Chapter 14

Michelle felt completely hollow, as if her very soul had been drained. She knew that from this day on, she would be cut off from the upper-class society. Clarence stepped out of Michelle's seaside apartment and drove around aimlessly. The moment Laura's name crossed his mind, a wave of emotions crashed over him. Why hadn't Laura appeared even once in the past six months—182 days? Had she not missed him at all? Or had she truly abandoned him? He couldn't bear to dwell on it. Without realizing it, he found himself at Suncrest Bridge. The river shimmered under the glow of neon lights, and the wind cut through with a sharp chill. Winter arrived earlier in Jencoria than in Orvenia. He was dressed in a light suit, and the cold cut through him, etching Laura's face even more vividly into his mind. He pulled out a cigarette, his fingers reddened by the chill, and flicked the lighter. The blue flame danced against the night sky. He didn't care about his pride or what people thought an