5 am. Caroline had just finished her shift at work.

She got the commissions from the wine she had sold these few days. They totaled enough for her to travel back. Caroline was weighing going directly to Miami or back to her hometown for a while.

The winter nights were long. At this hour, except for the downtown area where ads and neon lights were on 24/7, the city was in darkness and silence.

Caroline stayed with her friend in an old section of the city. Her taxi stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley. When Caroline had walked halfway up the alley, the s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e instinct trained by a long-term life of hiding made her detect danger.

Caroline turned abruptly, but there was nobody behind her.

She walked a few more steps and turned back sharply again. She almost cried out, there was a man a few meters behind her.

He walked silently like a ghost.

The face that she could not forget till she died made her pupils shrink and turn back and run. But after she ran just a short distance, she was forced to stop because there was another person in front of her.

The man laughed in a low voice and said, "Bitch! You wasted a lot of our time looking for you."

Caroline's first thought was that Kate sold her out, but she ruled this out immediately.

With two people advancing to her from both sides, her heart was beating wildly, and her hands were trembling. She reached her hand to her satchel.

As the two men got close and were about to grab her, Caroline took out her hand from the satchel and pressed her pepper spray at their eyes one by one, and sprayed around. "Go to hell!" She kicked one in the shin and ran for it.

They cursed behind her. After Caroline ran for a few meters, she heard a sound, and something went through her shoulder. The pain almost blinded her, but she had the d.e.s.i.r.e for life more than anything else, so her legs kept running like clockwork.

When she saw a gap between two buildings, Caroline tried to squeeze herself through. As she tried to shrink herself to the minimum and was stuck in there, a hand from the other side grabbed her and pulled her through it.

She was about to cry out, but she heard the voice said, "Don't be afraid. We are the police."

When Tristan finally got back to the villa, it was already 2 pm.

After sending Jessie off, answering a few phone calls, and handling some urgent business issues, he just got free to get back. It had only been a few days since he left, but walking into the house gave him a feeling of ease after a long journey.

He was not the only one who had that feeling. Fat cat Lucy ran out of nowhere and sprinted to him at top speed and then ran around his leg, l.i.c.k.i.n.g and smelling him.

Tristan looked around and didn't see her. Finally, he saw Kate in the kitchen, wearing an apron and cutting asparagus.

When he walked in the door, she heard the footsteps, and her hand paused almost undetectably, but she didn't turn back.

"Where is Laura?"

"She asked for some leave," Kate replied sullenly.

"She doesn't want the job?"

Kate turned back, "Everybody has some emergency situation."

Tristan showed disapproval. "Prepare my portion. I haven't had lunch."

Kate was quite efficient in cooking.

Tristan took a hot bath and changed into clean clothes. When he came downstairs, the dinner was ready. Kate was placing the dishes. Three courses: steak, vegetables, and soup, both yummy and nutritious.

She got a bowl of soup for him, and he got the meat and vegetables to his plate. They did this in silence without exchanging a word, not even looking at one another.

When they sat down, Tristan found Kate's eyes were red. "What's the matter with your eyes?"

"The pepper was too strong."

He looked at the steak and vegetables. The steak had black pepper sauce, and the vegetables had both red and green peppers in them.

They both focused on the food, and no words were exchanged between them.

After Kate finished the food on her plate and she began to eat the soup, she said plainly, "Jessie came this morning, and we spoke about you."

Tristan stopped the motion of his hand and looked at Kate. He waited for her to continue.

Luckily he did, or he would be choked at the words she said.

"You'd better marry her."

After these words, Kate pulled the ring off of her finger. The ring fit her finger very well, and it took her quite a lot of strength to get it off. She pushed it to Tristan on the table.

Tristan stared at the ring and frowned, "She asked you to do this?"

"No." Jessie had just analyzed the situation and asked Kate to try and persuade Tristan to see the big picture.

"She can help you."

Tristan snorted, "You are being selfless or…" he added some mood in words, "you wish for it?"

Kate replied calmly, "I just hope nothing bad would happen to you."

The development of things was out of her expectation. After sitting alone and meditating for hours this afternoon, Kate thought that this was the only thing she could do.

Tristan thought about it for a moment and said without showing any mood, "OK. I will think about it." And he took up the ring.

