Chapter 3

Ian's POV

When Vivian saw me, a range of emotions flashed across her face, but triumph overshadowed them. She pushed Justin away and smiled triumphantly. "Well? I won, didn't I? I told you he still has feelings for me. One word from me, and he'd come running, even if it means going through hell and back."

Justin's expression turned grim. It was obvious he had lost their bet. He reluctantly took out a set of car keys and threw them at Vivian. "Fine, you win."

She took the keys, then turned to look at me. "Ian, Mr. Sullivan and I made a bet to see whether you still cared about me. I didn't expect you to actually show up. It's snowing so hard out there. Thanks for making the trip."

As she spoke, she even waved the set of car keys in front of me.

The cold wind swept snowflakes into the warm cabin, sending chills through me, who had been worried about her.

My gaze drifted to her empty ring finger. That was where the matching couple's ring I had given her should have been. I hadn't expected her to take it off just to please Justin.

I said nothing. Instead, I took off the matching ring I had worn for the past six months. Then, I tossed it into the seemingly bottomless ravine.

Vivian's smile froze. She rushed up to me, pointing toward the ravine in utter disbelief. "Ian, are you crazy? Don't you know that ring was something I…"

She probably wanted to say she had made it with her own hands, but the words caught in her throat.

I couldn't be bothered to listen to another word from her. I merely gave her a cold glance before turning around and heading back the way I had come.

By the time I returned to the city, dawn was just breaking. I checked into a random hotel, took a hot shower, and changed into clean clothes. Then, I began tying up the loose ends I had left behind.

I picked up my phone and called Isla Sutton, the CEO of Evandale Capital. "Good morning, Ms. Sutton. This is Ian Gardner. I'm very sorry, but we may have to cancel the financing deal we discussed earlier."

A woman's composed voice came through the phone, tinged with confusion. "Did something happen? We've already completed the contract process on our side."

"It's for personal reasons," I explained calmly. "I'll be leaving the company soon. The company's CEO will likely be replaced. I'm not sure whether the new management will continue with this project, so I don't want to waste your company's time."

She fell silent for a few moments. Then she said, "I understand. It's a shame, but I respect your decision, Mr. Gardner. I hope we'll have another chance to work together in the future."

"Of course."

After hanging up, I felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest. This company was the fruit of both Vivian's and my hard work. But now, all I wanted was to make a clean break and sever all ties with her for good.

Next, I called my assistant, Ezra Jones, and had him submit my resignation.

The third call was to the wedding planner I had contacted two months ago.

"Cancel the Beloria wedding we booked," I said.

The wedding planner sounded shocked. "Mr. Gardner, are you sure? The themed surprise you prepared for Ms. Leston was so romantic. We've just finished the final design mock-up."

I had heard Vivian mention countless times that her dream wedding would be somewhere with a view of the sea and the starry sky.

To make it happen, I had poured a great deal of effort into working closely with the wedding planner. I had even used some of Dad's connections to secure a booking at that world-famous venue.

I had planned to surprise her on her birthday next month.

I replied, "Never mind. Someone else has already surprised her. I'll pay you back for the deposit and any cancellation fees in full. Thank you."

After taking care of everything, I leaned against the hotel's floor-to-ceiling window and watched the city slowly come to life beneath the morning sun.

Vivian had uploaded another post on X. The photo showed a boundless sea of red roses stretching all the way to the horizon. She stood at its center, smiling sweetly. The location tag showed that she was at the famous Rose Estate on the outskirts of the city, spanning a staggering 164 acres.

As I looked at the photo, the final trace of heartache faded away, and I only felt numb. I went to Vivian's X profile. When the option to unfollow her appeared, I confirmed it without a second thought.