Chapter 512

Hannah instinctively denied it. "I'm not upset."

Vincent chose not to expose her lie. Instead, he spoke with quiet gentleness. "Close your eyes and take a little nap. I'll wake you when we get there."

Hannah asked no more. She leaned her head lightly against the seat back, her eyes drifting to the scenery outside the window, and little by little, the tension in her chest eased.

In time,Vincent's car rolled to a stop on a deserted stretch of coastline.

The sun was sinking, half-buried in the sea, casting the sky in fading gold.

When Hannah opened the car door, she was momentarily dazed, overwhelmed by the vast horizon before her. She turned to Vincent, her voice soft."Why did you bring me here?"

Vincent did not look at her right away. His eyes were fixed on the restless sea. "When you're unhappy,isn't this the place you always run to-the seaside,where the breeze carries your worries away?"

He paused, as if lost in old memories. "Back then,you told me that whenever life tangled your thoughts,you'd come here, watch the waves, and somehow things felt lighter."

He was speaking of days long past. Those were the times when she had pursued him with awkward persistence and burning fervor.

Back then, Vincent had found her presence troublesome-too constant, too clinging, too much like a shadow he couldn't shake. But one day, the girl who was always in his sight suddenly vanished. She didn't appear for several days.

Vincent had surprisingly felt unsettled, an emptiness he couldn't explain gnawing at his routine. For the first time, he'd swallowed his pride and asked her roommates about her whereabouts.

But unexpectedly, what he'd received instead was a handful of sharp remarks. They offered no clue about Hannah's whereabouts, only vicious descriptions that painted her as "spoiled," "unsociable," and "desperate."

At that moment, something inside Vincent had snapped cold. Frustration surged, sharp and unnamed.

It was then he'd first resorted to tracing her phone's location. The signal led him to a secluded beach outside the city.

He'd driven there in haste,his heart pounding faster than the tires on the road. And when he finally found her-barefoot, dashing across the sand, calling out to the waves with laughter-she looked utterly carefree.

He had been displeased then, even annoyed,thinking himself a fool for worrying so much. Yet, as he approached, stern-faced, and she noticed him,the sudden radiance in her smile was like sunlight breaking through clouds, striking directly into his chest.

She'd run toward him like a bird freed from its cage,flinging herself into his arms without hesitation.

And in that instant, Vincent had felt his heart collide with something fierce, beating out of control. A wave of panic and vulnerability consumed him-an odd paradox of feeling both elated and flustered.

Almost instinctively, he'd shoved her away, rough and abrupt. The instant he did, regret pierced him because her bright eyes dimmed at once, tears flooding in as though a dam had burst, brimming with grievance.

Vincent had stood frozen, unsure what to do with his hands. He had never seen Hannah cry so bitterly-and all because of him.

On impulse, he'd reached out, clumsy in his attempt to wipe her tears. But she only cried harder, pressing into his chest, soaking his shirt with grief.

Later, he had finally learned why she had disappeared. Her roommates' exclusion, along with his own constant rejection, had left her wounded, so she had slipped away to the seaside to mend her heart.

She'd said that coming here lifted her spirits somewhat, and seeing him made her happier still.But she hadn't expected him to push her away-and so,she broke down.

If Vincent hadn't spoken of it now, Hannah would have nearly forgotten that episode. Those memories,once sweet yet laced with sorrow, had long been buried beneath the struggles of their marriage.

Hannah was momentarily taken aback, and then a faint, nostalgic smile curved her lips. "I didn't expect you to remember all this."

Vincent turned toward her, his gaze deep, the sea breeze ruffling his hair. "I remember everything you say."

Hannah said nothing more. She drifted toward the shoreline, sat down, wrapped her arms around her knees, and fixed her eyes on the far horizon where sea and sky became one.

As the waves whispered, her thoughts wandered to another memory that stung. Her voice was soft,almost as if speaking to herself, yet it was also meant for Vincent. "I remember that, after we got married,we had a fight. I was so furious thatI left home and came here, to the sea."

A faint, bitter laugh slipped from her. "But that time,you didn't come. I sat here for hours, from dawn to dusk, feeling as though the sky was collapsing, as if the world itself had abandoned me. Looking back now, I almost laugh at how dramatic | was-crying over a man..."

Vincent, seated beside her, frowned at her words.His voice, low and steady, cut through with certainty."You're mistaken."

Hannah lifted her head, startled.

Vincent's gaze was unwavering, calm yet firm. "I did come to find you. In fact, I was the first to find you."