The night sky was shrouded in a vast curtain of rain, casting a layer of mist over everything. Osbourne stood by the window, gazing at the neon lights flickering in the rain.
In reality, he wasn’t particularly busy during this period, but he just felt tired and had no desire to go home.
Sometimes, waking up in the middle of the night, he felt bewildered and dazed. He couldn’t understand why he had been reborn again. He had indeed avoided all the tragedies from the beginning, but gradually, he felt that the current situation wasn’t necessarily better than the previous life.
He had to admit that his actions hadn’t changed anything, and his pain hadn’t diminished at all.
Knock, knock
Osbourne snapped out of his thoughts, turning to look at the door. “Father.”
Colonel Beaumont walked in, his gaze falling on Osbourne. The usually solemn expression on his face softened a bit as he asked with concern, “Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
“I was just about to go.”
Colonel Beaumont looked at his son, who had grown remarkably outstanding. During this period, Osbourne had concealed his feelings well, appearing calm on the surface, but in reality, he was tightly wound and conflicted.
“You’re my son. How could I not know what you’re thinking?”
“In the end, maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to your marriage so easily back then.”
Osbourne looked puzzled and asked, “Father?”
Colonel Beaumont shook his head, feeling a deep sense of hesitation. Logically, he should tell Osbourne everything, as ultimately, the most painful and innocent person in this matter was Prince Iger. He shouldn’t let Osbourne misunderstand him again because of this. However, his personal feelings prevented him from speaking up.
Because he understood that even if Osbourne knew the truth, it wouldn’t resolve the existing conflicts between them. Instead, it might lead the determined Osbourne back into a struggle.
In the end, Colonel Beaumont said, “All of this will pass, especially since you’ve already made a decision. It’s better to be decisive. Otherwise, it’s not fair to Prince Iger.”
Osbourne looked at his father, sensing a subtle undercurrent in his words. There seemed to be a deeper meaning behind them.
“In that case, why don’t you take a break for yourself? Go to Tuya or Haysa and enjoy some time there. Having a good time will help clear your mind.”
Osbourne listened but shook his head slowly. “Father, I’ll adjust quickly.”
After a pause, he looked out into the endless night through the window, as if the darkness was closing in from all sides. Until the point where he felt he couldn’t see clearly, he closed his eyes and said, “Father, you’re right. I made this decision myself; I shouldn’t be so indecisive.”
*
When Clyde learned from Lowell that His Highness had been hospitalized due to drinking and stomach bleeding, he hesitated to visit him at the hospital. His concern was not for any other reason but the fear of encountering Osbourne, who might beat him up. So he decided to observe the situation at home for a couple of days. Unexpectedly, the news of the divorce between the two spread wildly on the Star Network.
Initially, when the Second Prince mentioned the matter, Clyde didn’t take it seriously. After all, he never thought these two could actually get a divorce. He could clearly see Osbourne’s feelings towards their Highness. If they could really go through with a divorce, it would be like the sun rising from the west.
He didn’t expect the matter to escalate this much. He thought the royal family would surely intervene, and his Highness would probably receive a scolding from the king. However, what surprised him was the unexpected action taken by the royal family, leaving him dumbfounded. He believed that not only him but also the old men in Parliament must be in shock.
So… the situation now is that these two people really got divorced in just one day?
Unlike the perspective of those who care about gossip, Clyde found everything very abnormal. The royal family would never allow such a development. From a royal standpoint, they would probably want this marriage to last as long as possible. Thus, the only explanation he could think of was that General Osbourne had made up his mind to divorce. From the royal family’s perspective, the king would never allow it.
When he wanted to ask his Highness about the situation, he found out that his Highness had already been discharged from the hospital.
Clyde changed his course and headed directly to where His Highness stayed.
“The king actually agreed?” The two of them were dining at a quiet outdoor revolving restaurant. It was nighttime, and the splendid night view stretched out before them. It was a high-consumption, members-only venue.
Iger spoke calmly, “Why wouldn’t he agree? Who is divorcing—me or him?”
“What I mean is, did General Osbourne really mean it? Did you do something to make him suddenly come to his senses? Did you two have a real fight because of those photos last time? If so, you are really unfairly treated!” The paparazzi had an exceptional ability to create stories out of nothing. They could even bring the dead back to life. Whoever believed them was foolish.
Iger listened absentmindedly for a while before slowly saying, “He didn’t even argue with me… He proposed a divorce. I didn’t agree at first, so he dragged it on. Later, I felt it was meaningless to drag it out like this, so I agreed.”
Clyde was taken aback by his words. He hadn’t expected the situation to take such a turn. Upon careful consideration, he realized that Iger was probably right. Considering Osbourne’s usual temperament, if it were because of this matter, the two would likely have just argued. The fact that they not only didn’t quarrel but directly moved to divorce, with no room for compromise, indicated that Osbourne was determined to end the relationship.
Iger, seeing Clyde’s disbelief, didn’t say anything more and simply turned his gaze away.
“I still find it unbelievable…” But when it came to matters of the heart, outsiders couldn’t understand the intricacies. All that could be said was that things had escalated to such an extent that a true separation seemed inevitable.
