Chapter 2

Nina: “Leo, where are you? I didn’t see you.”

Leo: “I went back to the car. There were too many fans, and it’s not convenient for me to show my face.”

Nina: “Alright, let’s meet at the hotel then.”

Leo sent an “OK” emoji.

Nina: “It’s been five years! I can’t wait to see you again.”

Tara let out a mocking laugh and went back to sorting through her belongings.

Leo returned home earlier than usual, the faint scent of alcohol lingering on him. His normally aloof and cold demeanor softened, with traces of a rare smile in his eyes.

He held a large bouquet of red roses in his hands and greeted her in a deep, magnetic voice. “I’m back.”

Tara was curled up on the couch, uploading pictures of expensive items to an online secondhand marketplace, planning to sell them and donate the money.

Hearing his voice, she closed her laptop and looked over.

Leo walked over, shoved the roses into her arms, and wrapped both her and the bouquet in his embrace. He kissed her lips lightly. “What’s wrong? Miss me?”

Tara pressed her lips together in silence, lowering her gaze to smell the roses.

Like a magician, Leo pulled a long rectangular box from the wrapping paper around the flowers and opened it.

He had these naturally expressive almond-shaped eyes and his glance were always tender and heartfelt. Right now, as he focused on her, his gaze was completely irresistible.

Tara glanced inside the box and saw the diamond necklace she had admired days ago while shopping with him. It was worth over three million.

She had only paused to look at it for a moment, but he had gone out and bought it today.

Noticing her daze as she stared at the necklace, Leo leaned in to kiss her cheek. “So happy you’ve gone speechless? Let me put it on you!”

Tara’s slender, fair hands gently traced the necklace as she said calmly, “Roses and diamonds… I almost thought you were proposing.”

Leo’s hands paused, and he gave her a sidelong glance.

His tone cooled slightly. “When I propose, it’ll be with something even better.”

Tara gave a bitter, sarcastic smile. “How much longer do I have to wait?”

The smile disappeared from Leo’s face, replaced by a coldness in his deep eyes.

Tara turned her gaze away and reached up to remove the necklace.

Leo grabbed her hand, leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers, pinning her against the sofa.

Her body went rigid, and she turned her head to avoid his kiss, placing her hand against his. “I… I’m not in the mood.”

Leo’s voice was commanding and icy. “Don’t play hard to get. Your period just ended.”

With that, he tightened his grip on her hand.

Tara’s heart skipped a beat.

At that moment, Leo’s phone started ringing.

Tara quickly pushed him. “Your phone is ringing. Answer it.”

Irritated, Leo reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

From her position beneath him, Tara could see the screen clearly.

The caller ID read: Nina.

Leo immediately flipped the phone face down on the sofa and cast her a casual glance. Seeing her expression unchanged, he stood up and said, “I’ll take this call.”

He adjusted his pants, grabbed the phone, and headed upstairs.

A short while later, he came back down, now dressed in a tailored suit. “A buddy of mine ran into some trouble. I’m going to help him out. You should go to bed.”

He left without noticing how much of the villa looked emptier, missing many small, familiar items.

Leo hadn’t been home in three days.

He called, saying he was tied up with work.

Tara felt calm, almost detached. But she couldn’t resist checking Nina’s social media.

Nina updated it every day.

Day 1: A photo of two hands holding wine glasses for a toast. The caption read: “Some connections, like fine wine, only grow better with time.”

The other hand belonged to a man.

Tara recognized that slender, elegant hand and the custom-made couple’s ring on his finger. She had the matching one.

Taking off her ring, Tara laughed bitterly to herself. “I wore this so long I forgot I still had it.”

Day 2: A photo of a beach sunset. The caption read: “I’d love to grow old here.”

Tara recognized the two palm trees in the photo, leaning against each other. They had planted those trees together on the beach by his seaside villa. She had tied a simple ribbon around one of them, thinking it would make a sweet memory.

Day 3: A photo of a bustling airport crowd. In the background, Leo’s tall, unmistakable figure stood out.

Nina’s fans went wild, asking if she was in a relationship.

She replied to them all with the same line: “No, just reminiscing in familiar places.”

Tara pressed down the ache in her chest.

She continued carefully packing up items she had sold, shipping them to buyers, and donating the proceeds to a celebrity charity foundation.

For the more valuable jewelry that wasn’t selling online, she visited an auction house.

She also stopped by her university to finalize her withdrawal from her graduate program and went to apply for her travel documents, including her visa and biometric verification.

She started deactivating unused social media and shopping accounts, leaving only two active until her flight. She planned to shut those down before boarding.

Today was her birthday.

Just after midnight, a flood of messages and calls came pouring in—from family, friends, classmates, and professors.

But not a single word from Leo.

Tara glanced up at the photo on the wall.

In it, she was nestled in Leo’s arms, smiling blissfully like she had the whole world.

But Leo’s face was cold, his deep eyes devoid of any warmth.

She let out a self-mocking laugh and dragged a chair over to take the picture down.

Just then, the door opened.

Leo walked in, his sharp, handsome face dark with anger, his entire presence radiating a cold, unapproachable energy.