Everest's Guardian Hubby Watched Me Freeze My Ghost Knows Where He'll Burn novel Chapter 17

Chapter 4

For several days in a row, Nicholas didn’t return home. Instead, he sent a brief message, saying he was away on a business trip.

Valentina, naturally, kept close tabs on his whereabouts, reporting every detail to Elara.

But Elara remained silent, offering no response. She simply printed the screenshots Valentina sent and filed them away, as she always did.

In the quiet moments she had to herself, Elara continued working through her bucket list—alone, as usual.

When she reached the tenth item—“see the flowers”—she found herself scrolling through her phone, reading glowing reviews about the blossoms in Prospect Park. On a whim, she decided to visit and see the flowers everyone was talking about.

It was a weekday, and the park felt peaceful and still. She moved slowly along the winding paths, the soft rustling of leaves and distant birdcalls filling the air around her.

Around three or four in the afternoon, the plaza began to fill with street musicians setting up their instruments. The gentle strumming of guitars and soft melodies of love songs drifted through the air, creating an inviting atmosphere.

Elara glanced toward the plaza—and suddenly froze.

There was Nicholas, standing no more than thirty feet away.

Right beside him was Valentina.

They were sharing a bowl of something, laughing together, completely lost in their own little world.

Valentina picked up a bite with her fork and fed it to Nicholas, who smiled in a way that was so relaxed, so utterly content, it hit Elara like a sharp blow to the chest.

She hadn’t expected to see them here, not like this.

Then Nicholas rose from his seat. He walked over to one of the musicians and whispered something to him. The musician handed over his guitar without hesitation.

Nicholas adjusted the microphone, and the small crowd grew quiet, curiosity spreading among the onlookers.

“This one’s for Valentina,” he announced softly. “The girl I love.”

Then he began to play.

His voice was warm, smooth, and rich, blending perfectly with the gentle guitar strumming.

It was a love song—intimate, tender, aching with emotion.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen.

Nearby, a couple of girls standing close to Elara lit up, whispering excitedly to each other.

“Oh my God, he’s so hot. I wish my boyfriend would do something like that,” one said breathlessly.

“This song is beautiful. Is it an original?” the other asked.

“Yeah,” Elara whispered almost to herself.

She wasn’t sure if she was answering them or simply speaking inwardly.

She had first heard this song when she was sixteen, at the Homecoming Dance.

Nicholas had written it himself—lyrics, melody, everything. He’d taken the stage last, in front of the entire school, and said those exact words.

Back then, the girl he loved was her.

The auditorium had erupted in cheers, whistles, and screams. The whole school had gone wild.

A few days later, Nicholas joined the school radio station, and Elara had heard that song every day during lunch for the rest of the year.

Everything had felt perfect in those moments.

But that was a lifetime ago. The song no longer belonged to her.

And neither did he.

One of the girls nudged Elara gently, concern flickering in her eyes. “Oh my God, are you okay? Here—”

She stared at the raw, exposed wood for a long time before bursting into laughter. Tears streamed freely down her face.

Nicholas, you liar.

Nicholas, you couldn’t even manage to keep “always.”

And you certainly don’t love me anymore.

So why did you lie about both?

After a while, she left the campus and caught an Uber to the Department of Vital Records.

She wanted to take care of her legal paperwork early.

The clerk frowned as she looked over the forms. “We only process this for deceased individuals.”

Elara calmly pulled out her assisted death approval letter and psychiatric records documenting severe depression.

Her voice was steady and flat. “My parents are dead. I’m about to be divorced. After I’m gone, there will be no one left to manage this. I thought it would be easier to handle it now—to save everyone the trouble.”

The clerk studied the documents for a long moment before excusing herself to speak with her supervisor.

A few minutes later, she returned with a nod. They would make an exception. All Elara had to do was have the clinic send over a death certificate once everything was complete.

Elara thanked her quietly and stepped outside.

She was just about to call another Uber when a voice called out behind her.

“Elara?!”

Turning around, she saw Nicholas climbing out of his car, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded.