My Billionaire Husband

They were silent all the way back. And before getting out of the car, Jessie asked casually, "Am I too old now?"

Tristan was startled, and when the car came to a stop, he looked at a few dressed up girls walking by and said, "People are different. Some are like meteors, and some are like stars."

Jessie's heart was warmed and softened, and her eyes sparkled with love. The best gift for a woman who was panicking at the turn of age was but the approval of a man.

When she was on the ascending lift, she saw her lonely figure in the mirror and came to realize that the best gift wasn't just approval. It was a commitment, a commitment that could dispel her worries and could be relied on.

On his way back to the company, Tristan turned on the radio. Kenny Rogers' mellow voice, full of affection, filled up the air. A song and a singer that belonged to their own time. And it suddenly occurred to him that it was March 1st today. He heaved a long sigh.

My love, there's so many ways I want to say I love you.

Let me hold you in my arms, forevermore.

You have gone and made me such a fool;

I'm so lost in your love.

And oh, we belong together.

Won't you believe in my song?

Something forgotten was waking up and seemed so close but also so far away.

At the red traffic light, Tristan took out his wallet and opened it. There was a picture of it.

A beautiful woman, with spirited eyes and a joyful smile, looked up at him from the wallet-sized picture. His fingers touched her cheeks and then stopped at the dimples.

He raised his hand and pressed his forehead, reminding himself to stop dwelling on this.

Seeing that person again, it was like a sleeping torpedo was detonated suddenly. Terror, rage, and deep guilt had all emerged to the surface of Tristan's consciousness.

Kate went to the bank after work and wired some money to her the cards of her brother and sister who were at school. And she felt a little relieved.

Days later, Jimmy York called her and asked her out to dinner.

Hearing his brisk and amiable voice, she felt joyful and at ease again. She could get away from the past and start over again, she thought.

This time Jimmy took her to a fancy restaurant. They didn't book the table in advance, and it was full when they got there.

But the manager heard it was Sergeant York and gave them a reserved table immediately. He even came over to chat with Jimmy York for a minute. Jimmy told her jokingly that that was the welfare of policemen.

He ordered quite many yummy and exquisite foods and wines. He said, "Don't worry. I am not very rich, but I still can afford it."

Kate found he was in a good mood and quite talkative today. Of course, he was always talkative, but it was a little different than his usual demeanor. Indeed, he could not hold it in for long and told her his good news. "I am going to move to the criminal police team next week. I will be able to get some big cases."

Seeing he was gearing up excitedly, Kate congratulated him. "I am so happy for you. You will have your dreams come true."

"Thank you." He said, and he lifted the bottle of wine. "Do you want to have some?"

"OK, give me some," Kate said after a pause.

He poured half a glass for her. It tasted mellow and smooth and left a fragrance lingering in her mouth after she drank it down. She thought perhaps his heart was probably feeling like the wine now.

***

Sergeant York introduced each of the dishes to Kate and even told her how they had been prepared.

"You know so much about food." She said.

"Yes. My family is in this business."

"They have a restaurant?"

"Right." York grinned. To be exact, they had chains of more than ten restaurants in California. But he rarely told others about it because he had been overweight when he was a teenager.

"Really? I could not imagine what you looked like when you were fat."

"The time I decided to be a policeman, I started a diet. I went out running for 15 miles a day. My mom cried after seeing me lose so much weight."

"So you decided to be a policeman very early on?"

"Yes."

"My parents started from scratch. They rented a very small shop and sold pancakes and hotdogs at first. Because the food they made was delicious and cheap, they had good business."

"Some street gangs always came to find trouble. They asked for a protection fee, free food and also sometimes kicked out the customers. My parents could not keep the shop there and were about to close down. A few policemen who patrolled the area saw this and taught the gang a lesson. From then on, our business became better and better, and we had to expand."

York continued, "I remember one time the gang came for trouble. They kicked the tables over and threw things out into the street, broke the dishes, and scared off all the customers. I was so scared, and I hid under a table. A policeman squatted down and lifted up the tablecloths and found me. He told me that I was a man and should be brave and not shed tears."

