Landlord in the Arctic

Valerie pressed her lips together tightly, fighting back the urge to cry out loud.

She reached out and gently pushed aside the documents in front of her, then slowly stood up. Her gaze was sincere as she looked at Yves and his daughter. She gave a deep bow, her voice choked with sobs, full of self-recrimination and remorse.

"Yves, Fiona, I’m sorry. I was wrong!"

After speaking, Valerie forced a smile, though it looked bitter and strained.

She turned her gaze to Judge Modie Watts, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Your Honor, I agree to give custody to Yves, and I don’t want any compensation."

At that moment, Valerie seemed to have finally let go of her obsession, facing her past mistakes head-on. In a way that seemed carefree but was filled with heartache, she brought this tangled affair to a close.

"Valerie." Hearing her words, Yves could hardly believe his ears. His gaze grew distant, his thoughts drifting back to the past. He could see her again—the vibrant cheerleader under the sun, the girl who had once made his heart race.

"Mommy!" Fiona’s eyes were brimming with tears. Unable to hold back any longer, she wriggled out of Yves’s arms and, like a little rabbit, dove straight into Valerie’s embrace.

Everyone watching this scene couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion, letting out silent sighs.

Seeing this, Judge Modie Watts looked at everyone present and said, "Alright. Do the parties have any objections? No? Very well. Recorder, please note the following."

"After negotiation, Mr. Yves’s offer of compensation was refused. Lady Valery agrees to transfer custody of Fiona to Yves and does not request compensation."

"The settlement is accepted. Assistant Judge Joanna of the Kalah County Constitutional Court will issue a settlement offer, which both parties must sign for it to take effect."

Then, Judge Modi Watts stood up, and the others attending the meeting rose as well.

"The plaintiff, Yves, must first submit a written agreement to withdraw the lawsuit, signed by both parties, to the court in order to terminate the ongoing legal proceedings."

"This settlement conference is now concluded."

As these words were spoken, people began to file out of the conference room.

With an unspoken understanding, they gave the former family of three some time alone.

Feng Mountain, walking at the very back, called out to Assistant Judge Joanna as she passed.

The two spoke a few words in low voices. As Joanna listened to Feng Mountain, a look of surprise slowly appeared on her face. She asked again to confirm.

"Sir, are you sure about this?"

"I’m sure. Thank you very much." Feng Mountain nodded, and as he spoke, he took out a prepared check and handed it to Joanna.

Joanna looked at the check with mixed feelings. She was surprised by the man’s actions, but she couldn’t help but feel a little admiration for his generosity.

Feng Mountain seemed to have his own reasons for doing this, hoping to bring the matter to a relatively perfect conclusion.

「Half an hour passed.」

After Yves, Valerie, and Fiona signed their names on the settlement offer one by one, the custody case came to a satisfactory end.

Just then, Joanna, smiling, took out a check and offered it to Valerie. "Ma’am, a friend of Mr. Yves asked me to give you this compensation. Please accept it."

"I said I don’t want any compensation," Valerie said instinctively. But when she saw the conspicuous amount of 200,000 US Dollars on the check, she couldn’t help but freeze.

She had thought that even if there was compensation, it would only be the 100,000 US Dollars mentioned earlier, but now the amount had doubled.

"Take it. Start a new life somewhere else." Yves stepped forward, gently took the check from Joanna’s hand, and pressed it into Valerie’s. His eyes were full of hope. "From now on, you can come to Crown Territory to see Fiona whenever you want."

Valerie clutched the check tightly, her eyes welling up with tears again.

At this moment, endless regret washed over her. She hated herself for not cherishing what she’d had back then.

Looking at the man before her, who remained kind and tolerant despite all the hardships, her heart filled with self-blame.

’Such a good man... why didn’t I cherish him?’

"Mommy, you have to come see me. I’ll miss you," Fiona whispered, hugging Valerie tightly. Her small, innocent face was full of reluctance to part, and her clear eyes glistened with tears, a heart-wrenching sight.

"Okay, Mommy will come see you. I’m sorry, Mommy was wrong!"

Valerie could no longer control her emotions. She knelt down, hugged her daughter tightly, and began to sob her heart out.

Her sobs carried her regret for past mistakes, her guilt toward her daughter, and her uncertainty about the future.

Yves stood quietly to the side, watching with mixed emotions. He hoped that the end of all this would be the beginning of a new life for Valerie, and that she would find her own happiness in the days to come.

....

Outside the county courthouse, sunlight shone down on the group.

They stood quietly by the car, waiting for Yves to come out.

"Kid, don’t come to me with this kind of lawsuit again. It’s a good thing we didn’t go to trial, or it would’ve damaged my reputation," Lawyer Peyton said with a look of exasperation, shooting an annoyed glare at Feng Mountain.

’What a mess,’ he grumbled to himself.

A simple little custody case had been made so complicated.

It was a good thing they had reached a settlement. If it had really gone to trial, even if he had won the case, he probably would have become a laughingstock among his peers in the industry.

"Sorry, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this either," Feng Mountain said, scratching his head awkwardly, his face full of apology.