Chapter 3My Cold Wife Trapped My Soul

"Serena, I heard the temperature is going to drop sharply in London because of that Arctic front."

"I packed an extra down vest for you."

"Your gum is in the left pocket of your carry-on. You always get altitude sickness on the plane; chew a piece, it helps."

"And don't stay up too late. Your heart's been bothering you, hasn't it? Get some rest..."

"It’s a Polar Continental air mass."

Her voice cut me off, sharp and sudden. I looked up dully, meeting her clear, bright eyes.

The phrase beauty unmarred by time fit Serena perfectly. Her features were exquisite; she was nearing middle age, yet the years had left no trace on her.

That coldness, which she had carried since she was a young woman, could still reach straight to the core of my heart.

She was correcting the imprecision of my opening statement. The "Arctic front" I’d mentioned was precisely a "Polar Continental air mass."

But I was only trying to show concern. I lowered my gaze, smoothing down the lapel of her jacket.

"I know."

"Travel safe, Serena."

She turned and walked past me. She assumed I had the afternoon free.

That wasn't true.

She was heading across the Atlantic for a major academic presentation.

I also had a meeting to attend.

It was my pre-operative consultation.

The doctors said the success rate for the surgery was only twenty percent.