He pursed his lips and said sarcastically, "I sat on the floor under the table, and I looked at him. He was over six feet and wearing a uniform, imposing, and impressive. He was a hero in my young eyes. I made up my mind to be a person like him."

Kate listened attentively. She didn't expect that he had such an emotional story.

"He came to see me from time to time. And I went to the police academy after high school. I was hoping one day when I graduated, I could work with him, but…" He sighed.

"What happened?" Kate was attracted by his story.

"He passed away." Jimmy said with sorrow, "Four years ago. Traffic accident."

"They said it was an accident, but I felt it was fishy." The hand he held his glass in turned pale, and he ground his teeth and said, "One day, I will find out the truth and put them behind bars."

His eyes became vicious while he said this. Kate was shocked and was reminded of another person. The person who pressed her head into the water showed these kinds of eyes too. He was calm in his face, but his eyes were shining with that kind of light. Whenever she thought of it, she shivered and crept.

Jimmy drank up the wine in his glass and sighed. "It is so relaxing to be with you. I can vent whatever is in my heart. Kate, do you know what your biggest merit is?"

Kate shook her head blankly.

"Listening." He smiled. "You are a good listener. This makes you different from most of the girls."

Kate was a little embarrassed at his compliment. You knew a lot of girls, she thought.

And he added, "It is safe to talk to you because you can keep secrets. Any secrets that reach you will not be passed on."

"How do you know?" She was surprised.

He laughed with complacency. "Because I am a cop. I have seen many people lie, and I see through their heart." And then he stared at her and smiled mysteriously, "Like now, I can see that you have something inside."

Having the secret of her heart pointed out so directly, Kate was a little panicked but composed herself and looked into Jimmy's eyes. He still fixed his eyes on her and said, "You are not happy. You are repressing your feelings."

After a moment of silence, he laughed out and talked like a big brother to her. "Why not try telling me what upsets you? See if I can help." And then he suddenly felt proud of his promotion and said, "I will have more power soon. I can probably help you more than before."

Kate didn't laugh but paused a moment, and then she asked calmly, "If a person made a mistake that he thinks is unforgivable, what should he do?"

Jimmy thought about it seriously and said, "Either correct it or forget it." When he saw Kate frowning in meditation, he continued. "Everyone makes mistakes. If it is irreconcilable, then try to forget it. Forgetting the past and starting over is also a form of redemption."

Kate thought about his words and asked again, "Did you make this kind of mistake before?"

"Of course." He said seriously, "When I was a child, I went to play by the river with my playmates. We caught some small tadpoles and put them in a small pit we dug. But after we had lunch and came back to see them, they had all died in the dry pit under the sun." He showed sorrow and said, "Killing for no cause. That was unforgivable."

She knew he was tried to make her relaxed with that joke. And she smiled.

When they got up to leave the restaurant, they passed by a table with half a dozen people. Kate accidentally scanned the table, and her heart missed a beat when she caught sight of the well-groomed man. She could still recognize him even if he had turned into ashes. And she wished she could erase the scene from her memory.

That man recognized her immediately too. Apparently, she left an indelible impression on him. He looked at her and then at Jimmy.

He seemed startled but soon seemed to understand and turned his eyes back to her. His eyes lingered for a few seconds, like a snake sticking out its tongue and staring at its prey, and then his attention was called back by his company.

After Kate and Jimmy walked a few steps away, someone asked him, "You know that one?"

"Pretty. Did you get it?"

"Shit. Don't mention it." replied the man with hatred.

Kate released her clenched fists and wiped her hands on the sides of her clothes. She couldn't get away from the feeling of intense discomfort. It was like touching a snake accidentally. She felt moist and sticky and disgusting.

Jimmy looked down at her. "Is he that guy?"

Without the need for more words, they understood each other. She nodded.

Jimmy saw her reaction just now. He patted her on the shoulders. "Don't be afraid. He cannot do anything. You have me."

Her heart felt warm, and she was choked. She nodded heavily.

Jimmy recalled while he walked. "Yes, I remember him now. Right, he is from Nevada. Has a big wealthy daddy who makes dirty money."