Chapter 1 The Day I Finally Walked Away

The private room fell completely silent, every pair of eyes shifting between Irina Gavrilova and me.

Irina still had a tight grip on James' arm. She frowned at me as though she thought this was just another one of my tricks. After all, for the past three years, I had loved her with such humiliating devotion that everyone in our social circle knew me as the ultimate doormat.

"It's fine. Really." I picked up the glass of red wine in front of me and raised it toward them. "If you two really love each other, I wish you a long and happy life together."

James' eyes were rimmed red. He timidly shrank into Irina's arms. "Colin, don't misunderstand. Irina and I just haven't seen each other in too long. We got carried away…"

"Don't 'Colin' me like we're close." I cut him off before he could continue his sugary act, my tone flat. "I'm an only child. I don't have some stray brother from nowhere."

James' face instantly went pale, and tears spilled from his eyes.

Irina exploded. She slammed her palm against the table, making the wine glasses rattle. "Colin Sanburne, don't be so nasty! If James hadn't refused to accept me back then because he didn't want to hurt you, you wouldn't even have a chance!"

Clearly impatient, she pulled her car keys from her pocket and tossed them in front of me. "Enough with the snide remarks. You're just trying to make yourself the center of attention. I'm drunk. Go bring the car around and take James home first."

Her commanding tone made it sound as though I were nothing more than her chauffeur.

The classmates around us visibly relaxed. They assumed this little drama would end the way it had countless times before—with me giving in. After all, everyone agreed on one thing: I could not live without Irina.

I lowered my head and slowly picked up the car keys. Over the past three years, her best friends had sat in the passenger seat of that car. Her clients had sat there, too.

I was the only one who had not.

A flicker of contempt crossed Irina's eyes. She gave a cold snort. "What are you waiting for? Go. And remember to set the air conditioning to 78 degrees. James gets cold easily."

The next second, I flicked my wrist and sent the keys flying into the half-full glass of red wine in front of James. The glass tipped, spilling a generous splash of wine straight across his pristine white shirt. James shot to his feet with a cry, frantically patting at the spreading stain.

The entire room went dead silent.

Irina stared at me in disbelief, her eyes widening. "Colin Sanburne, have you gone mad?"

I pulled out a tissue and casually wiped my hand. "Since you love regrets so much, I'll leave this car behind as another one for you to regret."

With that, I picked up my clutch and turned to leave.

Irina's furious scream exploded behind me. "Colin Sanburne, if you dare walk out that door today, don't ever come crawling back and beg me to take you back!"

I did not slow down. I did not even bother turning around.

The moment I pushed open the private room door, a rush of cold air swept through the hallway. I took a deep breath and pulled out the private phone I had kept switched off for three years because of Irina.

Once I turned it on, the screen immediately lit up with countless missed calls and messages. The newest one was from someone saved in my contacts simply as "L."

'Had enough fun, Mr. Sanburne?'

I stared at the message, then quickly typed back. 'Yes. Come get me.'

…

Back in the private room behind me, Irina was still ranting to her friends. "What was he trying to prove by acting so high and mighty? Give it three days. He'll come crying back and beg me to take him in. He has no money, no house, and no job. Without me, he can't survive."

She held her long-lost first love in her arms, her face filled with absolute certainty.

Unfortunately for her, she did not know that this time, I was truly done with her.

She thought I was broke.

She had no idea that I came from a powerful and wealthy family.