Chapter 801

“Ryan,” I glared at him seriously. “Don’t joke around with me. Haven’t you had enough already?”

Ryan arched his brow, a playful grin on his face. “No way, I’m just getting started. Still plenty to play.”

“Then I won’t play along,” I retorted, refusing to give him another word.

As soon as I walked out of the villa, I made my way toward the main road.

Just then, an Audi A6 rolled up beside me. The driver leaned out and said politely, “Mr. Jennings sent me to drive you to the airport.”

I turned and glanced back at the villa.

The high walls blocked most of the view, but on the second floor, you could spot a side balcony.

Right now, a tall figure stood there. The shifting shadows of the trees hid his face, but just by standing there, he’d already said everything he needed to.

I nodded politely to the driver, opened the back door, and slid inside.

On the ride to the airport, my mind calmed. I let my thoughts drift away, letting everything and everyone fade from my mind, giving myself a clean slate to start over.

By the time I got back to Shaville, it was already past five. My cold hadn’t gone away, but I was far more concerned about how the business was doing.

Exhausted, I kept grinding through meetings till eight before finally calling it a night and heading out.

Still nothing from Edward yet. He said his lawyer would come talk to me. I had enough cash ready to buy up his shares–so honestly, that wasn’t something I needed to stress over anymore.

All I could do now was wait for their side to make a move.

I was thinking about that villa in England. Maybe it was time to give it back to Edward. As much as I wanted to keep it, I knew I couldn’t be too greedy–it just wasn’t right.

Spending the money I’d actually earned gave me a real sense of confidence; relying on others always made me uneasy inside.

I got back to my apartment, flipped on the lights, and being in my own familiar space finally let me relax, both body and mind.

Tomorrow was Edward’s birthday. He never told me about it before.

I opened up our chat.

The last message from him was a request for me to come by his office.

11:04 Thu, Oct 2

As I stared at that message, my eyes stung with unshed tears.

Whenever I was in front of Ryan, I always tried so hard not to show how I really felt.

But now, all that sorrow just came pouring out and I cried like a little kid, unable to control it at all.

I had no idea how long I cried before I finally cried myself to sleep. The next morning when I woke up, my eyes were so puffy they barely looked like mine anymore.

I quickly grabbed some ice and pressed it against my swollen face, washed it down with coffee to deal with the puffiness.

I could fall apart and sob through the night, but when the sun came up, I had to hold myself together, face whatever pressure came my way, and keep grinding for my career.

I got to the office a little after ten, missing the morning meeting.

The door to the office next to mine was open, and it was totally empty. I nearly broke down right there–I could feel my eyes start to sting!

I reached out and closed the door, then headed back to my own office.

I had no clue where Edward was at the moment. I took the villa key he’d given me, stuffed it in a bag, and told one of my assistants to send it back to his villa at noon.

The assistant hurried back, almost stumbling over himself to give me an update. “Mr. Jennings is still inside, but honestly, he looks pretty rough. When he saw the key, he turned even paler–it was like all the color drained from his face.”

‘Is he sick?’ The thought hit me out of nowhere, making my heart skip a beat.

“Seems like it. I asked, but he just said he’s fine. Oh, he wouldn’t accept the key–told me to bring it back to you instead.” The assistant handed me the bag, adding, “There’s a note from Mr. Jennings inside for you.”

‘He actually refused to take the key?’ I frowned, not really expecting Edward to do that.

I opened the bag and found his letter inside. His handwriting was fierce, like he’d carved each stroke deep into the paper. It said, “Don’t let my feelings and everything I’ve given you turn into a joke.” —Edward

I just sat there in a daze, totally thrown by his words.

Was he really hoping I’d keep the villa? I thought to myself, feeling that familiar heaviness in my chest.

Edward had always been the generous type–being with him felt like getting a second chance at life. He could give and give without even blinking. But sadly, we were never meant to last. Our fate was doomed from the beginning, no matter how hard we tried.

11:04 Thu, Oct 2