Chapter 278
Saturday.
The rain that had lasted for two days finally stopped.
Each winter rain brings a deeper chill.
The temperature in the city plummeted.
The sweltering summer was long gone.
Only a piercing cold remained.
And a biting wind.
Sophia Sullivan wore a padded coat when she went out.
She put on a hat and scarf.
Wrapping herself up tightly.
Ethan Roscente was already waiting downstairs.
On such a cold day.
He had parked his car on the roadside opposite the alley entrance.
But he himself had come to wait at the entrance of her building.
Passersby couldn't help but glance at him twice.
Yet he remained indifferent.
His eyes were fixed solely on the building's exit.
His focus was almost reverent.
Alexander Laurent was heading out to the lab.
He saw Ethan Roscente as soon as he stepped out of the building.
Naturally.
Ethan Roscente saw him too.
Their eyes met.
Hostility simmered in both men's gazes.
Alexander Laurent had a very poor impression of Ethan.
Even Sebastian Evans left a better impression than Ethan did.
Remembering that time he went to the villa to move books.
What Ethan had done to Sophia…
Alexander's expression darkened instantly.
"Mr. Roscente, did you just arrive this morning, or did you not leave last night?"
Ethan sneered.
"Professors read too many books. They tend to overcomplicate things. Whether I just arrived or never left isn't important. What matters is—"
He curled his lips.
Emphasizing each word.
"Clara agreed to go on a date with me. We're going out together today."
Alexander's first reaction was disbelief.
But then he remembered Sophia had been busy with lab matters recently.
Could there be some connection between the two?
He suppressed his thoughts.
His expression unchanged.
"If Sophia agreed to meet with you, she must have her own reasons."
"Date" was directly changed to "meet with you".
Who said professors couldn't be sharp with their words?
"I just want to remind you. As a man, you can be poor. You can be ugly. But you cannot lack character."
Ethan's brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"Respecting women, not doing anything against their will—that is a man's basic integrity and cultivation. You'd do well to remember that."
Having said that.
He walked past Ethan.
Heading towards the alley.
His steps were steady.
His shadow was calm.
Only in places unseen.
His fists had slowly clenched.
The veins on the back of his hands bulged.
…
The moment Sophia came downstairs and saw the man.
She couldn't help but pause.
Ethan wasn't wearing a suit today.
Dark blue jeans.
Paired with a gray and white striped down jacket.
His soft black hair fell naturally across his brow.
It lessened his sharpness and frivolity.
Adding a touch of youthfulness and sunshine.
For a moment.
She seemed to see the Ethan of the past.
Back then.
The man was still a spirited youth.
His eyes were pure.
And intense.
The way he looked at her was so focused.
It once made Sophia believe this relationship had no expiration date.
And would never change.
Yet reality told her—
Nothing lasts forever.
Feelings change.
And people change too.
"What's the plan now?" She got straight to the point.
No expectation.
No joy.
A business-like tone.
As if completing a task.
A trace of sadness flashed in Ethan's eyes.
But he quickly smiled again.
"Get in the car first."
They walked across the street.
Ethan personally opened the passenger door for her.
"Watch your head."
Sophia bent down and got in.
He walked around to the driver's side.
Sat down.
Started the engine.
"Do you remember our first date?"
Sophia remained silent.
A hint of nostalgia appeared in the man's eyes.
He continued on his own.
"It was at that coffee shop on the corner up ahead. I bought flowers and a cake. We agreed to meet at 2 PM. But by 3 PM, you still hadn't shown up. You weren't answering your phone either…"
By 4 PM.
Sophia finally arrived.
She was still wearing a white lab coat.
Apologizing profusely.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry. I was in the lab today. I couldn't bring my phone. And then I forgot about our date this afternoon…"
Back then.
They had just started dating.
Clearly, she wasn't used to having a boyfriend yet.
Ethan had been full of pent-up anger.
The young master had never waited for anyone like this before.
Usually, it was others waiting for him.
But upon seeing the girl's apologetic face.
Hearing her endless apologies.
That anger somehow just… vanished?
With a sizzle—
It extinguished completely.
"You were too busy. After that, whenever we went out, I almost always arrived first. I'd order the food and wait for you. The longest wait… was probably when Professor Watson took you to an academic symposium. The organizers changed the schedule last minute, delaying the end by two hours. By the time you rushed over, the restaurant was almost closed."
Sophia's face remained expressionless.
But her gaze flickered slightly.
That was their first argument.
It ended with Ethan being the first to back down and apologize.
"And another time, you went to the northwest with Professor Watson to collect specimens. You left just like that, without even telling me. I foolishly went to wait at the school gate. I waited all morning, but never saw you…"
Ethan said a lot.
But Sophia remained silent throughout.
"Clara, do you still remember any of this?"
"Things from the past. I can't remember clearly anymore."
Ethan wasn't discouraged by her cold attitude.
Instead, he smiled.
"It's okay. You'll remember."
How could anyone easily forget things they experienced personally?
She was just pretending to forget.
Unwilling to admit it.
Thirty minutes later.
The car stopped at a wine Manor in the suburbs.
Ethan reached out.
"Let's get out, Clara."
Sophia ignored him.
She got out and stood on her own.
The man wasn't angry.
He smiled as he looked at the Manor before them.
"Do you remember this place?"
Sophia wished she didn't.
But her memory was too good.
This Manor was actually a wine cellar.
Julian Winston lost it to Ethan in a card game.
Ethan loved like the hustle and bustle of the city.
He had little interest in vacations.
If he had free time.
He'd rather organize a drinking or card game with Charlie and the others.
Than come to such a remote place.
But Sophia fell in love with this place at first sight.
Far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Even the wind carried a sense of freedom.
Open the door, and mountains greet you.
Before the mountains, a stream.
The water is clear.
Fish swim within.
It had a feeling of "secluded living".
The only pity was within the Manor.
Since the owner was absent.
It lacked long-term care.
Large flower beds were abandoned.
During the summer break of her senior year.
Ethan went on a business trip to France.
He wouldn't be back for a month.
She took the keys.
And simply came to stay here alone.
She stayed.
For over half a month.
During that time, while digging for wild vegetables.
Her phone accidentally fell into the stream.
It was completely destroyed.
Sophia didn't want to make a special trip to the city to buy a new phone.
So she ordered one online.
The delivery was supposed to arrive the next day.
But due to stormy weather.
The mountain road collapsed.
The快递 was delayed.
She had to wait two extra days to get the phone.
It was during these four days without a phone.
Ethan couldn't reach her.
He almost went crazy.
In his own words—
He almost turned the entire city upside down.
When she finally got the phone.
Inserted the SIM card.
Her first action was to call him back.
And send messages.
Trying to explain and reassure.
But Ethan seemed to take revenge on her.
He wouldn't answer calls.
He wouldn't reply to messages.
Sophia found it utterly baffling.
It wasn't intentional.
She had explained clearly.
Moreover, a few days earlier during a call.
He said he would stay in France for an extra half month.
Sophia naturally had no objection.
She was enjoying her stay at the Manor.
Carefree and content alone.
She never expected…
Ethan Roscente appeared abruptly at the estate's entrance.
Sophia Sullivan hadn't even had time to smile.
He coldly waved his hand.
A group of bodyguards in black swiftly rushed into the garden.
They roughly uprooted the flower seedlings she had carefully nurtured.
Dirt flew through the air.
Tender green stems and leaves were trampled mercilessly.
"Am I short of money to buy you flowers? Do you need to plant this trash with your own hands?"
"You don't answer my calls or texts. So this is where you've been, playing in the dirt!"
"Clear it all out. Not a single plant remains."
In just twenty minutes, the garden was a complete mess.
Two weeks of her hard work vanished.
Sophia stood frozen, a chill running through her.
She watched Ethan direct the destruction.
She watched the tender seedlings being ripped out by their roots.
She watched the soil being churned into chaos.
This was no accident.
It was deliberate annihilation.
A fierce argument erupted between them.
Ethan grabbed her wrist. "Are these flowers more important than answering my call?"
"I used all my connections to find you. I almost called the police. And you were here, enjoying yourself?"
"Sophia, I always come after your studies. Now I'm less important than a few flowers?"
…
"Why can't you care about me a little more?"
…
"Last time you said you'd delay coming home. I waited for you until dawn. You didn't even offer a word of comfort."
…
"Stop your studies. We'll get married after you graduate."
Sophia's initial fury was disarmed by the vulnerability in his eyes.
She began to doubt herself. Had she been too cold?
Had she truly neglected his feelings?
This prolonged self-reflection led to a wrong decision—
She gave up her direct Ph.D. opportunity.
This estate became the watershed moment of her life.
Back to the present.
Ethan pushed open the greenhouse door.
A stunning sea of flowers appeared before them.
Even in the depths of winter, a riot of colors was in full bloom.
Roses, orchids, azaleas all vied for attention.
It was warm as spring inside the greenhouse.
A precise climate control system maintained the perfect environment.
Flowers from different seasons bloomed simultaneously here.
Ethan pointed to a cluster of phalaenopsis orchids. "This type has very specific soil requirements. I used a mix of sphagnum moss and bark."
"The temperature must be kept above 15 degrees. Watering needs to be adjusted seasonally…"
His explanation was meticulous.
But Sophia's gaze drifted past the flowers, toward the distant mountains.
Vibrant roses bloomed fiercely by the window.
In the past, this would have moved her deeply.
Now, her heart was as still as placid water.
Not even his voice could stir a single ripple.
"Flowers bloom and fall in their own time. So do feelings. Once missed, they're gone."
Ethan stared at her intently. "What if I refuse to let go?"
Sophia met his gaze calmly. "That has nothing to do with me."