Traces in Snow When Strangers Meet Again

Ivy was violently thrown onto a bed in a dim hotel room.

A creepy, middle-aged man was unbuckling his belt, his eyes filled with revolting lust.

"Ms. Lane said as long as I 'take good care' of you tonight, the deal's sealed. Don't be scared, gorgeous. I'll be real gentle…" He grinned, showing his yellow-stained teeth.

Trembling uncontrollably, Ivy struggled with all her might. "Get away from me! I'm the daughter of the Bennetts, and if you touch me, they won't let you walk away alive!"

The man burst out laughing. "The daughter of the Bennetts? If that's true, I'm the noble son of the Wests!"

With that, he stripped off his clothes and lunged toward her, pressing his flabby body down.

Ivy grabbed the ceramic ashtray by the bed and smashed it over his head.

The man howled and clutched his bleeding forehead as he collapsed onto the ground. She seized the chance to bolt out the door, only to run straight into Sophia in the hallway.

Sophia's expression darkened the moment she saw Ivy. "How did you get out?"

"Get out of my way!" Ivy shoved her hard.

Caught off guard, Ivy stumbled back a few steps. Her expression flashed with malice as a thought crossed her mind.

She suddenly grabbed Ivy by the wrist and dragged her toward the steps. "Since you won't appreciate my kind favor, I'm sorry, but I'm not showing any mercy."

Before Ivy knew it, she was shoved hard. Her world started spinning as she tumbled down the stairs and smashed her forehead against the edge of a step. Warm blood instantly gushed into her eyes.

Curled on the cold floor and nearly passing out from the pain, she heard Julian's voice. "Sophia, what's going on?"

"Julian…" Sophia cried out in a trembling voice as she collapsed to the floor. "I sprained my ankle, and it hurts so much…"

"I'll take you to the hospital right now. Don't worry."

Ivy heard the rustle of fabric and knew he had picked Sophia up. Though in agony, she mustered the strength to cry out, "Julian…"

But he had disappeared at the end of the hallway without looking down the stairs. His eyes were only on Sophia.

…

Ivy had no idea how long she lay there. Blood mixed with tears trickled into her mouth, creating a bitter, metallic taste.

Gritting her teeth, she slowly forced herself up. Every step she took sent searing pain through her body.

It was dark by the time she staggered back to her rented apartment. She could barely stay upright as she washed her wounds. The antiseptic stung like fire and had her gasping, but she bit her lip hard and refused to cry.

Later that night, the door creaked open. When Julian walked in and saw her tending her injuries, he frowned. "What happened?"

"Sophia dragged me onto an old man's bed," she explained in a raspy voice. After a pause, she added, "When I escaped, she pushed me down the stairs."

His expression darkened. "What nonsense are you talking about? Sophia may be spoiled, but she'd never do something like that."

"How do you know that she's spoiled?" Ivy shot back, gripping the bottle so hard that her knuckles paled.

After being briefly stunned, he smoothly took off his jacket and sounded tired. "It's just something I heard. Are you jealous because I've been with her these past few days? I told you it's just to repay a debt."

Her heart felt like it had been stabbed clean through. Even now, he was still lying.

Lowering her head, she turned her focus back to her wounds without saying another word. Julian walked over and tried to hug her, but she flinched away.

He sighed and said, "Fine. Let's have lunch tomorrow, alright?"

She gave no reply.

…

The next day, Julian brought her to a humble little diner they often visited.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked, looking as handsome as ever.

"Anything," she said, averting her gaze.

After food was served, Julian barely ate anything. He was too busy replying to messages the entire time.

Halfway through, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it and didn't pick up. Instead, he got up and announced, "I just received a major order that pays a lot, Ivy. If I take it, we can get married sooner, so I've got to go."

Ivy nodded. "Go ahead."

He quickly paid the bill and left.

Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, she watched him disappear around the corner on his electric scooter. For some reason, she felt compelled to follow him.

Around the corner, Julian stopped the scooter and walked toward a black Maybach parked by the side of the road. He took off his delivery guy uniform to reveal a tailored suit underneath. After casually tossing the uniform into a trash can, he drove off.

Ivy stood by the trash can, frozen in shock. So, this was how he lied to her every day.

He'd ride the electric scooter just a short distance before switching to his luxury car. Then, he'd take off the cheap clothes she had scrimped to buy for him and throw them away without a second thought.

As she turned and walked back, her eyes were filled with tears.

Suddenly, blinding headlights flashed. Before she could react, a speeding car slammed into her and sent her flying.

She hit the ground hard, and before losing consciousness, she heard the driver make a call. "Ms. Lane, it's done just like you asked."

…

When Ivy woke up, she found herself on an operating table. An anxious nurse cried out in relief, "Thank goodness, you're awake! Where's your family? You were hit by a car, and we need a signature before we can proceed with surgery."

Ivy had no relatives in Joburg City, and she couldn't call her parents and worry them either. With trembling hands, she dialed her emergency contact, Julian.

"Julian… Sophia ran me over… I need you to sign for the surgery…"

There was a pause on the other end before his voice rang out, cold and distant. "Ms. Lane has no reason to hurt you, Ivy. Why'd she do that? I know you're jealous that I haven't been with you. Just wait a little longer. I'll be back soon." He sounded almost helpless. With that, he ended the call.