With that, she turned and left.
The first reunion of the former mates after four years was over just like that.
Back at her hotel, Michael called her.

"Emily, how did the meeting with Blackwood Entertainment go? Was it smooth?"
Emily smiled.
"Very smooth. The contract is signed. Now we just wait for the premiere in a week. After that, I'll head straight back to the UK."
Michael sounded relieved. Then, he got gossipy.
"I heard the boss of Blackwood Entertainment has been looking for his missing mate. Did he ever find her?"
Michael had no idea about her past with Daniel.

Emily paused for a moment before answering.
"He found her. But she's decided to start a new life and leave the past behind."
Michael sighed with regret.
"Ah, why is it that people only learn to cherish what they have after they've lost it?"

Emily didn't respond. They discussed a few more details about the premiere, and then she hung up.
For the next week, in between meetings with Blackwood Entertainment, she took the time to wander the streets of Los Angeles.
She hadn't been back in four years, and she felt a sense of nostalgia.
As she walked, she often felt like someone was following her from a distance.
She had a good idea who it was, but since he never showed himself, she pretended not to notice.
On the day of the premiere, all the major media outlets were present.
A former Luna, a former Oscar winner, making her comeback in a foreign film—it was a story they couldn't resist.
After the screening, the entire theater was stunned.
The film was a masterpiece, a project Michael had spent four years polishing.
Industry insiders in the audience were already praising it, predicting it would sweep all the international awards.
During the Q&A session after the premiere, a reporter asked a pointed question.
"Ms. Vance, you retired at the peak of your career to mate with Mr. Blackwood, only to be betrayed three years later. Now you've returned with this incredible film."
"My question is, do you regret that mating? If you hadn't given up your career, with your talent, you would likely be an international star by now. Do you consider those three years a mistake?"
The question silenced the room. All the cameras and flashbulbs turned on Emily. Everyone was waiting for her answer.
Including Daniel, who was standing in the audience.
He hadn't dared to approach her all week, only watching her from afar.
The reporter's question was the same one that had been haunting him for years.
Emily thought for a few moments, then smiled.
"I have no regrets, and I don't consider that mating a mistake."
"Mr. Blackwood and I were genuinely in love. Our bond brought me many moments of warmth and left an indelible mark on my memory."
"As for our relationship ending, I, Emily Vance, am strong enough to accept that outcome. I've completely let it go. To me, it was just one short journey in a long life."
Her answer sent a tidal wave of regret crashing over Daniel.
He had promised her, when he proposed, that he would love only her for the rest of his life, that he would never stray.
In the first year of their mating, their home had been filled with warmth and happiness.
But the moment he touched another woman, the house grew colder, and the bright smile on her face faded.
At the time, Daniel hadn't cared.
He thought as long as she was his Luna, everything was fine.
He had forgotten that what had won her over in the first place was his pure heart, his all-consuming love for her.
Daniel knew then that there was no chance of ever winning her back.
The day after the premiere, Emily headed to the airport to fly back to the UK.
Just as she reached the security checkpoint, a breathless male voice called out from behind her.
"Emily, wait!"
She turned to see Daniel running toward her.
Emily stopped. This would likely be the last time they ever saw each other.
"Mr. Blackwood, is there something you need?"
The formal address still felt alien to him, but he no longer had the right to change it.
He held out a bag to her.
"Take this. It was always meant to be yours."
Emily frowned. She didn't remember leaving anything behind.
Seeing her wary expression, Daniel gave a bitter smile and pulled the object from the bag.
It was a Golden Film Award trophy.
In a flash, Emily remembered the award from four years ago, the one that should have been hers.
She looked at Daniel, her expression complicated.
"I don't need it anymore."
Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat and insisted on giving it to her.
"Don't worry, it's not the one I gave to Sophia. I had a new one made."
"It was my fault you lost the honor that you deserved. You were the one who should have been on that stage, receiving all the praise."
In the end, Emily accepted it.
It was a way of closing that old wound for good.
"Thank you."
She took the trophy and walked through security with her suitcase.
Daniel stood frozen in place, watching her back until she disappeared from view.
From that day on, Daniel followed the news of Emily's new films obsessively.
He watched every premiere she attended, from a distance.
He knew he would never have her back.
But just being able to see her, shining brightly from afar, would have to be enough.
(The End)