Chapter 4

Two days later, most of Nerissa's injuries had healed, and her voice had returned to normal. During that entire time, not once did Samuel visit her.

She did, however, receive a package from Phoebe in Shorehaven—it contained Jennifer's identification paperwork.

Nerissa stood before the window, staring at the traffic below. Her lips curved into a faint smile, with a mix of mockery and helplessness.

Just then, the door opened, and Henry walked in. He didn't have his usual white doctor's coat on. Dressed in a dark gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, he looked less cold and aloof than usual and had a more approachable air to him.

"The paperwork is done." He handed over a folder. "You can leave now."

Taking the documents, Nerissa glanced at them before saying, "Thank you, Dr. Langford."

Henry didn't respond immediately. He simply stood there, his gaze seemingly thoughtful as he looked at her.

"What is it, Dr. Langford? Is there something else?" she asked.

"You're going back to Shorehaven today?"

Nerissa nodded.

Henry broke into a rare smile. "That's great!"

"Huh?" Nerissa grew a little puzzled, unsure why Henry had such a big reaction to it.

What was so great about her return to Shorehaven?

Noticing her confusion, Henry cleared his throat and touched the bridge of his nose. "Well, you should get started on packing your things. You wouldn't want to miss your flight."

"Thank you, Dr. Langford."

After seeing Henry out, Nerissa began gathering her belongings. There wasn't much to pack. She opened the drawer of the bedside table. The only thing inside it was the velvet ring box.

She opened it to reveal the men's ring inside. It was a simple silver band with the initials "S&N" carved on the inside.

Closing the box once more, she threw it into the trash can beside the bed with an expressionless face.

…

By the time Nerissa returned to the apartment, the sky had completely cleared. Sunlight came in through the windows, spilling across the living room floor and illuminating the dust in the air. She stood in the doorway, looking at the place she had lived in for the past two years.

A half-finished cup of coffee sat on the living room table. Beside it was the lighter Samuel had casually tossed aside. A photo of the two of them sat on the television console. In it, she was leaning against his shoulder with a beaming smile.

She couldn't hear at the time, but she still felt like the luckiest woman in the world then.

Nerissa withdrew her gaze. She walked into the bedroom and pulled a suitcase from the closet. She didn't have many belongings. She only packed a few outfits, her passport, a power bank, and the photo of her and Phoebe that she kept by the bed.

After zipping up her suitcase, she dragged it out of the bedroom, pausing as she went past the living room.

On a display shelf nearby was a plane ticket from Shorehaven to Northwell, carefully preserved inside a picture frame.

Two years ago, she had abandoned her life back in Shorehaven and followed Samuel to Northwell. He had promised to make sure she would never regret her decision.

She had truly believed she wouldn't.

Even after she—a gifted music student born with perfect pitch—had lost her hearing because of him, she hadn't regretted anything. She'd only felt rueful about the unexpected turn in her life then.

She'd thought it was such a pity she could never hear the piano again. It was such a shame that she could never play the pieces she wrote again. It was unfortunate that the woman who used to dazzle on stage had ended up becoming a disabled person who relied on the care of others.

But now…

Nerissa pulled her gaze away and left the apartment with her suitcase. She closed the door behind her and walked off, not once looking back.

…

Samuel's brows were tight as he headed to the hospital. For the past two days, Sasha had clung to him at all times, and he couldn't get away from her.

It was only a little while ago when he tried to text Nerissa that he finally realized he'd been blocked. The uneasiness crept in then.

He'd assumed she would come looking for him, just like she always had in the past. But this time, that didn't happen.

She had gone so quiet it was as though she no longer existed, and that feeling irritated him for reasons he couldn't put into words.

"Samuel, did Nerissa seriously block your number?" Kirk asked as he drove while glancing at the rearview mirror.

Samuel's expression darkened a little.

Clicking his tongue, Kirk remarked, "There's no way that's true. It's not like you guys have never gotten into fights before. Wasn't she always the one who gave in and apologized first?"

Samuel acted as though he hadn't heard Kirk. He continued fiddling with his phone, though his expression grew increasingly grim.

Sensing the tension, Kirk chuckled and assured him, "I'm sure Nerissa won't be able to hold out for much longer. She'll come round by herself in a couple of days and come back. She can't live without you."

"Just shut up and drive!"

When Kirk stopped at the red light, Samuel turned toward the window. His expression seemed neutral, but his jaw was taut.

Only the soft hum of the air conditioner kept the car from being completely silent.

At that moment, the phone Samuel had dumped beside him suddenly buzzed. The screen lit up, which Kirk spotted with his sharp eyes. Raising his brows, he confidently said, "See that? I knew it. There's no way Nerissa could've held out much longer. That must be a message from her, right?"

Samuel felt relieved as he instinctively reached for his phone. While Nerissa had gotten upset with him before, it had never lasted more than a day. She would always be the one to cave and seek him out first.

Surely it was the same this time.

Lowering his eyes, Samuel looked at the screen.

"Mr. Judd, we're waiting on your final decision for the CEO of Galaxis Media. Ms. Reese and Ms. Judd had both recommended a candidate each. Who do you think is the better fit?"

It wasn't a message from Nerissa.

Samuel's brows drew together.

Seeing his expression, Kirk let out an awkward chuckle. "It's not Nerissa? Guess she's really digging her heels in this time."

Samuel didn't answer. He stared at the message for several seconds, his gaze turning cold.

Nerissa was the one who hit Sasha first. She was the one at fault. Because of that incident, his parents had spent the past several days chastising him relentlessly.

He had gone out of his way to stand up for her in front of them, yet she didn't appreciate his efforts. She was even throwing a tantrum and giving him the silent treatment.

Samuel's fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning pale.

At that moment, the traffic light changed to green.

Just as Kirk prepared to drive forward, Samuel suddenly said curtly, "Make a U-turn at the next intersection. We're going back to the office."

Kirk blinked. "We're not going to the hospital anymore?"

"She has even got the nerve to block me now," Samuel said with a scoff before tossing his phone aside. "It's time to teach her a lesson so that she knows her place."

Kirk pressed his lips together and obediently turned the car around.

Meanwhile, Samuel called his assistant, Liam Bates.

"I've settled on Martin Chapman for the position of CEO of Galaxis Media. Tell HR to send him the offer letter."

Liam was taken aback. "But Mr. Judd, Aaron Hurley, the candidate Ms. Reese recommended, has proven himself to be far more capable in every aspect—"

"Do I need to justify my decisions to you?" Samuel's tone turned cold. "Just do as I say."

He dropped the call and stared out the window with a sneer.

He knew full well that Aaron was a better choice for the job. He just wanted to see if Nerissa would come looking for him once she found out that her recommended candidate had been dismissed.

She was quite the stubborn one, wasn't she? She'd blocked his number, didn't she?

Well, he looked forward to seeing whether she could still be so tough and unaffected by everything once she realized that he was now mad at her.