Kate's eyes lingered on the ring and turned dark.

She saw him put the ring into his pocket and walked away from the dining table. There was still some food remaining on his plate.

***

Kate regretted that she brought this up during dinner. She should have mentioned it after Tristan finished eating. It spoiled his appetite.

Her finger was now empty. She thought it was good that she didn't have to take the ring off when washing dishes, as she always worried about losing it.

This expensive thing was not suitable for her at all.

Kate took her Time washing the dishes and cleaning the counter and table, not neglecting a small space and acting like the slow motion in a movie.

Looking at the dustless and shining ovens, new and bright cupboards, and other facilities in the kitchen, Kate sighed. She liked cooking and just started to like this kitchen. She opened the drawers and appreciated the knives and forks that were placed inside an orderly.

Until she heard the blaming, "Still not finished? Don't dawdle over these things."

She didn't turn back but just pushed the drawer closed.

And she heard him say, "Time for a walk. Let's go."

Tristan had put on his coat, and Kate was urged to get upstairs to change clothes. And she was also reminded that it was cold outside and a thicker coat would be better. And then they walked out of the house silently.

It was windy outside.

Kate pulled her scarf higher. She could not risk catching a cold.

Seeing her pale fingers outside of her sleeves, Tristan frowned and said in a harsh tone, "Why not wear gloves?

"I forgot."

His hand soon covered hers—the warmth transmitted from his palm to her hand and then to her heart.

It was windy, but the wind wasn't strong enough to make big waves on the sea. Waves rhythmically crashed on the beach. The sea looked profound and vast. It had a beauty and tolerance of ages.

Tristan and Kate's paces matched each other's steps as they walked along the coastline.

After some time, Kate slowed down and kicked her shoe against the ground. There was a stone stuck in the sole that made her foot feel uncomfortable.

When she was going to bend down to get it off, Tristan stopped her. He knelt down and put one of her hands on his shoulder. Then he took off her shoe and took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and lifted her foot to step on the handkerchief. His action was so bossy that she could not refuse.

He then fought with the stone to get it out of the groove of the sole. The boots were designed to prevent slipping, and the grooves were deep. The stone fit in tightly.

There was another way to get it out, but Tristan insisted on using his hand. So he struggled with the stone like a clumsy kid or a one-track-minded man.

Kate looked down at his thick short hair and the trimmed hair closed to his neck. It was the first time she had seen him from this angle. Her eyes suddenly felt sore and swollen. She quickly wiped her eyes before he stood up.

Tristan finally removed the mineral invader and clapped his hands. Before he put her shoe on her foot, he squeezed it as if to check if she was cold. When she got the boot back on, the fur inside the boot gave her warmth that reached her heart.

Tristan didn't stand up immediately. He was still kneeling, holding Kate's hand. She looked at him in puzzlement and heard him said word by word. "It has been almost two years since we first met."

"And a year since we lived together."

"I cannot let it go."

Tristan raised his head, "Kate, I cannot give up this kind of life."

Her heart shivered.

Tristan took out the ring from his pocket and gently put it on Kate's finger again.

And he still wore the ring on his finger. It looked the same way she put it on for him clumsily. He looked at her, and his voice was soft but solemn as if he was vowing at the wedding, "I can only marry the mother of my child."

And then he kissed her on the back of her hand.

Kate felt like she was being shot. She shivered, and tears surged to her eyes.

"Tristan, I…"

"You only need to say you do or you do not." His mild voice interrupted her.

She seemed to lose her ability to speak, and only ceaseless tears came out from her eyes. Tristan covered her cheeks with his hands and said, "If you don't say anything, I will take it as you do."

Her tears came out more quickly as a flood washed his hands. His warm and dry palms absorbed her tears.

After a long moment, he saw her smile through her tears.

Tristan moved away from his hands and saw the dimples on her cheeks.

They were small pits, so shallow, but deep enough for him to drown in.

He bent his head to kiss one of these pits and licked it with the tip of his tongue. And then he moved his lips slowly and covered her lips.

His woman's body trembled a little, and she lifted her arms to his neck.

Tristan was encouraged and held her waist that was no longer slim. His tongue dug in her mouth and tangled with hers, invading aggressively.