Chapter 213 Book 2 CHPT 45: Roses, Candles & Tears

Chapter 213 Book 2 CHPT 45: Roses, Candles & Tears
ALINA

The journey stretched longer than I expected, both in distance and in feeling.

From Toronto to Tokyo, then from Tokyo to Hokkaido, each leg of the trip pulling me further away from everything I had known and closer to the new life I was about to begin.

By the time the plane finally descended into New Chitose Airport, the sky was pale and bright, the kind of morning light that made everything look clean and peaceful.

The moment I stepped outside, the air felt different.

It didn’t feel like the kind of place where chaos could exist.

A driver arranged by the agent was already waiting, standing beside a car with a small sign in hand.

He greeted me politely, helping with my bag before we began the drive.

As the car pulled away from the airport, I leaned slightly toward the window, my eyes taking in everything.

At first, there were still signs of the city, buildings, roads, movement. 

But gradually, everything began to change.

The buildings thinned out, replaced by open spaces, and the roads narrowed into quieter paths.

Fields stretched endlessly on both sides, broken occasionally by clusters of wooden houses, their roofs neat and simple, with faint smoke rising from some chimneys.

Further in the distance, mountains stood tall.

The deeper we drove, the quieter it became.

It was the kind of place where time didn’t rush you, where the world felt slower, gentler, like it was giving you permission to breathe.

By the time the car finally turned into a smaller road leading toward the property, I felt a strange calm settling in my chest.

When we came to a stop, the engine went quiet, and for a moment, I just sat there, my hand resting on my stomach, feeling the steady presence of the life inside me.

Then I stepped out.

The villa stood a short distance ahead, simple in structure but beautiful.

It wasn’t flashy or overly modern.

The exterior was built from a blend of warm wood and clean glass, the sloped roof neat and structured, and wide windows reflecting the sky and the mountains behind it.

It didn’t try too hard, and that was what made it perfect.

In front of the house, a wide stretch of land opened up.

I stood there for a moment, taking it in slowly, imagining what it would look like when the soil was turned, when something real began to grow from it.

This was the kind of place Valentino had talked about.

Simple, yet very peaceful.

My chest tightened at the thought of him, the feeling settling deep and familiar, but I didn’t push it away this time.

I let it stay, let it exist with everything else.

“This… you would have loved this,” I whispered under my breath, my fingers pressing lightly against my stomach.

A few houses sat not too far from mine, close enough that I wouldn’t feel completely alone, but distant enough to give me the privacy I needed.

As I stepped forward, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye.

A woman stepped out from one of the nearby houses, wrapped in a coat, her expression warm and kind as she made her way toward me.

“Are you the new neighbor?” she asked in Japanese, her voice polite and welcoming.

Thankfully, I hadn’t spent the past six months mourning Val alone. 

I had also used the time to learn Japanese, because I knew that if I ever wanted to enjoy my stay here, I had to be able to communicate effectively with the locals.

Finally, it was time to put all the Japanese I had learned so far to use.

I gave a bright, polite smile and responded,

“Yes… I just arrived.”

Her face brightened immediately, as if she hadn’t expected me to understand her.

“Welcome,” she said gently. “Where is your husband?”

My smile faded for a moment, and she noticed.

“I’m so sorry, did I say something wrong?”

I forced the smile back. “Not at all. My husband isn’t here for now, so I’ll be here alone.”

Her gaze dropped briefly to my stomach, and something in her expression softened even more.

“Don’t worry,” she said kindly. “We live like family here. We will always look after you and your child.”

Before I could respond, another neighbor approached, then another, each greeting me with the same polite warmth, small bows, and gentle smiles.

It was a moment that filled me with comfort.

For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel watched.

After a few minutes, they excused themselves one by one, bowing slightly before returning to their homes.

And just like that, I was alone again.

I turned back toward my house slowly, letting my eyes trace over it one more time, as if I needed to convince myself that this was real.

I reached into my coat and pulled out the key the agent had sent me as I stepped up to the door.

But just as I lifted my hand to unlock it, the door opened slightly on its own.

My entire body went still.

A sharp breath caught in my throat as something cold slid down my spine.

Fear came instantly, fast and familiar, wrapping around my chest before I could stop it.

Had someone found me?

My heart began to pound so hard it felt like it was echoing through my entire body, each beat louder than the last as my fingers tightened around the key in my hand.

I stood there for a second, staring at the slightly opened door, my mind already racing ahead of me, pulling me back into a world I thought I had left behind.

Could the agent be inside?

Slowly, cautiously, I pushed the door open further.

“Hello?” I called out, but silence greeted me.

I stepped inside anyway, my body alert.

The moment I stepped into the foyer, my breath hitched at the sight before me.

Rose petals were scattered across the floor, leading inward like a path that had been carefully arranged.

Candles flickered gently along the edges, their soft glow creating a warm light that should have felt comforting, but instead made my chest tighten with confusion.

My brows furrowed as I looked around, trying to understand what I was seeing.

“What… is this?” I whispered under my breath.

Did the agent arrange this? Is this some kind of welcome surprise?

I followed the trail, my eyes scanning every corner.

The petals led me through the living space and toward the back, where the sliding doors stood slightly open.

A faint breeze slipped in from outside, cool and fresh, carrying with it a clean, unfamiliar scent… and something else.

My steps slowed as I reached the doorway, my hand brushing lightly against the frame as I stepped out.

And then I saw it…..

A figure standing near the railing, back to me and hands clasped behind in a way that was so painfully familiar it knocked the air out of my lungs.

Everything inside me went still.

The world seemed to fall away all at once, breath catching completely.

The bag slipped from my hand without me even noticing.

No.

My mind rejected it immediately.

No, this isn’t possible.

And as if he had felt me there all along, he turned slowly. The moment our eyes met, something inside me shattered completely.

A broken sound tore out of my throat before I could hold it back, my vision blurring instantly as tears filled my eyes so fast I could barely see him clearly.

“Moglie mia,” he said softly, a small smile gracing his lips.

“Welcome home.”