interruptions from the outside world, this place felt like a true paradise. That was, until today.

There was a knock at the door. Curious, I opened it to find a man in black standing outside. His silhouette stirred something in my memory.

“Asher?” I asked cautiously.

He glanced up, and I immediately realized my mistake.

“Ethan,” I corrected myself.