CHAPTER 712. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Three MonthsShe had to get up. Get up, answer him, tell him, explain to him… but she didn’t want to. She could do it, but she didn’t want to.Her eyes closed for an infinite moment, then opened, focusing beyond Peter to the reddish sunset sky—perfect for so many photos, perfect for so many memories.“Yes, you arrived too late,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “But in ways you don’t understand yet. If you’re sure you want me around… I’ll stay. My marriage has been over for a long time, so I’ll stick around. But you have to promise me something.”There was something in her tone that made Peter shiver. He leaned back, tugging on her hand to make her sit on the snow beside him.“Go ahead,” he said curiously, unable to imagine what condition she might set.“This can’t last less than three months.”“Excuse me…?” he asked, puzzled, and Kim cupped his face with a mock-threatening look.“You’re an incurable flirt, Mr. Ferguson. Don’t think I haven’t n
CHAPTER 713. IN MY NEXT LIFE. An AuctionThat navy blue dress had long sleeves and was absolutely covered. Elegant and completely modest. And Kim was grateful for it because it meant Peter had thought about every one of the kisses he’d given her less than two hours ago.For the first time in her life, those marks on her skin took on a completely different meaning. If it weren’t for what they truly represented, she might even have adored them.And yet, covered as she was, Peter swore no man would have eyes for any other woman that night—unless he was hopelessly in love.“No, no, leave that,” he said hurriedly, taking the camera out of her hands and setting it on the bed. “Tonight is for enjoying ourselves. No photos, no sponsorships, no nothing. We’re just going to have fun and enjoy the auction.”Kim rolled her eyes but eventually agreed not to work that evening. She clung to his arm as though they were a well-established couple, her heels clicking away from the room while she couldn’
CHAPTER 714. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Something Important“Kim, are you okay?”Peter had seen her smiling for the rest of the evening, but he was starting to know her well enough to notice when that sparkle had suddenly vanished.“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked as they strolled slowly toward one of the exits after saying their goodbyes.“Nothing, it’s nothing. I was just wondering—this money they’re raising here at the auction, where does it go?”Peter shrugged, answering honestly. “Honestly, I have no idea. It probably goes to one of the sports associations to boost the Games’ budget or something like that.”Kim seemed lost in thought, and Peter couldn’t ignore the strange sadness that sometimes overtook her. Instead of making the mistake most people would—asking why she felt that way—he chose to pull her close, wrapping her in a tight embrace from behind and kissing just below her ear before making his declaration.“I know I spend my money on useless stuff, but that’s because I’ve always had
CHAPTER 715. IN MY NEXT LIFE. PreparationsPreparing something like that from scratch seemed like madness, but Kim had sworn she had never seen Peter so excited in all the time she had known him. Naturally, he immediately contacted his agent, and within a matter of hours, they had agreed on what they were going to do.Kim felt her heart pounding like a ping-pong ball in the hands of professionals the moment she saw Peter open that fiberglass case and take out the skis.“Do you think they can handle a descent like that?” she asked nervously. As much as she wanted it to go well, her main concern was that Peter wouldn’t get hurt.She watched him repeatedly assess the durability and flexibility of the skis before giving her a small nod of assurance.“They’ll hold up, I promise. And even if they don’t, remember that I’m a professional skier,” he whispered, stepping closer and gently cupping her face in his hands. He couldn’t stand seeing her so worried. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’
CHAPTER 716. IN MY NEXT LIFE. The Best Is Yet to ComeHe was ready. More than ready. Peter took a deep breath as the cold mountain air formed a thin frost on his cheeks. His face was mostly covered under his goggles and scarves, but he could still feel the icy air like tiny blades injecting adrenaline into his body.He’d always felt this way since he was a child. That’s why he loved winter sports—just like his father, just like the rest of his family. But now, there was something more.He had always competed for a trophy. Money had never been an issue. Love, recognition, and support in his family had always been abundant. So, the only reason he had to compete was for a trophy—or rather, many of them. But in recent weeks, Kim had given him much more to fight for, much more to work toward. She had given him a different purpose.Peter had always known that his family supported every good cause they could and that the Keller Foundation was extremely active in charity. But this was differe
CHAPTER 717. IN MY NEXT LIFE. A Special EmotionIt was complete madness, but it was beautiful madness. Arnold Lunn's skis had been returned to their fiberglass box, securely fixed again so no one could touch them, and luckily, they only had a couple of cracks after that descent.Both Kim and Peter managed to look presentable in just one hour, and then the other part of the event began.An immense reception had been organized, and although Peter had planned for only the money from the auction of the skis to go to charity, the reality was that with so many charitable organizations present, many people were eager to make their own donations directly. So, the night was turning out perfectly."Do you think it will go well?" Peter asked, turning to Kim, who was hanging onto his arm, trying to hide the exhaustion she felt. "I mean, I can't be the only crazy one paying thousands of euros for those skis, right?""Of course not," Kim tried to reassure him. "The world is full of crazy people, an
CHAPTER 718. IN MY NEXT LIFE. We Need to TalkPeter had to admit it, he had never experienced emotions like this in his life. It wasn't adrenaline, it wasn't frustration, it was fear. It was a deep and fierce fear, and the worst part was that he knew exactly where it was coming from. It wasn’t that he had deliberately tried to ignore it, but deep down Peter knew that all the marks that were appearing on Kim without reason couldn’t be just a simple skin condition.He felt his heart choke in his throat the moment they took her out of his arms, and the doctor began giving a series of orders that seemed far too serious to him."Do you have any idea if she might have been poisoned by something specific?" the doctor asked, seeing that Kim was completely unbalanced, with those dark marks running down her limbs."No, it's not poisoning, doctor. She has a skin condition, and it gets like this with the slightest pressure, but..."The doctor frowned, not daring to say what he was thinking, becau
CHAPTER 1. More than one way to break a heart**JANUARY SEATTLE**"How could you do this?!" Zack Keller's furious roar stopped his girlfriend right at the door as soon as he saw her arrive.Giselle saw a piece of paper in his hand and had no idea what he was talking about, but she had never seen him so upset as he was at that moment."I don't know what you're talking about...""Of course you do! You aborted my child! You lost it on purpose!" he accused her angrily. "Did you at least have the damn intention of telling me anything?!"The woman in front of him turned pale."How... how do you know...?"Zack threw the paper in her direction and looked at her with disappointment."Do you forget you're on my company's health insurance?" he spat, approaching her. "As soon as your last name appeared in the payment records, they notified me. Imagine my joy when I found out the insurance had paid for a pregnancy test and then for an ultrasound!"Giselle stepped away from him, her face red with e