Natalie took a deep breath. Her brother was overseas, and if she did anything to displease Sebastian, his project could be shut down.


    She gave a helpless smile. Even with her knowledge of the future, there were many things she was powerless to change. She could only change her own fate.


    The power imbnce was too great; she couldn''t fight Sebastian.


    He was deliberately keeping her on a leash, but what could she do?


    Once her brother''s business was settled and the matter with Joanna was resolved,


    she would leave this ce and never look back.


    Thinking this way made Natalie feel much better.


    She gathered Sebastian''s dirty clothes and took them to theundry room.


    It was arge room. She slipped on a pair of slippers, turned on the hot water, and began hand-washing his shirts.


    Suddenly, she saw two pairs of underwear. The absurdity of the situation struck her. She had done this before, back when she was happy to do it. Sebastian was her husband, so washing his personal items was nothing.


    But now, she was unwilling. She tossed the two pairs of underwear aside. This way, Sebastian would get the message.


    Two hourster, Natalie''s stomach felt much better, and the clothes were clean. She put them in the dryer, ironed them, and returned them to Sebastian''s walk-in closet. Only then did she go to work on her designs.


    She calmed her mind, turned on the lights in her room, and sat down to draw.


    Looking around the empty bedroom, she felt like something was missing.


    Then it hit her. Itcked a sense of life.


    She picked up her phone, opened a delivery app, and ordered two bouquets of roses and a beautiful crystal vase.


    An hourter, her order arrived.


    She knelt in the snow outside, arranged the roses in the vase, and then happily carried it upstairs. She filled it with water in the bathroom. The roses were vibrant and beautiful, and looking at them lifted her spirits.


    She ced the vase on her desk where she could see it whenever she looked up, hoping it would keep her in a good mood.


    She spent the afternoon drawing.


    This time, shepleted ten design sketches.


    She loved every single one.


    Natalie ced the sketches in a nearby drawer.


    When she looked up, it was already dark outside.


    She was hungry too. Sebastian wasn''ting home for dinner, so she made a simple meal for one.


    Her dinner consisted of a bowl of egg drop soup, a te of rice, and a small portion of stir-fried beef.


    After eating, she cleaned the dishes.


    She


    sused to living alone a


    hfeel lonely when sheet


    djen


    herself.


    MS


    by


    With nothing else to do in the evening, Natalie returned to her room and practiced her foreignnguages she was fluent in five


    them often and absorb new


    knowledge.


    Her memory was excellent, but constant practice was necessary to keep improving.


    At ten o''clock, Natalie finally put


    away her work. She realized that in


    all those hours, she hadn''t


    about Sebastian once co


    She knew that, little by little, she was finally pushing that man out of her heart.


    Of course, sometimes the memories still brought a pang of sadness.


    Sometimes, tears would fall without warning.


    How could it not be sad?


    He had been the sole focus of her entire adolescence.


    She had loved Sebastian with such sincerity and passion.


    The moment she knew she could marry him, she had spent all her time dreaming of their future together.


    He was aloof and didn''t talk much, but she figured she could just talk enough for the both of them.


    But she was wrong. If there''s no love, there''s no love.


    He had loved someone else before her. How could she have ever dreamed of melting his icy heart?