Chapter 3

As Valerio disappeared behind the closing elevator doors, Selma's colleagues could no longer contain their anger.

"Selma, why wouldn't you let us explain everything to him?"

"Mr. Gould has no idea what actually happened!"

"You didn't plagiarize anything!"

Selma only shook her head. "He wouldn't believe you anyway. If you spoke up for me, you'd only get dragged down with me. Besides... I've already resigned."

Her announcement hit the room like a bomb.

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. I'm planning to move abroad."

Her colleagues were devastated by the news. Some had red-rimmed eyes, while others pulled her into tight hugs and begged her to reconsider.

They were reluctant to lose a talented designer and a colleague they cared about, but Selma's decision was already set in stone.

That evening, everyone gathered for a farewell dinner.

They raised their glasses one after another, wishing her a bright future, and Selma responded to each toast with a smile, quietly accepting their good wishes.

By the time the dinner ended, she had said her goodbyes and collected a box of her personal belongings to take back to the residence.

Florian and Lynn were taken aback when they saw her carrying the box through the door.

"Selma, dear, what's all this?"

"I resigned."

"Well, resigning isn't necessarily a bad thing," Lynn said with a nod, taking the news in stride. "We can support you. Besides, you'll be the lady of this house soon enough, so there's no need for you to exhaust yourself working."

"Don't take what Valerio said to heart," Florian chimed in. "By the way, your birthday is right around the corner, and didn't you always want to go skiing in Arirunhill? We spoke with Valerio and made him clear his schedule tomorrow so he could take you."

Selma froze at the news. "There's no need..."

Lynn patted her hand reassuringly. "Valerio might seem cold on the outside, but after all these years, he must have deep feelings for you. And even if he doesn't show it, you still have us backing you up."

Selma lowered her eyes, silently wondering how Lynn could still believe that Valerio harbored deep feelings for her after everything he had done.

She recalled the time she had suffered a fever of 104 degrees and called Valerio for help, only for him to respond curtly, "I'm with Maureen."

On her birthday, he had explicitly promised to take her out to dinner, but the moment Maureen called, he abandoned their plans without a second thought.

There had even been a time when Selma fainted at the office, and Valerio walked straight past her without breaking his stride.

If that was what deep feelings looked like, she no longer dared to hope for them, much less believed she could afford to keep holding on to such a hope.

"Florian, Lynn," she began after taking a deep breath, "since Valerio doesn't want to marry me, maybe we should just call off the engagement."

Before she could finish, Lynn's phone rang.

She answered it, exchanged a few hurried words with the caller, and then waved her hand as though the matter had already been settled.

"That settles it, then! Valerio is taking you to Arirunhill tomorrow."

With that, she and Florian hurried out.

Selma stood alone in the hallway, letting out a helpless sigh.

...

The next morning, Selma walked downstairs and immediately spotted Valerio standing in the living room with a dark expression.

"What's taking you so long? Aren't we going skiing? Didn't my parents tell you what time we were leaving yesterday?"

Selma stared at him in surprise, only then realizing that Florian and Lynn had genuinely arranged the trip. If she refused to go now, Valerio would probably accuse her of causing trouble again.

So, she said nothing and followed him into the car.

During the drive, she remained quiet, and the silence continued aboard the private jet. Valerio sat beside her, flipping through a magazine without uttering a single word.

She did not attempt to start a conversation or chatter endlessly in the hope of keeping his attention, as she once would have done. Instead, she simply gazed out the window, lost in her own thoughts, until exhaustion finally overtook her, and she drifted off to sleep.

Not long after, someone roughly shook her awake.

"Hey!" Valerio called out. "Don't use sleeping as a pathetic excuse to lean on me."

Selma opened her eyes and realized that she had unknowingly drifted toward his side. She immediately straightened up and murmured, "Sorry."

Then she shifted closer to the window, putting as much distance between them as she could, and kept her eyes open for the rest of the flight.