Clyde sighed, feeling a twinge of regret. When he looked up, he saw Iger staring blankly in one direction. Following his gaze, Clyde was surprised to see Osbourne standing at the entrance. Uncharacteristically, he wasn’t in formal attire. Instead, he wore a light-colored shirt with black trousers. In the night and under the cool lights, his tall figure and cold demeanor, along with his handsome face, made him stand out, creating an aura that captivated attention.
In addition, there were four or five people around Osbourne. Clyde recognized only two of them, and the rest were probably his subordinates.
Feeling the atmosphere becoming awkward, Clyde hesitated about whether to find an excuse to give them some privacy. However, Osbourne seemed to have noticed them. He briefly glanced in their direction but quickly turned away without any change in expression.
Clyde was baffled. How could he remain so calm and indifferent? Just like that?
Unable to comprehend, Clyde blurted out, “He clearly saw us just now, didn’t he?” Then he turned to Iger, only to find him lowering his eyes, saying calmly, “I don’t know.”
Even though he said that, Clyde could sense the visible cooling of Iger’s emotions, and even his complexion seemed notably pale.
Clyde thought for a moment, carefully choosing his words, and said, “Do you know the best way to forget about your ex-wife or ex-partner?”
Iger gave a cold hum, seemingly perceiving his thoughts at a glance, and without lifting his eyes, he said, “Find another one.”
“Erm…” Clyde didn’t expect him to understand him so well, choked for a moment, and continued, “Anyway, try to keep yourself busy and shift your focus. Work, pets, delicious food, beautiful scenery… and, as you said, finding another one, are all options.”
Whether it was an illusion or not, Clyde always felt that there was a gaze looking in his direction as he spoke these words.
But he just spoke casually, and unexpectedly, the prince across from him lifted his eyes at this moment and smiled, saying, “How about having a drink?”
“Are you crazy?”
…
The hovercar moved through the night, and the buildings in the night rapidly receded. Although it wasn’t Clyde’s first time riding in Iger’s car, he couldn’t help but marvel at the exceptional performance of the vehicle. Whether it was braking, variable speed performance, shock absorption, or noise reduction effects, they were all ahead of the floating cars on the market by more than three years.
But who would believe that a prince of the empire assembled his own car?
Clyde glanced through the rearview mirror and noticed a car trailing them closely at high speed. As they changed lanes, the other car followed suit.
“Take a look at the rear,” Clyde said. He had a feeling that the car behind them was intentionally tailing them.
Iger only glanced briefly but remained silent, opting to accelerate instead.
After about seven or eight minutes, both cars came to a stop simultaneously. Clyde got out of the car and realized the identity of the vehicle that had been following them. Osbourne walked over from beneath a streetlight, his expression dark. He reached out to Iger, demanding, “What are you doing here?”
While saying this, he cast a glance at Clyde. Despite appearing calm, there was an underlying sense of volatility, as if he were suppressing something, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Iger shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Is there even a need to ask?”
With that, he shrugged off Osbourne and walked straight into the bar. Clyde was initially contemplating whether to offer an explanation, but he was surprised to see Osbourne following suit.
The bar had dim lighting, with a glass bar counter illuminated by faint lights from bottom to top. Osbourne’s brows furrowed even more tightly as he scanned the area. Finally, he found Iger in the corner, his light brown hair reflecting a subtle hue under the dim lights.
The bartender was diligently wiping a glass when he heard the sound and looked up. Upon seeing Osbourne, he paused for a moment and said, “General Osbourne… What… What would you like to order?”
Osbourne, with a dark expression, replied, “A cup of hot milk.”
The bartender exclaimed, thinking he might have misheard, but Osbourne’s icy demeanor left no room for further questions.
As he walked over, there was an additional person by Iger’s side, a Beta with black hair and blue eyes. His eyes were large, and his jaw was pointed, making him look quite young, perhaps not even twenty.
The Beta blushed and, seeing Iger taking out a cigarette, quickly offered, “Sir, let me help you.”
Iger leaned on the sofa and handed him the cigarette.
The Beta took it, pinched it between his fingers, put it in his mouth, and skillfully lit it with a lighter. Despite his rather youthful appearance, his actions were surprisingly proficient. After completing this task, he handed the cigarette back to Iger.
Iger was momentarily stunned. He was about to take it when a hand from the side snatched it away. The fingers expertly pinched out the tiny spark, and without any mercy, the cigarette was thrown into a nearby trash bin.
Osbourne seemed genuinely angry, casting an extremely stern gaze at the Beta. Though the Beta appeared frightened by Osbourne’s look, he still stood his ground and didn’t leave.
Iger raised his eyes, gave a wry smile, and said, “I remember General Osbourne doesn’t drink. What brings you here?”
At that moment, a waiter brought a cup of hot milk over. Osbourne didn’t respond to Iger’s words but exchanged the cup in Iger’s hand for the milk, pushing it toward him. “You drink this.”
Then, realizing his emotions might have been too intense, he forced himself to calm down and added, “Your Highness, you should quit smoking and drinking.”
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