My aunt said it was a rare , heavy snowfall - something that hadn't happened in years . That day , after I spoke to James , his condition seemed to worsen . He remained in bed for two weeks . The doctor explained that his illness was aggravated by emotional instability . Chris , despite being James's rival in love , wouldn't let me help . He quietly took it upon himself to feed and tend to James , doing everything with meticulous care . James demanded to see me , but Chris gave no response , merely passing the spoon to James with a cold , silent expression . After half a month , James finally managed to get out of bed . Seizing the moment when Chris was away , he left his room in search of me . I was on the balcony , brewing a pot of herbal tea , watching the snow fall outside . The cold wind made James flinch . He had clearly underestimated the harshness of winter here . I looked at him without speaking . He walked straight to the spot opposite me , and I poured him a cup of hot tea . " Hailey , is there truly no future for us ? " I was about to reply when he continued , speaking urgently . " During these past two weeks in bed , I've thought about everything . Hailey ... I was wrong . I know Susan's feelings for me were complicated , but I truly only valued her professional skills . At that time , with you trying to conceive , I handled all the work . Susan was capable , and I foolishly thought that I could take advantage of her feelings ... but I never meant to hurt you . As for the contraceptives , I had no idea . I was too naive , too arrogant , too trusting . But I want you to know - my love for you is real . No matter what , I will never hurt you . " " Even if you don't forgive me , it doesn't matter . I won't give up . " He drained his cup of tea in one gulp and reached for my hand . At that moment , his phone in his pocket rang . His assistant's urgent voice cut through the quiet . Chapter 9 90.00 % " Mr. Bennett , we have a serious problem . Susan stole a huge chunk of our core company data and sold it to a competitor . Using this , they've taken several of our major clients . " Hearing this , James jumped up from the chair . He had intended to use Susan to secure orders , forgetting that she was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals . I had once shared a brief friendship with Susan . Because she liked James , and he only had eyes for me , she had tried to trap me in that collapsing building . I knew she would never give up . Since James didn't love her , she would use every means to destroy everything he had . James had thought he could control Susan , but he forgot - she was a coiled viper , ready to strike whenever her goals weren't met . Just after recovering from his illness , James hurriedly booked a flight home . He needed to return as a leader to manage the company . Before leaving , he looked at me with lingering concern . " Hailey , I'll come back . I'll wait for you to change your mind . I want to prove that my love for you is real . " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!