Chapter 22

The next morning, just as the villa's door opened, Connor instinctively ducked into the bushes nearby. Through the dense greenery, he saw Tyler holding an umbrella over Emelie to shield her from even a single drop of rain. A sweet smile graced her face as she nestled tightly in Tyler's arms. The atmosphere between them was so intimate that it left no room for anyone else. A crushing sense of inferiority swept over Connor, making him feel utterly unworthy. It wasn't until long after their car disappeared that he emerged from the bushes. He couldn't tell whether the wetness at the corners of his eyes was from tears or rain. The downpour washed away the leaves clinging to him, leaving no trace he had ever been there. That evening, when Emelie returned home, she found a box containing an emerald bangle at her door. A sticky note was attached, scrawled with hurried handwriting. "I'm sorry. Consider this an apology. If I could do it all over again, I would have bid for your parents'