Too Late To Love Me Novel by Mary Ann _ Novel




Too Late To Love Me Novel Chapter 01

When her five-year-old son burst into tears and started screaming again, demanding that Winter Frost jump into the freezing pool to retrieve his toy in the dead of winter, she finally refused.
"Leo Vance, you don't have to keep trying to make me sick. Don't worry, Mom will never interrupt you, your dad, and Auntie Ivy again."
Even at such a young age, Leo had already inherited his father River Vance’s striking good looks. He frowned and asked, "Really?"
"But you always get jealous and throw tantrums, making everyone miserable. Auntie Ivy is different. Dad and I feel so happy whenever we’re with her."
The father and son both adored Ivy.
Because of this, Leo had pulled similar stunts many times before.
The first time, he deliberately tore his homework into shreds, insisting Winter stay up all night taping it back together—so her eyes would be too strained the next day to join them at the observatory for the meteor shower.
The second time, he intentionally kicked his new soccer ball into the doghouse, then demanded Winter go fetch it. He had starved the dog for three days beforehand, hoping it would bite her fingers off and keep her from joining them at the pottery studio.
The third time, he deliberately stopped in the middle of the road as a large truck came barreling toward him. Without hesitation, Winter shoved her son out of the way and ended up with a shattered shinbone—meaning she couldn’t attend the parent-child carnival at his kindergarten.
......
His ultimate success came when Leo suddenly burst into tears, claiming his guardian pendant was missing and insisting that Winter go back up the snowy mountain to find it.
By the time she finally found the pendant buried in the snow, the car had already driven off without her.
She was left completely alone on the desolate mountain in temperatures twenty degrees below zero. Hypothermia set in quickly. By the time she was rushed to the emergency room, she was barely clinging to life.
In the evening, River returned.
Tall and slender, dressed in a dark suit beneath a long black coat, River still looked every bit the noble, handsome man despite his soaked sleeve.
His Rolls-Royce came equipped with the largest and most luxurious umbrella, yet snow still clung to his shoulders. It was because when he had escorted Ivy out of the car, he had tilted the umbrella completely toward her and wrapped his arm around her waist, carefully shielding her in his embrace — as if she were a fragile, priceless treasure.
Looking at the photo Ivy had deliberately sent to assert her dominance, Winter could clearly see the restrained yet tender love in River’s eyes.
They truly were a perfect match.
If only he weren’t her husband.
River looked down as he shrugged off his coat and casually tossed a bottle of medicine onto the entryway console.
“I brought you some medicine. Since you have a fever, you shouldn’t attend Leo’s birthday party tomorrow. I’ve already arranged with Ivy — she’ll take your place.”
Halfway through his sentence, the living room lights flicked on.
Seeing Winter looking perfectly fine, he suddenly furrowed his brows, "You... you're not sick?"
Winter nodded, not missing the flash of annoyance and panic in River's eyes. "I thought... but I've already agreed with Ivy that she will greet the guests tomorrow. The invitations have already been printed..."
The invitations had been printed three days ago. A servant had accidentally signed for them early and opened them; the cover featured a photo of River, his son, and Ivy.
Even the servant couldn't help but sigh: "Mr. Vance looks at Ms. Marsh with such deep affection, standing so close together. Now that looks like a loving couple."
"Unlike that wedding photo in the bedroom, where they look like strangers. Mr. Vance wouldn't even touch Ms. Frost's sleeve."
Winter was standing right behind them when those words were spoken.
It scared the servant half to death.
She almost thought she would be fired on the spot.
But Winter merely told the servant to put the invitations away in a calm voice.
Just like now, with that same calmness, she softly agreed with River's words, "Then we'll have to trouble Ms. Marsh with the birthday party.
It just so happens that I have other things to attend to tomorrow."
She was about to turn back to her room, but River grabbed her wrist without a word.
"Other things?"
The man stared at Winter's father face, which was so calm it seemed indifferent, and a sudden, inexplicable anger surged in his chest. "What could be more important than Leo's birthday?"
"Didn't you say you wanted Ivy to take my place?"
Winter found it amusing. "Besides, you were the one who said I am an independent individual and should have my own things to do, instead of buzzing around you and your son all day like a fly, only making myself a nuisance."
"I didn't mean it like that..."
It was rare for the man to want to explain himself, but Winter pulled her hand back. "I'm tired. I'm going to rest."
Feeling the emptiness in his palm, River zoned out for a moment.
The old Winter was indeed very annoying.
She would follow him wherever he went and share every little thing with him; if he didn't answer his phone, she would call hundreds of times a day until he did; especially when it came to anything related to Ivy, the slightest involvement would make her go completely crazy...
But now, hearing that Ivy was going to replace her tomorrow, she had no reaction at all.
It was as if Winter had changed ever since they came back from the snowy mountain.
Not only had she become increasingly thin and weak.
She had also become... unsettling.
River still couldn't help but follow her, his expression serious, as if making a huge concession: "The guest seating for the birthday party has already been finalized and can't be changed.
But if you really want to go, I can figure out a way to save a seat for you in the back."
"No need."
Winter refused flatly. "I really have things to do tomorrow."
"What could you possibly have to do?"
River's face finally turned cold. "Aren't you just upset about what happened on the snowy mountain?
But I already told you, Ivy had severe altitude sickness at the time, and I had to rush her down to the hospital for emergency treatment.
You didn't call me later, so I assumed you had hitched a ride with someone else, which is why I never came back to pick you up.
Do you really have to throw a fit over such a trivial matter?"
"Your family is bankrupt, and you are no longer the pampered Ms. Frost you used to be. No one is obligated to put up with your bad temper forever!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, River realized he had gone too far.
"I didn't mean it like that..."
It was incredibly rare.
The usually tight-lipped Mr. Vance had said the exact same thing to the same woman twice in one night.
But before he could explain, his phone started ringing.
Ivy's intermittent sobbing came through the receiver.
It was probably some excuse about a broken light or strange noises in the hallway.
River was instantly anxious, grabbing his coat and heading straight out the door.
His gentle, comforting voice could still be heard echoing in the hallway: "It's okay, I'm coming right over. Don't be afraid."
The moment the front door clicked shut, Winter's phone began to ring.
It was a call from the laboratory.
"Ms. Frost, thank you so much for agreeing to donate your brain neurons for this experiment.
The preliminary preparations for the surgery are complete; you can come over whenever you're ready."
Winter was about to reply when a violent, burning pain suddenly flared in her abdomen.
She struggled to grab a bottle of pills from the cabinet, poured a large handful, and swallowed them dry, barely managing to recover a fraction of her strength.
After steadying her breathing for a moment, she finally spoke slowly, "I'm already in the late stages of pancreatic cancer. Being able to contribute to modern medicine before I die means I haven't lived this life in vain."

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