Chapter 25
But Primo quickly steadied himself, his composure returning like a fragile thread holding him together.
At this moment, anything connected to Asteria became an exception, a tether to what he had lost.
Assistant Sorell, sensing the weight of the moment, silently withdrew, leaving Primo alone in the suffocating stillness.
With trembling hands, Primo placed the crumpled paper on his lap, smoothing it gently as though it might shatter under his touch.
On the sheet, written in Asteria‘ s elegant handwriting, was a dream she had cherished for ten long years:
“To wear the most beautiful wedding dress and marry the man I love most,
Primo.”
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A searing pain gripped Primo’s chest, spreading through him like a fire he couldn’t extinguish.
Every breath was agony, each inhale sharp and unforgiving, like the jagged edge of a blade.
He pictured Asteria at eighteen, her shy smile brimming with hope and innocence.
He recalled the way her eyes dimmed, how heartbreak flickered across her face the night she saw the ruined wedding dress.
What had he done to her?
How had he let it all come to this?
The calendar of dreams had fifteen pages, and this tattered fragment was the last.
Where were the rest? What other wishes
had Asteria poured into that calendar only for him to ignore?
Desperation surged in his chest as Primo tore through the room, searching feverishly, his hands trembling with
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urgency. Not a single corner escaped his scrutiny.
This villa, so grand and sprawling, was meant to house all their memories.
Yet now it felt unbearably small–too small to hold even one of Asteria’s dreams.
The other fourteen pages, he realized with dawning despair, had been discarded long
ago.
She was thrown out with the wedding decorations, swept away with the remnants. of a love she had finally given up on.
They were gone, irretrievable.
“I’ll find them,” Primo whispered
hoarsely, his voice shaking with conviction.
“I’ll find them all.”
He stumbled into the study, determination. fueling his frantic movements.
If he couldn’t recover them in reality,
then he would seek them in the recesses of his own memories.
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If Primo couldn’t find the lost wishes in reality, he would search for them in the depths of his memories.
He and Asteria had known each other for
over twenty years, shared countless days, their lives so entwined that no part of her remained a mystery. How could he not remember her wishes?
Through the familiar surroundings, he sifted through memories, seeking Asteria‘ s image in every corner of his mind.
He spent the entire day fasting, not even taking a sip of water, reconstructing the fourteen wishes that had been discarded so thoughtlessly.
When he finally finished writing the last one, Primo smiled through his tears.
He forced himself to suppress the storm of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.
“Asteria, I’ll repay everything I owe you.
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Twice as much.”
“Wait for me,” he whispered, his voice thick with determination.
On Asteria‘ s twenty–ninth birthday, she received a gift she would never forget.
A hand–made, custom–designed wedding dress worth eight million.
It was unique. It was dazzling.
Everyone at the party was left speechless. by the dress, their eyes wide with awe.
But Asteria nearly crushed her wine glass in her hand.
As the evening drew to a close, she, as expected, found Primo waiting for her.
He smiled, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and said softly, “Asteria, happy birthday.”
“What are you doing here?”
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Primo glanced away, avoiding the question. “Look, the stars are stunning tonight.”
The stars were indeed beautiful, but they had nothing to do with Primo.
“I’ve told you, stop interfering with my
life,” Asteria said, her voice cold.
Primo seemed oblivious to her words.
“Asteria, I know you’ve always wanted to ride the Ferris wheel. How about
tomorrow? And if you like, I’ll build one just for you when we get back.”
“I can take you every day to win stuffed animals and watch movies together. Don’t you love stargazing? We could buy a house in the mountains, make it our wedding home. It’s the perfect spot in the city to watch the stars.”
“I’ll hire the best photographer and have him capture every moment of our lives. If you want, he can follow us every day, documenting it all.”
