The two of them strolled together through a foreignnd, snowkes drifting gently from the sky. The festive atmosphere was everywhere.


    "Orion, I prepared a Christmas gift for you," Aveline said.


    "What kind of gift?" he asked.


    "Close your eyes," she instructed.


    Orion obediently shut his eyes. A momentter, he felt a soft touch around his neck. When he opened them again, he saw a dark navy scarf wrapped snugly around him.


    "Did you make this?"


    "Yes, it''s my first time knitting, so it''s a little ugly. I hope you like it," Aveline said, a bit embarrassed, thinking she might not even have the courage to give it to him.


    "Ugly? How could it be? My Aveline is amazing," Orion said with joy. Despite their wealth and status, where luxury was easily within reach, this scarf-hand-knitted by Aveline-meant more to him than anything else.


    "As long as you like it," Aveline replied with a shy smile.


    "Aveline, the weather is freezing today. Let''s go home, and I''ll take you out again another time," Orion suggested.


    "Alright, I''ll listen to you," she agreed willingly. To the outside world, Aveline was icy and aloof, but in front of Orion, she was still the same girl she''d always been.


    Orion led her to a Rolls-Royce. To Aveline, the car wasn''t particrly extravagant; in her world, luxury cars were asmon as clothes.


    "Orion, I heard that sinceing to Ennd, you haven''t relied on your family at all. This car-did you buy it yourself?" she asked.


    "Yes," he replied, fastening her seatbelt with the same care as always. "I promised to give you a home, one that I built with my own hands. That''s why I won''t take a single penny from my family."


    As the car drove through the city center, Aveline gazed at the streetlights outside. Her earlier unease slowly began to fade.


    "Orion, why were you at the school earlier? You don''t spend much time there anymore, do you?" she asked, her tone probing.


    Although Orion had already exined what happened, the image of him holding that woman still stung.


    "I spend most of my time at thepany now," he said. "But every Christmas Eve, I return to visit my mentor and bring him a gift. I owe much of my sess to him."


    "And... Amy? Who is she?" Aveline asked quietly, unable to let go of the unsettling feeling.


    A woman''s intuition was rarely wrong. Maybe Orion wasn''t interested in Amy, but Amy''s feelings for him were another matter entirely.


    "Amy is my mentor''s daughter. My mentor lives in Cambridge, and she came down to see me off. Aveline, are you still bothered by that? Her shoes were too high, and the ground was slippery. She lost her bnce, so I helped her up. That''s all," Orion exined again, his tone earnest. He didn''t want Aveline to misunderstand.


    "I was just asking," Aveline murmured.


    "Aveline, do you me me for not visiting you all these years?" Orion''s voice softened. "It''s not that I didn''t want to; I was afraid. Before I made something of myself, I didn''t daree back. I knew that if I saw you, I wouldn''t have the strength to leave again." Although his eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead, his words carried unmistakable sincerity.


    "Orion, I''ve never med you," Aveline replied. If she had, she wouldn''t be here with him now.


    They had grown up together and understood each other''s hearts better than anyone else.


    The car pulled into the garage, and Orion led her up to the top floor of an apartment building.


    Lost in the world of this story? Make sure you''re on ?el5s to catch every twist and turn. The next chapter awaits, exclusively on our site. Dive in now! "Aveline, this is all I can afford right now. But one day, when I have more money, I''ll buy you a big house," he promised.


    "Orion, you know I''ve never cared about material things," Aveline said, ncing at the apartment. Being in the city center, it was already far from cheap.


    For someone who hadn''t even finished university, to have built apany and


    purchased such a ce-it spoke volumes about Orion''s abilities.


    "This will be our home," Orion said as they reached the door.


    When he didn''t unlock it immediately, Aveline looked at him, puzzled. "What''s wrong?"


    "I need to set your fingerprint first," he said thoughtfully.


    "Alright." Warmth spread through Aveline''s heart at his consideration.


    But as she set up her fingerprint, she noticed there were already two others in the system. Her expression changed.


    "Orion, whose fingerprints are these?"


    "One is mine. The other is Amy''s," he admitted. "I spend most of my time at thepany and rarelye back. Sometimes shees to pick up documents. Last time, the password lock malfunctioned, so I let her register her fingerprint."


    Aveline''s chest tightened. She could tell that Amy held a different ce in Orion''s life, even if it was nothing to him. To Aveline, it felt like someone had intruded on her territory.


    Seeing her expression darken, Orion immediately understood. He remembered her tearful eyes from earlier and realized how deeply he had hurt her, even unintentionally. "Aveline, I''m sorry. I didn''t consider your feelings. She may have been here, but I swear nothing happened between us," he said, deleting Amy''s fingerprint without hesitation. "From now on, you will be the only woman in this home," he said, taking her hand and setting her fingerprint.


    Aveline''s face flushed slightly. Orion had seen through her guarded heart.


    As soon as they entered the apartment, Orion didn''t give her a chance to look around. "Aveline, wait here for a moment," he said.


    "Hmm?" she asked, confused but obedient.


    A few minutester, Orion returned with a bag. He ced a pair of women''s slippers into it.


    "What''s this?"


    "Things she left behind," he said, showing her the contents. Inside were the slippers, a file folder, and a packet of tea.


    Thankfully, there weren''t any toiletries. Aveline thought she might have lost her mind if there had been.


    Without hesitation, Orion threw everything out. "There won''t be another woman in this house ever again."


    Orion had grown up with Aveline and never dated anyone else, but he understood how sensitive women could be. If such matters weren''t handled properly, even small issues could grow intosting scars.


    "Aveline, you have to know that no one but you will ever hold a ce in my heart. It was true before, and it will always be true. If Amy makes you ufortable, I won''t see her again. No one canpare to you. I love you, Aveline. From beginning to end, it''s always been you."


    Hearing his heartfelt confession, Aveline''s eyes glistened with tears. She realized that Orion had seen through her fears and insecurities all along.


    "Orion..." she whispered, her voice trembling.