Chapter 23

News of the fire that destroyed Slewman Tower went viral that same night, creating shockwaves that rippled throughout the country. However, the news only reached the Lesterfields in Fleurkenstein five days after the incident. Dillion and Martha found it deeply sorrowful, while Bridget and Ezra felt the Slewmans had gotten what they deserved. "The Slewmans have targeted our family for generations. Yet now, they've been destroyed at their own hands. I suppose what happened to them is only karma," Bridget said with disdain. Ezra agreed too. Just then, Martha cautioned them, "Let's not tell Roxanne about this. Her wedding is next month, and we shouldn't allow something as negative as this to affect her mood." Everyone nodded in agreement, and Dillon quietly slid the newspaper with an article about the incident under the coffee table. The partially visible content of the article read, "Internal power struggle among the Slewmans ends in devastating fire, with many board members perishing in the flames…" Brandon was the sole lucky survivor of the fire, and although he was alive, his entire body was severely burned. His handsome face was so badly damaged that he was unrecognizable. And because all of the surveillance footage had been destroyed in the fire too, Brandon was the only one who knew what actually happened. However, his vocal cords had also been severely damaged, so he couldn't speak at all. Thus, the police had no choice but to keep an eye on Brandon while he recovered in the ICU. They also had to wait until his condition had improved enough before they could question him. But his condition worsened 10 days later, and he had to seek treatment abroad. Because of this, Brandon requested to be transferred to Fleurkenstein, solely because it was also Roxanne's wedding day. On the breezy seaside, Roxanne wore a pure white wedding dress and had her family's blessing as she walked down the aisle to Julian. "You look beautiful," Julian said adoringly. He had never been stingy with compliments. Roxanne smiled sweetly at him as she held out her hand while they exchanged wedding rings. And after they had exchanged vows, she said, "I do." Julian then leaned down to kiss her on the lips, which Roxanne eagerly reciprocated. With this, the crowd erupted in cheers. The Lesterfield family was elated and looked at her with tremendous affection. Ezra, especially, repeatedly warned Julian to cherish Roxanne. Otherwise, he would come after Julian. Roxanne was happily nestled against Julian's side. She was blissfully unaware of what had happened to Brandon. But even if she had known about it, she wouldn't have cared anyway. Brandon watched the scene before him from inside the car. And when Roxanne was saying "I do", he had also subtly moved his lips. Through the rearview mirror, Joseph noticed that Brandon had mouthed the same two words. "I do." Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right, and Brandon had missed his chance to be with her. It was just like the wedding dress Brandon was holding in his arms, which was his gift to Roxanne for her 25th birthday. As they had married in secret, she hadn't worn a wedding dress. Brandon knew it was something she had regrets about. Thus, he had one custom-made in the same style as what a famous princess had once worn. Then, he had locked it in one of the cupboards of their walk-in closet and given Roxanne the key, but she never opened it. Tears slid over the burned corners of Brandon's mouth as he gazed in Roxanne's direction. Eventually, he looked away and used his hand to signal to Joseph to drive off. As the car moved away from the seaside, Brandon absentmindedly stared out the window and spotted a couple riding by on a bicycle. The woman wore a bright red dress, and the boy was complaining that she wasn't riding well. They reminded Brandon of younger versions of himself and Roxanne. They also had done normal couple activities, like riding bikes, taking strolls, and watching fireworks together… He regretted that he didn't know how to cherish all these things then. Perhaps, at this moment, Brandon finally understood what true separation meant. It wasn't death but rather living apart from the person one loved most.