Chapter 1878


    Hertha kept her gaze fixed firmly ahead, not daring to even nce at ric.


    She feared that seeing ric''s strikingly handsome face, with those fox-like, captivating eyes filled with profound sadness, would make her heart soften andpel her to retract the words she had just spoken to him.


    After much internal struggle, Hertha had resolved to keep ric at arm''s length, deciding their rtionship should continue merely as that of casual friends.


    It had taken some convincing, but ric had agreed. She couldn''t let his pitiful appearance sway her now, not when she had finally steeled her heart against him.


    With a heavy heart, Hertha marched on, her head held high, refusing to give in to the pain and pity gnawing at her.


    Walking beside her, ric kept his head slightly bowed, not once looking at Hertha. His demeanor was one of subdued sorrow.


    He feared Hertha seeing the redness in his eyes, the unshed tears. After all, he was a man, and men weren''t supposed to cry easily.


    He couldn''t allow Hertha to see him weep. She had made her stance clear-they were to be just friends, with no further entanglements. That was her showing mercy, her being generous.


    And he had epted her terms.


    If Hertha saw his tears now, where would that leave his pride?


    He was a man, and no matter how much pain he was in, he couldn''t show his vulnerability, especially not in front of a woman.


    Their short walk to the elevator felt like an eternity, each step heavy with unspoken words and suppressed feelings. The silence between them was palpable and awkward.


    Just moments ago, they had been desperately trying to exin themselves to each other, and now, they stood together like strangers, without a word to share.


    This unfamiliar familiarity between them was heart-wrenching.


    At the peak of the awkward silence, it was Hertha who finally spoke, attempting a small smile. "Aren''t you nning to return to the Falconer Group? How long do you intend to stay with the Crawley Group?"


    Her words were casual, the kind of question friends might ask each other-nothing more.


    ric snapped back to reality, stealing a quick nce at Hertha. Seeing her attempt at a smile felt like a sting to his already aching heart.


    He didn''t really have the heart to answer her question, merely responding, "We''ll see."


    For Hertha, maintaining a friendship was simple, but for him, it was as painful as undergoing a major surgery.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    In his life, Ataric had been a yboy, treating women like they were disposable. Falling so deeply in love for the first time, only to have it end in despair, felt like a cruel O punishment from fate.


    Hertha, sensing ric''s indifference, felt her forced smile fade. The pain she had been trying to keep at bay pricked her heart once more.


    Just then, the elevator arrived. Hertha stepped in without another word to ric.


    It seemed she was no different from the other women in ric''s past. Once the possibility of a rtionship was off the table, they truly became strangers.


    He didn''t even seem willing to talk to her anymore.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier Hertha became.


    Standing in the elevator, the confined space magnified the tension between them.


    Soon, the elevator reached its destination. Hertha stepped out first, with ric trailing behind. As she walked away, he called out, "Hertha..."