The next second, the call was disconnected.

The cold light from the phone screen illuminated Lyra’s deathly pale face.

In that moment, Lyra didn't know what was more heartbreaking: the fact that Lucien had abandoned her without a second thought for a single phone call from Sylvie, or the fact that he could forgive Sylvie again and again, even after she had chosen her career over him.

Lying silently in bed, Lyra remembered something she thought she had long forgotten.

It happened the first year Sylvie was abroad. That year, Lucien won his first major award in physics.

Lyra had been overjoyed, waiting backstage with a bouquet of flowers to surprise him. But then she overheard a conversation between Lucien and his classmate.

"Your project with Sylvie won the grand prize. Aren't you going to use this opportunity to go win her back? Don't tell me you're planning to stay with Lyra. Besides her looks, she's not good enough for you in any way."

Lucien was silent for a long time before he answered.

"I'll think about it."

The next day, he lied to Lyra. "I have to go to an academic conference abroad. I'll be back in a week."

Even though Lyra was his girlfriend then, she didn't dare ask him directly, "Are you going to see Sylvie?"

She was afraid to ask. Afraid that if she did, he would break up with her.

All Lyra could do was say with red-rimmed eyes, "I'll wait for you to come back."

Lyra endured a week of torment, finally waiting for Lucien to return.

That day, Lucien, who never drank, got completely wasted.

He leaned on Lyra’s shoulder, his voice hazy with drink. "Lyra, from now on, it'll just be the two of us. You won't leave me, right?"

Lyra remembered how her heart had ached with an indescribable pain. She held him and promised, "I will never leave you."

She had kept that promise for five years.

Lyra had always thought she could wait out the storm and see the dawn, but she never expected to grow tired before that day arrived.

At this moment, Lyra’s eyes welled up, and she finally let out a soft sigh.

"Lucien, I'm sorry. I have to break my promise."

She was going to leave him.

His love, she didn't want it anymore.

The next morning, Lyra went to the firm.

She learned that the leadership from the German office was in town for an inspection. After their work was done, they had a sudden whim to go hiking in Yosemite.

As the employee about to be transferred to Germany, Lyra had no choice but to go along.

She climbed for hours, only managing to get halfway up the trail.

As she sat on a rock, catching her breath, a bottle of water was suddenly offered to her.

She looked up. It was Lucien.

Lyra was stunned, thinking she was hallucinating.

Lucien opened the bottle and helped her drink a few sips. Only after she had recovered a bit did she ask, "What are you doing here?"

Lucien didn't answer. Instead, he introduced Lyra to the man beside him.

"This is my girlfriend, Lyra."

Then he introduced the man to her. "This is Zeke, a researcher from our sister lab in Chicago."

Lyra extended her hand and smiled politely. "Nice to meet you."

Zeke shook her hand, grinning broadly. "Hey, so this is your girlfriend, Luce! You lucky bastard, she's gorgeous. So, where do you work, Lyra?"

Lucien froze, then mumbled, "A small firm."

Lyra raised an eyebrow at him.

She knew perfectly well that he had no idea where she worked…

They had been together for five years. She had never changed jobs. But did that matter to Lucien?

So Lyra filled in the details herself. "I work at Blackwood & Finch."

Zeke's jaw dropped. He slugged Lucien on the arm.

"You sly dog! Why so modest? This is Blackwood & Finch, one of the Big Four! If that's a 'small firm,' then there are no big firms in this country!"

Lucien went stiff.

He gave Lyra a complicated look and fell silent.

Zeke didn't think much of it, full of energy for the hike. "I'm going to head up! You two catch up!"

Lucien grunted an acknowledgment, and he was off.

That left Lucien and Lyra, walking slowly together.

Lucien’s jaw was tight, his thoughts a mystery.

Lyra sighed and decided to be direct. "I work at Blackwood & Finch. I'm a fund manager, responsible for investment and management."

Lucien’s gaze was downcast. "Why are you telling me this?"

Lyra replied calmly, "So that next time, you can introduce me to people like that. Instead of just 'your girlfriend,' and then nothing."

She was more than just Lucien’s girlfriend. She was her own person.

Lucien frowned, his tone laced with annoyance. "Our fields are completely different. How am I supposed to know anything about Blackwood & Finch?"

Lyra was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"You're right. We're from two completely different worlds."

The smile was fleeting. She looked ahead, where her boss was waving at her.

"Alright, enough of this. I need to go say hi to my boss."

Lyra quickened her pace and walked ahead.

At the lookout point, Lyra joined her boss, who looked pointedly at Lucien behind her.

"Your boyfriend?"

Lyra nodded. "Yes."

The boss then asked jokingly, "Willing to go to Germany alone? Not taking him with you?"

At that moment, Lucien walked up beside her, calmly gazing out at the mountains.

His profile was sharp, not much different from how he'd always been.

Lyra let out a soft laugh and was the first to look away.

She knew Lucien didn't speak German. So right then, in front of him, she answered her boss openly in German. "Of course."