Chapter 33: The memories of the past.

Theron kept his face composed, but he could barely calm his mind.

He had been reborn.

In his past life, he had deliberately kept his distance from Elowen, burying his feelings for her. He had convinced himself that she would be happy with Soren and that being married to a powerful family like Vale would give her a more secure future than he could ever provide.

But he had been wrong.

Elowen had suffered every moment with Soren. In the end, she had been murdered.

Whenever he remembered what had happened in his past life, his blood boiled.

He had destroyed Soren, crippled him, and then taken everything he had owned. He had even snatched the woman Soren claimed to love.

But even after taking revenge on whoever had hurt Elowen, he had not found peace. The emptiness in his chest remained. No matter how much he had taken from Soren, he still couldn’t have what he truly wanted.

Elowen had already been gone.

Unable to bear the torment any longer, he had eventually ended his own life, believing death would end his pain.

But fate had given him a chance—a chance to change Elowen’s fate, a chance to make her his.

That was why he had returned to the city he once thought he would never set foot in again. This time, he would rewrite his fate and Elowen’s.

The car finally slowed to a stop.

"Sir, we have arrived." Antony, who was behind the wheel, met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

Theron came out of his thoughts. He nodded and turned to look at Elowen.

She was already outside the car. She stood several steps away, staring at the vast land before her.

The land seemed to stretch until the horizon. Green meadows dotted with wildflowers of different colors covered the area. Tall trees stood in small clusters all around. The gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of rain and grass.

There was no traffic, no noise. Only the whooshing of the breeze, the rustling of the leaves, and the chirping of the birds broke the quiet.

A delighted grin broke through her lips as her gaze landed on a lake at the far end.

"Mr. Knox. There is a lake."

Before Theron could stop her, Elowen started walking toward it. He stood there, watching her for a moment.

The excitement on her face was completely different from the guarded expression she usually wore around him. Emotions tightened his chest.

He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to confess how long he had loved her.

In his past life, he had never dared to approach her. When he finally found the courage to tell her how he felt, it had already been late.

That incident had happened, and Elowen had to marry Soren.

He had suppressed his feelings deep down, thinking her happiness mattered more than his own.

But this time, he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

’I won’t wait this time. I’ll remind you how we met all those years ago. I’ll tell you how much I love you.’

He followed her.

"Do you like this place?" he asked as he stood beside her, his gaze falling on the lake ahead of him.

Elowen smiled. "I’ve always liked quiet places."

Theron turned his head toward her.

She stared across the lake. Her expression slowly changed. Her eyes became distant as her mind traveled back to the past.

"There was a lake not far from my mother’s place. I used to go there whenever I wanted some time alone. I would sit on the bank, read a book, or simply look at the water. That used to be my favorite place."

A nostalgic smile crossed her lips. "Seeing this lake reminds me of those days."

Theron looked back at the lake. The shadows of the clouds and surrounding trees stretched across the clear water. He remembered that small town far away from the bustling city.

His grandparents used to live there. He had visited them once in a while when he was younger. That was where he had first encountered Elowen.

"Do you still go there?"

Elowen let out a sigh. She lowered her gaze to her fingers and shook her head slowly.

"No..." She paused. "After I got a job here, I brought my mother to the city. We sold our old property. We don’t go there anymore."

She let a small smile play on her lips as she took in the surroundings.

"This place is beautiful. Once it’s developed, it could look like heaven."

Her professional instincts kicked in quickly. Ideas began forming in her mind.

"We could place the main resort over there, and perhaps the villas could be closer to the lake. If we can preserve the trees..."

She kept talking.

But Theron wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying. His entire focus was on reminding her of their first meeting.

"Elowen," he cut her off.

Elowen stopped talking all of a sudden and turned to him, only to find him staring at her.

"Do you remember the boy you saved years ago?"

"The boy?" Her brows drew together. Her thoughts seemed to stumble over his unexpected words.

"The boy who fell into that pit and was injured," he said.

Theron remembered the incident as clearly as it had happened yesterday.

Back then, he had been riding his bicycle around the town. The road had been gravel and uneven. The wheels slipped. He lost his balance and fell. His entire body rolled down the side of the road and landed in a shallow, muddy pit.

He had injured his leg and hit his head. When he tried to climb out, pain shot through his body. He couldn’t move.

He called for help, but no one came.

Theron remembered lying there in pain, covered in mud, wondering how long he had to wait.

Then a girl appeared and offered him her hand.

It was Elowen.

"You pulled me out of that pit," he said nostalgically.

Elowen gaped at him, stunned. Then the memory came rushing back.

She remembered heading back home from the marketplace when she had noticed an injured man lying in the muddy pit, groaning in pain.

He had been bruised, dirty, and unable to climb out.

She had helped him.

"Oh! That young man was you?"

Shock held her still until a smile surfaced on her face. "You were lean and thin back then. But now, you are nothing like that helpless man I found by the roadside."

He laughed softly. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

She looked into his eyes. "I never thought we would meet again like this."

Theron’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He had never forgotten her. From the moment she had reached out to him, her image stayed etched inside his heart.

He had watched her from a distance. He had loved her quietly. But he was a coward. Afraid of rejection, he never dared to confess his feelings.

By the time he understood waiting could cost him everything, it was too late. But he had another chance now. He wouldn’t waste it.

Theron took out a bracelet from his pocket. "Do you remember this?"

A surprised gasp escaped her throat. It was a silver bracelet with a tiny heart dangling from its chain.

How could she forget it?

Her mother gave it to her on her eighteenth birthday.

Elowen had loved that bracelet. But she had lost it soon after the birthday. She had searched everywhere and cried over it. Yet she had never found it.

Somehow, after all those years, it was in Theron’s hand.

"It’s my bracelet." She took it from him. "I cried the whole day when I lost it. Where did you get it?"

Curiosity filled her expression.