Chapter 6
“Whose phone was that? I think I heard something about a visa.”
“It’s nothing, just work–related,” Asteria casually dismissed it, her tone light.
Primo let out a quiet sigh of relief. “That‘ s good. You’d better not be planning a honeymoon trip. I don‘ t have time for
that.”
“I know.”
Since Yesha had returned, Primo had been glued to her, leaving little room for anything else.
They sat side by side, but the air between them grew thick with unspoken words.
Asteria felt the growing awkwardness and decided to break the silence. She went to the bedroom and returned with the moon necklace, offering it to Primo. “How did it end up with you? I’ve been looking for it
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everywhere.”
“I found it on the road. Only realized it was
yours after I saw your lost item post online,” she replied.
Two million spent searching for an old moon necklace. And yet, the total cost of their wedding combined barely reached five hundred thousand dollars.
Primo’s obvious favoritism toward Yesha
left Asteria in stunned silence.
He eagerly snatched the necklace from her.
Asteria glanced at his bare ring finger and suddenly asked, “Where’s your wedding ring?”
He froze, caught off guard. “I don’t know when I lost it…”
Seeing the cold indifference on Asteria’s face, Primo felt something stir inside him, something he couldn’t quite place.
It wasn’t just the missing ring. It was something deeper, more significant.
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An unsettling sensation crept through him, leaving him uneasy. Just as he opened his mouth to explain, his phone buzzed with a
new message.
It was from Yesha.
Primo stood abruptly, the tension in his shoulders betraying his thoughts. He walked toward the door, only to stop mid-
step.
Turning back, he leaned in and pressed a fleeting kiss to Asteria s forehead.
“Sorry, my wife. I’ve been so caught up lately, and you‘ ve had to handle everything.”
“I promise, once this busy patch is over, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world!”
In all their years together, Primo had never spoken to Asteria with such tenderness.
He knew women craved sweet words, but Asteria was different. Too understanding,
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too patient to demand anything. It was easier to shower the needy, demanding
Yesha with affection.
Asteria stood there, watching his retreating figure in silence.
Had this been in the past, she would have been elated, believing she had finally broken through the cold walls of the man
she loved.
But today, she simply washed her face with a look of disdain, brushing off the lingering bitterness before continuing with her
routine.
Time moved at a crawl.
Soon, the day before the wedding arrived.
Only two thin pages remained on the calendar.
The wish for today read, [Have a reunion dinner together.]
It was a wish Asteria had held close to her
heart for over twenty years.
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But deep down, she knew it would never
come true.
Her mother would never forgive Connor,
her father, just as Asteria could never forgive Primo.
She didn’t linger on the thought.
Instead, she applied a light touch of makeup and slipped into her favorite white dress, ready to face the day.
She went to the movies alone, ordering a full couple’s meal just for herself, then took a solitary ride on the Ferris wheel.
When the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, the sun began its slow descent.
The golden orb sank beneath the horizon, and the city she’d known her entire life. was bathed in a warm, red glow.
A gentle breeze kissed her face as Asteria opened her arms, embracing the moment.
In that fleeting instant, it felt as though all the memories drifted away with the
