When the Ice Refused to Melt Chapter 10

When the Ice Refused to Melt Chapter 10

What he once called protection and indulgence had always 

been mixed with too many lies and compromises. In the end, 

they became the sharpest knife that wounded her the most. 

And when he finally woke up and tried to make amends, she 

had already taken flight, soaring into a vast sky where he no 

longer existed. 

His belated apologies and guilt meant nothing in the face of 

the rich, vibrant life she now lived. 

The delegation’s visit ended, and the return trip was 

approaching. 

On the final afternoon, Kael went to the building where 

Arden’s studio was located. 

He dialed the number he had long memorized by heart but 

hadn’t dared to call in three years. 

The phone rang for a long time before it was finally picked up. 

“Hello?” Her voice came through, laced with a hint of 

impatience, as if she was busy. 

“Arden, it’s me.” His throat was dry. “I… I’m flying home 

tonight.” 

There was a brief silence, then her calm voice responded. 

“Safe travels.” 

“Can I… see you one last time?” His tone carried the faintest trace of pleading. 

“Sorry, I’m busy. I don’t have the time,” she said flatly, with no hesitation. “And honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary.” 

Kael gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning white. He looked up at the bright window of her studio, as if he could see her faint silhouette moving inside. 

“Take care,” he said at last, voice barely audible. 

“You too,” she replied, then hung up. 

The dial tone echoed in his ear, but Kael didn’t move. 

He just stood there, like a statue, as the sunset stretched his shadow longer and longer. He stayed until the light in that 

window came on again, and eventually, went out. 

He knew she wasn’t coming down. 

This time, he had lost her completely, and he would never get 

her back. 

In the years that followed, Kael, the young and accomplished major general of Valleria, became a unique figure in elite 

circles. 

Still sharp, still powerful, his influence in the military 

continued to rise. His future seemed limitless. 

But he never had another woman by his side. 

Serene’s illness stabilized with treatment. She eventually 

married someone else. Her life had nothing to do with him 

anymore. 

Countless people tried to set him up, arrange matches, connect him with potential partners. He rejected them all 

without mercy. 

It was as if he had turned himself into an island, protecting 

Valleria, while locking himself away. 

He never tried to find her again, and he never left Valleria. 

Maybe it was self–punishment. Or maybe, it was an unspoken vow. “If you won’t come back, then I’ll stay here, forever 

waiting.” 

On the other side of the world, Arden’s name grew louder and brighter in the international art scene. 

Her work was collected by major museums. Her global tours 

sold out across continents. 

Every show was a sensation. 

She remained radiant and charming, always surrounded by admirers. There were occasional rumors of romance, but 

nothing ever confirmed. 

Her exhibitions spanned the five continents. 

But never once, did she return to Valleria. 

That land, which held all her love, her heartbreak, her 

madness, and her despair, she had erased it completely from her life’s map. 

The crabapple blossoms in Valleria bloomed and withered, then bloomed again. 

He stayed behind in that empty city, waiting for someone who 

would never return. 

She, in her world of brilliance, had already forgotten the past 

they once shared. 

From that day on, Arden was no longer part of Valleria. 

And in Kael’s world, there was no light anymore.