The Ice-Cold General Learned Regret in the Language of Roses Novel

Nora came to see him once . She had clearly dressed up for it , wearing a simple , elegant dress , a soft , hopeful smile on her face as if she could somehow win him back . " Ethan , I know you haven't been in a good place lately . I made some soup for you , and I ... " Ethan lifted his head from a stack of military paperwork and looked at her , his gaze flat and unreadable . There was no trace of the old struggle or guilt in his eyes , not even warmth anymore , only a kind of calm that came from having finally seen everything for what it was . " Nora . " He cut her off , his voice level .

" We're done . " The smile on Nora's face froze , the color slowly draining out of her cheeks . Ethan went on in that same even tone , as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him . " I was blind before , unable to tell the difference between responsibility and gratitude , and I mistook that for love . But the moment I decided to marry Scarlett , whatever there was between you and me ended for good . I fell in love with her before I even realized it myself . " He watched her face go stark white , his voice still steady , edged with a cruel kind of clarity .

" I'll keep supplying the medication you need until you're fully recovered . That's my debt to you , and I'll see it through . But beyond that , there is nothing left between us . Please don't come here again ." Nora looked as if someone had pulled the strength right out of her . She staggered and had to grab the corner of his desk just to stay upright . She stared at him in disbelief , tears spilling over , her voice going sharp . " Ethan ! How can you do this to me ? After all these years , does what we had really mean less to you than a few years of fooling around with that Scarlett ?

You promised you'd take care of me for the rest of my life ! " Ethan watched her break down , his face expressionless and his heart numb . " This is on me . If you need someone to hate , hate me . " He pressed the button on his intercom . " Show her out . " His aide came in and , polite but firm , escorted the sobbing , shouting Nora from the ro The moment the office door closed , the world dropped back into silence . Ethan slumped against the back of his chair and shut his eyes , exhaustion dragging at him as his fingers Chapter 19 63.33 % absently rubbed the key to his desk drawer .

That was where he kept everything that had become his wild , secret solace and his endless torment . He knew it was wrong , even despicable . But he couldn't stop . A nearly insane thought took root and spread through him - he had to see her . No matter what it took , he had to see her with his own eyes . The chance came quickly . A high - level diplomatic delegation was about to visit Europe , and one of their str country where Scarlett was living now .

ned to be in the The delegation needed a military attaché to travel with them , someone high - ranking enough and familiar with how things worked . Ethan burned through every contact his family had built up and every connection he'd made in the military , and in a way that definitely counted as using his influence for personal reasons , he pushed past all the objections and made sure that slot went to him . When he finally received the transfer order stamped with the official seal , his fingers actually trembled .

This was the closest he could get to her after setting aside his pride and principles , the best chance he could win for himself . The odds were slim , and he might only get another dose of her cold eyes and open disgust , but he still threw himself into it without looking back . Even the foreign sky seemed a deeper blue than the one over Southport .

In a sharply cut civilian suit , Ethan slipped away from the delegation's packed schedule and , like any ordinary tourist - or maybe more like a man stalking her from the shadows - he waited outside the gate of the prestigious art school where Scarlett was enrolled . When classes let out , students poured through the gates in chattering clusters . In the middle of the crowd , Ethan spotted her in an instant .

She was wearing a stylish , perfectly tailored dress that showed off the lines of her body , her long hair loose over her shoulders , a light touch of makeup on her face as she walked with classmates from all different backgrounds , talking and laughing . Chapter 19 63.33 % Sunlight poured over her , wrapping her in a soft , dazzling halo . Ethan stared , completely lost . His heart felt caught in an invisible fist , tight and aching until it was hard to breathe . His Scarlett had left Southport , left him behind , and somehow her life looked brighter and bigger without him .

That confidence and independence , shining from the inside out , was something he had never seen in her before . Her happiness was so real , so vividly alive . And that happiness had nothing at all to do with Ethan . The realization was like a dull knife , sawing over and over at his chest . He instinctively stepped back , retreating into the shadows at the street corner , suddenly without the courage to go to her . He was afraid . Afraid that if he appeared out of nowhere , he'd shatter that bright smile on her face and see that same icy disgust in her eyes all over again .

A few days later , by chance , Ethan learned that one of Scarlett's pieces had been selected for the opening show at a well - regarded local gallery . He barely hesitated before blowing off a pointless official reception and heading there alone . 63.33 % admin