To the Love of My Life

Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory were busy seeing friends and relatives all day, hardly ever home. In the past, when Ruby Gregory was home for the new year, she would go out with them to visit relatives. Now that she was pregnant, and coincidentally on the first day of the Chinese New Year, a cold air mass arrived with drastically low temperatures. So, Ruby Gregory stayed in the house all day.

Staying in the house all day got rather boring, occasionally when the midday sun was good, Ruby Gregory would take a stroll in the garden.

The neighboring Burtons family was originally large, with everyone returning home for the New Year making it even livelier. Ruby Gregory would glance over into their yard during her walks in the sun, but she has never seen Steve Burton since.

On the third day of the lunar year, Madeleine paid a visit to the Gregorys. Perhaps it was because they encountered each other on this day, when Ruby got off her car early and walked back home after hearing so much information regarding Steve Burton that Madeleine became cautious when chatting with her. She was deliberately avoiding the topic of Steve, but Ruby still knew from listening between the lines that Steve Burton had a relaxed few days, very lucky with poker, and won lots of money.

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True to Madeleine’s unintentional revelation to Ruby Gregory, Steve Burton was indeed having a pretty good time this Chinese New Year, with surprisingly good luck and winning a lot of money. In the end, people like Rusell Henris simply refused to play with him, he then just stayed at the Burtons’ Mansion, doing less and less and amusing his little nephew in his free time.

Steve Burton had taken the medicine Ruby Gregory had prescribed for him during their hospital visit, on the third day of the lunar year, he even ran to the hospital in the evening to refill his medication. The doctor said his wounds were healing well.

During these few days, he has seen Ruby Gregory several times, mostly when she was strolling in the courtyard. From his own room, he could just see her. Once, at eight o’clock in the evening, he drove home, parked the car, and habitually looked at her room, only to see her pacing back and forth on the balcony of her room, with a phone in her hand, seemingly on a call.

No matter how many times Steve Burton intentionally or unintentionally saw Ruby Gregory, he never conversed with her, nor thought of disturbing her, even if he wanted to, he didn’t act on it.

Before the Chinese New Year, Steve Burton had instructed Rusell Henris to find a time to arrange a meeting with Maya Mitchell.

He was busy with work before the New Year, and he spent most of the afternoons at the Gardenia Clubhouse, so the meeting with Maya Mitchell was scheduled for the sixth day of the lunar year, at noon.

The location was arranged by secretary Ms. Taylor, choosing a café in a shopping mall not far from Pristine’s Enterprises.

Due to the New Year, there were fewer people in the shopping mall. When Steve Burton arrived, Maya Mitchell was already waiting inside.

Maya Mitchell was always alert to the movement at the café entrance, so the moment she saw Steve Burton appear, she immediately stood up, waved at the entrance, and called out, “Mr. Burton.”

Before Steve Burton could ask the waiter, he heard Maya Mitchell’s voice. He nodded politely at the waiter, walked over to Maya Mitchell, and sat down.