They say time heals all wounds.
But for Ethan Blake, time became the cruelest tormentor.
He survived—barely.
Found unconscious by a group of street cleaners, he was dragged back from the brink of death. No grand miracles. No heavenly salvation. Just the agonizing slow crawl back to a miserable, breathless existence.
And from that day forward, his life became a never-ending cycle of humiliation.
Every Year. Same Day. Same Place.
The grand gates of the Royal Palace.
Where the world gathered to celebrate Queen Amelia's birthday.
Ethan stood there, year after year, through blistering summers and freezing winters, dressed in the same tattered coat, his eyes hollow but unwavering, waiting for one thing—
Just a single glance from the woman he had lost.
Year One.
He stood in the pouring rain, shivering uncontrollably as Amelia, glowing and magnificent, walked past the palace gates in a golden carriage.
She didn't even turn her head.
The twins sat proudly by her side, never sparing him a glance.
Year Three.
Aiden and Aaron had grown taller, their faces more handsome and coldly regal. They stood behind their mother at the palace balcony, overlooking the masses.
Ethan knelt in the crowd below, soaked in sweat and tears, his trembling voice hoarse as he whispered,
"Amelia… just one look… that's all I ask…"
But again—nothing.
Year Five.
The news announced Queen Amelia's second child was born—a beautiful baby girl with her mother's stunning eyes and her stepfather's noble bloodline.
The royal family was complete.
Ethan collapsed at the palace gates that day, his body broken, his mind barely clinging to sanity.
And still… she never looked his way.
Year Ten.
The final year.
The once-mighty devil CEO had become a mere legend of tragedy whispered among the palace guards.
"See that old man by the gate?" they would murmur. "That's Ethan Blake. Used to be the most powerful man alive. Now… he waits here every year for a woman who's long forgotten him."
That day, Amelia appeared once again on the royal balcony, radiant as ever.
Beside her stood Aiden, Aaron, and their little sister—laughing, smiling, surrounded by happiness Ethan could never touch.
His body could no longer kneel. His legs had long since given out.
But his eyes… they still searched for hers.
One last time.
And as the sky turned crimson with the setting sun, Ethan Blake took his final breath, his body slumped against the cold palace gates, a faint, broken smile on his lips.
He died as he lived—waiting for a forgiveness that never came.
On the Palace Balcony…
Aaron glanced down at the lifeless figure by the gate.
"Finally," he murmured. "He's free."
Aiden simply turned to his mother.
"Mommy, do you regret never looking at him?"
Amelia's gaze remained calm, her lips curved in that familiar, devastating smile.
"No," she said softly. "Some mistakes deserve to be remembered. Even if it takes a lifetime… or ends with a death."