Chapter 3

I did not sleep that night.

The room was filled with traces of my past twenty-three years.

My limited-edition teddy bear from Luke, the rare vinyl record from Adrian, the crystal snow globe Zayden brought back from overseas…

Every single item held a memory.

Once, I treasured them like priceless gifts. I even got upset if the maids touched them while cleaning, even though they were just trying to do their jobs.

Now, all I felt was disgust when I looked at them.

They mocked me, my stupidity, and my delusions.

I found a large black garbage bag and shoved everything inside.

In the end, I only took a small suitcase with me.

Inside were a few simple sets of clothes, my documents, and a photo of Grandpa and me.

That was everything I had.

Four in the morning.

The Xander family's private jet was already waiting on the runway.

Grandpa stood in the cold wind. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Winnie, are you really not going to tell them?"

I shook my head and helped him adjust his coat. "Grandpa, why tell them? So they can laugh at me?"

"It's not going to be easy there. That Quinn kid from the Quinn family is known for his bad temper. People say he kills without hesitation..."

"Grandpa."

I cut him off. My gaze was fixed on the faint light breaking on the horizon.

"No matter how hard it is, can it be harder than this?

"It's fine if he has a bad temper, as long as he's not a two-faced hypocrite."

I hugged Grandpa tightly, then turned around and boarded the plane.

The moment the cabin door closed, I took out my phone.

At the top of my messaging app was the group chat: [Winnie's Protection Squad.]

The last message was from Adrian: [Tonight was a win. Charlotte really saved the day. She even got Luke on his knees! Winnie's probably crying somewhere. Just ignore her, she'll come around after a couple of days.]

I tapped 'Leave Group', no emotion on my face.

Then, I blocked Luke, Adrian, and Zayden.

I blocked everyone connected to my old life.

I waved goodbye to the first twenty-three years of my life.

…

On the other hand, on the other side of the capital.

The club's private room was still bright and chaotic with laughter.

Luke was drunk, still clutching the silk scarf I had thrown away.

Adrian patted his shoulder.

"Relax, bro. You know Winnie. She can't live without you. She'll be back tomorrow morning with hangover soup, her eyes all red, apologizing."

Charlotte swirled her red wine with a faint, amused smile on her face.

"Aren't you guys being a little too harsh? What if she actually leaves for real?"

Luke let out a cold laugh. His eyes were foggy with alcohol but full of certainty.

Winnie?

"She can't even survive on her own without the Xander family or without us.

"She's just a porcelain doll who can't leave my palm. This time, I'll fix that spoiled personality of hers once and for all."

Everyone burst into laughter, raising their glasses in celebration of a victory that had not even come yet.

However, they did not know.

Tens of thousands of feet above them, a plane was carrying the girl they had broken far away, across oceans and borders.

There was no longer a pampered Whitney Xander, only the reborn Mrs. Quinn.