"As for waiting until you're thirty, I meant ensuring your smooth career in the entertainment industry until you're thirty. I'll provide you with a dowry and guarantee you a prosperous life when you marry. I never said I'd wait for you, let alone marry you."
Edmond looked at her. "That was my exact wording. That's exactly what I told you."
Exact wording? Selena couldn't remember. She had just won a major award, had been drinking, and eagerly called him to share her joy. She only remembered the part where he said, "I'll wait until you're thirty," which was enough to make her intoxicated with happiness.
"But..."
Selena wanted to say something but suddenly stopped.
But what? He indeed never said, "Selena, when you retire at thirty, I will marry you."
He indeed never said, "Selena, I will marry you."
He never mentioned the word "marry."
She had misunderstood. All these years, he had no other women around, no scandals. She thought it was because he treated her differently, that it was just his personality—he wasn't someone who wore his heart on his sleeve.
But now she realized, it wasn't his personality. He simply hadn't met someone he liked.
Before Edmond left, he told Lily he would be back for dinner.
He checked the time; it was almost six. He was worried about Lily and decided to leave first.
"Selena, you shouldn't have come back. Director Mei's films are not child's play. You've been waiting for so many years to get this opportunity, you should cherish it instead of casually taking leave and wasting time here."
Edmond paused, then softened his tone.
"I've given you everything you wanted all these years, except for love. Selena, I've almost repaid what I owe you. I..."
"Repaid?"
Selena suddenly screamed, cutting him off.
"How? How can you say it's repaid? That was a life! That was my brother's life! How can you repay that? Can you bring my brother back?"
Edmond lowered his gaze and bent his back, remaining silent.
After venting, Selena gradually calmed down. Seeing his silent demeanor, she cried and shook her head, collapsing to the ground and covering her face in despair.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know my brother's death wasn't your fault. I know it wasn't your fault."
"I'm just unable to accept that you're married. I can't accept it."
Selena was not originally from Jiangyu.
Her family was from the north, a place so far away she barely had any memories of it.
When she was two, her parents divorced. Her father left with his true love, and her mother went to work in a coastal city. The allure of the outside world was too strong, and within a year, all contact was lost.
She and her brother grew up with their grandfather. When she was three, her grandfather passed away, and the siblings were sent to live with their uncle, then their Aunt Edmond, and then their cousin. They survived on handouts but never truly felt full.
Later, someone wanted to adopt her brother, but he refused to leave her behind. He held a stone in his hand and would hit anyone who tried to take him away.
Eventually, no one wanted to deal with them anymore, so her brother took her and walked a long, long way.
Her brother said, "Don't be afraid, Jiaojiao. I'll earn lots of money, buy you the biggest ice cream, and the biggest house."
Jiaojiao was her nickname.
After losing their parents, only her brother called her Jiaojiao.
Later, her brother was gone.
A car accident involving Edmond took her brother away, taking away her only family in the world.
She never blamed Edmond for it.
She knew it wasn't his fault.
That day, Edmond was feeling unwell and had just received a drip at the hospital. Her brother insisted on taking him out.
Her brother knew she liked Edmond and insisted on bringing him to celebrate her birthday.
Upon hearing of her brother's death, she fell down the stairs and was unconscious for two days. When she woke up and learned that Edmond had been rescued and was alive, she was relieved and grateful he was still alive.
Her only family was gone, leaving her lost.
Edmond, with bandages around his head and sitting in a wheelchair, came to see her, apologized, and said he would take her brother's place and take good care of her.
After Edmond left, Selena sat alone in the lounge, took the glass he hadn't touched, and downed it in one gulp.
Thinking back, he had made his role clear from the beginning.
He said, "Jiaojiao, I will be your brother from now on. I will take your brother's place."
From the start, he had positioned himself as her brother.
She had been greedy.
He called her Jiaojiao, just like her brother. When she was lured into the entertainment industry with promises of big money to buy a house for her brother, she had to fight her way through, refusing to be exploited. She started from the bottom as an extra.
After taking her brother's place, Edmond gave her resources, protected her from all dangers, and elevated her to where she wanted to be.
Today's Selena was shaped by Edmond.
How could she not be moved by such a man? She had been infatuated with him since her youth, and even after experiencing the temptations of fame, she returned with only him in her heart.
But he hadn't stayed in place waiting for her. He had moved on and even got married without telling her.
She knew Director Mei's film was a rare opportunity and that the director didn't like people taking leave. But she had to come back.
Her agent had told her there was talk of a change in the company's leadership. Selena knew the true owner of her company was Edmond, who had secretly founded it to pave the way for her.
Her agent asked her how long it had been since she last saw Edmond.
How long? Three years.
With the new year, she would be thirty. She wanted to leave behind a few more works before retiring, so she worked non-stop, moving from one set to another.
Was she unwilling to return? No, but Edmond didn't let her. He said he was busy, had no time to see her.
Busy? Only busy for her.
Driven by growing anxiety, she traveled a long way to find him, only to be told by Octavian that "Mr. Zhou is having dinner with his wife."
At that moment, what was she thinking? Oh, suddenly it felt so sad. She didn't know when it started, but Edmond stopped answering her calls, and she had to go through Octavian to reach him.
When she finally registered the word "wife," she was stunned, unable to describe the feeling.
She didn't believe it, even though deep down, she knew Octavian had no reason to lie to her. She needed Edmond to tell her himself.
On Mid-Autumn Festival, she called Octavian again. Octavian said, "Mr. Zhou is having dinner with his wife at the family home."
Octavian, trying to make her understand, gently said, "Miss Su, Mr. Zhou loves his wife very much. They have a strong relationship. Mr. Zhou is not happy about you suddenly coming back. I think you should return soon."
Unwilling to give up, Selena pleaded with Octavian, who eventually agreed to pass along a message.
This morning, Octavian called and said, "Miss Su, Mr. Zhou wants me to get you a plane ticket."
Having no other choice, she sought Alistair's help.
She saw Edmond, but he told her he was married.
After leaving the yacht, Selena received a call from her agent, Zhang Zhen, who was shocked to hear about Edmond's marriage and asked what she planned to do.
Selena looked up at the now darkening sky, her expression unreadable.
"I want to meet his wife. I want to see why I lost."
As Selena stepped ashore, Alistair came out to see her off.
"This is the last time. Don't call me anymore, or I'll feel guilty every time I see Zhou's wife."
Alistair indeed owed Lily an apology for today.
He had received Selena's call while on the yacht.
Lately, he had been in a foul mood, irritable, and prone to anger over trivial matters.
Why? It all started that day at Lily's studio when he met that peacock Lin Ye.
That day, he had planned to invite Aria and Mi Shan to dinner, hoping to score points with Aria. But before he could speak, he encountered Lin Ye.
Even though their engagement was to be called off, he was still technically her fiancé and couldn't stand by while a peacock tried to steal her away. So, he didn't mention Mi Shan.
Aria left to pick up her parents.
He had intended to leave too, but Lin Ye stopped him.
The conversation from that day was seared into his memory because it was the first time a man had angered him so much he lost sleep.