Chapter 154. Ambition Unbound

Amid the serene embrace of a vast garden, a lady clad in black sits beneath the shelter of a towering tree ensnared in thought. The blazing rays of sunlight only kiss her skin from patches between the tree branches and leaves, the air bearing the sweet aroma of blooming flowers, a stark contrast to the weight pressing upon her heart. While she remains in her trance, footsteps approach from behind, shattering her sweet silence like fragile glass.

"Pardon me, My Lady?" The voice is somewhat tinged with hesitation.

Startled, the lady raises her gaze, only to behold a masculine figure standing before her. It is her former lover, a man with whom she has not exchanged a word in five long years. Her muscles stiffen as memories surge— the fervent nights with whispered vows of love once ablaze. Now, here he is, the light in his eyes now dimmed by the shadows of distance and tragedy.

Despite being wed to every lady's aspiration, she indulged in an affair with