Chapter 252

A year passed quickly.

Victoria poured almost all her energy into the career she loved, burying her painful emotions beneath her work.

While preparing to study abroad, she forced herself to completely sever that secret, unspeakable longing for Edward.

She maintained her rhythm through busyness, throwing herself into jewelry design competitions with near-obsessive intensity.

Her design style changed dramatically—no longer gentle, but sharp and fragmented, carrying a kind of desperate beauty.

In her hands, cold metals and dazzling gems were transformed into emotions, as if she had sealed unspoken desires and cries into her work.

This incredible burst of creativity won her countless awards; industry media even called her "the most talented designer of the younger generation."

Just last week, a top design master based in Varellia emailed her, inviting her to study in France.

On the surface, Victoria's life was fulfilling and brilliant.

But every night, when the studio lights went out, loneliness would return to her side on schedule. She would curl up alone on the cold floor, her mind replaying her parents' eyes that always favored her sister, and Edward's handsome but perpetually distant face.

She could only bite her hand to swallow back her grievances and restrained love, along with her tears, piecing herself back together alone in the darkness.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of others, Edward and Anne's relationship was progressing steadily.

They came from similar backgrounds and appeared polite and proper together. Whether attending dinners or weekend dates, there was nothing to criticize.

But only Edward knew how suffocating this so-called "compatibility" was.

They were too polite with each other.

No arguments, no loss of control, and none of that burning honesty found in passionate love.

Anne was always dignified; he was always gentlemanly. Yet the two never truly drew close, as if separated by an invisible pane of glass.

June arrived quickly. Summer winds blew across campus as Victoria's graduation ceremony approached.

Anne specially cleared her schedule to bring Anthony and Esme to the school. Before leaving, she naturally invited Edward.

"Edward, it's Victoria's graduation ceremony today. Would you like to come with us?"

Edward was fastening his shirt cuffs. The moment that name reached his ears, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard.

His instinct was to refuse. He told himself that Victoria was just his fiancée's sister, that he should keep his distance to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

But when the word "no" was almost at his lips, he somehow nodded instead. "Okay."

He didn't dare examine what happened in that moment. He only knew that beneath that suit and respectability, his heart was racing out of control at the prospect of seeing the girl who had avoided him for an entire year.

The graduation ceremony was held in the school's auditorium.

The sunlight was blinding. Victoria stood in the crowd wearing a black graduation gown, strikingly beautiful—the kind of person all eyes would unconsciously linger on.

After the ceremony, Anthony and Esme, setting aside their usual severity, walked over to take photos with her.

"Well done, Victoria."

Anthony looked at Victoria's newly received award certificate, his face finally showing rare approval. He raised his hand and patted her shoulder. "You have great design talent. Keep working hard after you go abroad. The Windsor family will be proud of you."

"Thank you, Father." Victoria lowered her eyes, showing an obedient smile.

In the bustling campus, this family briefly shared a rare, gentle moment.

Under the shade of a tree not far away, Edward watched this scene quietly.

He saw Victoria's eyes redden from her father's simple word of approval, and his breath suddenly caught.

Did she care this much about just an ordinary compliment?

Just then, Anne's phone rang.

Anne glanced at the screen. "Sorry, it's my advisor calling."

She chatted on the phone for a bit, then turned to her parents. "My professor says he hasn't seen you in a long time and invites you to his office to chat."

Anthony and Esme readily agreed.

Anne looked at Edward again. "Do you want to come along?"

"No." Edward's voice carried a hoarseness he himself hadn't noticed. "I don't really know your professor. I'll get some air here."

Anne didn't think much of it and left with her parents.

After the crowd gradually dispersed, Victoria walked alone to an old tree at the edge of campus. June flowers were in full bloom; petals blown by the wind fell slowly, landing on her graduation gown, in her hair, and on her shoulders.

She kept her head down, quietly flipping through freshly developed photos. In the sunlight, her long lashes cast delicate shadows; she looked so fragile one didn't dare breathe loudly.

Edward stood about ten feet away from her, his tall figure frozen in place.

His gaze seemed caught, unable to move away from her. His eyes churned with emotions he hadn't even had time to name—tender beyond bounds, and dangerous beyond bounds.

She was too beautiful.

Not Anne's kind of perfect, standard beauty, but an attraction tinged with stubbornness and fragility, like cracked glass that was somehow more dazzling and impossible to look away from.

A pale petal spiraled down, landing gently in Victoria's hair.

Edward's rationality snapped in that moment. He forgot he was Anne's fiancé; he forgot all the boundaries and morals that should have existed. His legs moved before his brain: one step, two steps, walking straight toward her.

Only when his shadow covered her did Victoria notice someone approaching. She looked up in confusion.

"Edward..."

Before she could finish, Edward was already standing in front of her.

He blocked the harsh sunlight, leaning down slightly and raising his right hand toward her

Victoria's pupils contracted sharply. Her body froze; even her breathing stopped for half a beat.

Edward's fingers were defined and elegant. His warm fingertips gently pinched the petal that had landed in her hair. The instant the petal was gone, his rough fingertip inadvertently brushed her soft hair, touching her scalp.

Both their heartbeats seemed to hit pause.

Edward's hand stopped in mid-air, not immediately withdrawing. His Adam's apple visibly bobbed, those deep eyes locked tightly on hers.

Something pressed to the edge lurked there—dangerous and aggressive.

Victoria looked up at him, her heart crashing wildly against her ribcage, making her dizzy.

The wind kept blowing, petals still falling slowly, occasionally brushing past their shoulders. The air was like a tightened string—restrained, out of control, and almost suffocating.

No one spoke, and no one stepped back. Time seemed to stop in this second, leaving only their crossed gazes and gradually heavy breathing.