Chapter 18
After everything was over, Noah found himself haunted by thoughts of Callsta
He missed the quiet days she spent by his side.
He missed the way she used to smile at him, warm and sincere.
He missed the way she cared for him in all the little ways he had once taken for granted
Driven by a longing that only grew stronger with each passing day, he quietly hired someone to start tracking her down. He didn’t care how far she had
gone
Even if she had disappeared to the ends of the earth, he was determined to find her.
Noch knew he had falled her. He hadn’t kept his promise to marry her when she turned 30. But now, for the first time in years, he was absolutely certain of what he wanted.
He and Patricia were divorced. That chapter was closed. All he wanted now was to apologize to Calista and bring her home
12 years of shared memories couldn’t be erased. If he apologized, if he came to her sincerely, he believed she would forgive him. She would come back to him.
A few days later, Karen finally brought back news.
On the day Calista and Theodore got their marriage certificate, they flew to Avendale to start their new life together.
The moment Noah got the confirmation, he booked the next flight out.
He hadn’t slept all night or eaten a bite since bearing the news. The moment his plane touched down in Avendale, he went straight to the estate where Calista was staying
On the way there, Noah was caught between hope and dread, his emotions swinging like a roller coaster.
But the second he stepped out of the car at the estate gates, a team of armed security guards blocked his path
Frustration welled up in his chest. He was exhausted, raw, and desperate. There was no way he had come all this way just to be turned away. He wasn’t leaving without seeing her.
Just as he was about to force his way through, he saw a familiar figure approach from across the garden.
She wore a pale pink sundress, scattered with embroidered, delicate white roses.
Since they had grown up together like childhood sweethearts, Noah recognized her immediately.
It was Calls
“Calista!” be called, his voice breaking with emotion..
Noah imagined all the reactions Calista might have upon seeing him, the pain, the anger, the tears.
But what he never expected was her calm. The way she looked at him was distant. It was like she was sizing up a stranger on the street
Noah felt his heart sink, a painful twist tightening inside him.
She walked toward him with the grace of someone completely at ease.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be with Patricia?”
Calista’s face remained completely unreadable as she looked at Noah, like he was nothing more than a stranger passing by. Even when she mentioned Patricia, the woman who had once been her rival, her tone remained flat.
Noah could handle Calista yelling at him or even slapping him, but this cold indifference was unbearable. Her calmness meant she no longer cared about him
He forced a smile, but it came out twisted and broken “Calista.. I divorced Patriela. Can we talk? Just the two of us.”
When Calista walked toward him, she didn’t ask the bodyguards or maids to step aside. Noth wanted some privacy so he could openly confess his feelings and apologize for his past mistakes.
Upon hearing Noah’s request, she refused without hesitation. “I don’t think there’s anything left for us to talk about. Your divorce from Patricia doesn’t
Concem nie.”
Noah pleaded, “Please, just hear me out.”
For the first time, the usually proud Noah showed a pleading expression, and it was directed at her, Calista was surprised but also found it ironic.
If it were the passionate Calista from before the one who loved Noah fiercely and would have given everything–she would have agreed to whatever he
But now, all she felt was exhaustion and annoyance,
“I don’t want to waste my time listening to donsense.”
Chapter 18
Noah’s eyes welled up with tears. He never expected Calista, who had loved him for 12 years, to be so cold.
He said, “Cali, you must be angry with me, right? I know I hurt you badly back then, and I’m sorry…”
Before he could finish, Calista impatiently interrupted, “Enough! If you’re done talking, then leave.”
Without looking back, she turned and walked inside, refusing to see him any longer.
This ruthless Calista was a stranger to Noah, and he felt lost and powerless. He couldn’t get past the guarded gates of the estate.
All he could do was call her name repeatedly.
As Calista walked further away, Noah’s voice trembled with desperation. “Cali, I’ll do anything, really. Anything you want. Just give me one chance. I have so much I need to say.”
After hearing that, she stopped in her tracks.
It wasn’t that Calista had softened. Instead, she thought of something amusing. She wondered what it would look like if Noah–the same man who had mocked her as a lapdog–became one.
With a smile, she turned and said, “I’ll give you a chance to talk to me. But…”
Noah’s hopeful eyes fixed on her as she calmly added, “You have to bark like a dog and kneel outside the estate while you say it.”
The light in Noah’s eyes dimmed slowly as he stared at her in disbelief. The woman who once loved him deeply was now making such a humiliating demand
Whether it was barking or kneeling, it was humiliating. For someone as proud as Noah, it felt worse than anything, like a punishment worse than death. After a few silent seconds, Calista shrugged indifferently and said, “If you don’t want to, then forget it.”
With that, she started to walk away.
“Wait!” Under Calista’s teasing gaze, Noah crushed his pride and stammered, “I… I’ll do it.”
His face flushed bright red with embarrassment. He barked sharply, “Woof!
Then, he fell to his knees with a thud.
This time, Calista genuinely laughed. “Where did this dog come from? How desperate.”
Noah’s face went pale as the words struck a deep, painful memory. He had once said these very words to Calista.
