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 719. IN MY NEXT LIFE. A Place Called DesperationIf Percival McKenneth had ever, even for the slightest moment, doubted what that man felt for Kim, all doubt vanished in an instant when he saw him stagger after those words left his mouth."Three...? What do you mean, three months...? What are you saying with three...?" Peter felt like he wasn't really speaking, like his lips were moving but no sound was coming out, because he was pretty sure he couldn't hear himself.One of his hands went backward, as if he were grasping at empty air, trying to find something to hold on to, but before that weakness could send him to the floor, Percival McKenneth’s steady hand caught him, pressing him against a wall where Peter leaned back as if breathing had become difficult."I'm sorry, but I can imagine why she didn't tell you," Percy murmured, running a hand through his hair with a resigned sigh. "Kim doesn’t like to talk about it. In fact, we haven’t talked about it in a long time, so..."
CHAPTER 720. IN MY NEXT LIFE. An Important JourneyHe wanted a miracle. That was really all he wanted.Peter let himself slide down that wall as if all his strength had abandoned him completely. His mind was tangled with medical terms and disease names that meant absolutely nothing. But while it was true that Percival McKenneth might have once been a bitter man, it was clear that he wasn’t a bad one.A few minutes later, the doctors arrived to confirm that the diagnosis was absolutely accurate and that every other physician who had assessed the case had done everything humanly possible to help her with some kind of treatment that might work. Yet none had."Can you tell me...? Can you tell me how it’s going to be?" he asked, his heart in his throat, tears rolling down his cheeks unstoppably. Because even though he didn’t want to give up, even though he wanted to fight for her with everything he had, the truth was that he needed to know what he was up against."She’s going to be tired,"