Chapter 3

Dahlia's Point of View

Perhaps given how compliant I usually was, Felix wasn't surprised by how easily I agreed to his unreasonable request.

"Go ahead and have breakfast. I'll send the draft to Syl."

He hurried out the door after eagerly taking the draft from me. He didn't even bother sparing a single glance back at me, as if he wasn't the one who suggested that we have breakfast together in the first place.

"How could you be so blind in the last two months, Dahlia?" I muttered to myself. "How could you have mistaken his schemes for love?"

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. I threw the breakfast Felix had bought me in the trash before leaving the house as well.

I needed to sell my house and studio before I left the country, and I also had to compile all my previous designs into a portfolio to make it easy for me to start working once I landed in Chaldon.

I was busy packing the things in my studio when the door was slammed open with a deafening bang.

A few men stumbled into the studio on unsteady feet, their eyes unfocused and their bodies reeking of alcohol. Wicked smiles stretched on their faces when they spotted me, making my skin crawl.

"Are you still able to design wedding dresses, Ms. Ferguson? Shall my friends and I give you some inspiration?"

"We can inspire you by tearing off the wedding dress after you put it on!"

"Get out of my studio right now! I'll call the police if you don't!"

My hands were trembling violently as I pointed a pair of scissors at them. However, my threat was completely ineffective against them.

The drunkards cornered me excitedly and began pulling at my clothes.

"Your explicit photos are all over the internet. What's the point in pretending to be innocent now?"

They easily pried the pair of scissors out of my hands and tossed them aside. They hit the ground with a loud, ear-piercing clang.

I was forcefully turned around and pinned against the workbench. The cold surface dug into my flesh painfully. The stench of alcohol and cigarettes stung my nose and nearly made me suffocate.

Rough hands began to tear at my clothes. A wave of hopelessness crashed over me, threatening to drown me in its freezing waters.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open, revealing Leon with bloodshot eyes. He ran toward us and pulled the drunkards off me before chasing them out of the studio like a ferocious lion. He then wrapped his jacket securely around my shaking body.

"It's alright, babe. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here now."

My mind had gone blank. Being subjected to nonstop attacks for two days had left me in an incredibly fragile and vulnerable state.

I instinctively buried my face in Leon's chest, clinging to him like a drowning man clinging on to a piece of floating wood, treating him like my savior.

Leon carried me home. He wiped the tears from my eyes and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. His eyes were overflowing with pity when he said, "It's alright. Sleep. I'll watch over you."

I was physically and mentally exhausted, and I ended up falling asleep to the familiar rhythm of his patting.

It was already the next morning when I woke up again. I headed downstairs on bare feet in search of Leon, only to stumble upon him on the phone with someone.

"Nonsense. She would never willingly hand over the physical wedding dress if I didn't set up this elaborate act. Syl said that only the original designer is capable of creating certain parts of that dress…"

I didn't hear the rest of his conversation. It was as if the entire world had fallen silent, leaving only a persistent, piercing buzzing in my ears, grinding away at my nerves.

So, it had all been another farce.

Leon's promises to protect and care for me were simply another type of trap. He just wanted to squeeze every last drop of usefulness out of me to make it easier for Sylvia to trample all over me and use me as a stepping stone to reach the pinnacle of success.

Black spots exploded across my vision, and I nearly lost my balance.

"Why didn't you wear your slippers before coming downstairs, babe?"

When Leon spotted me after he finished the call, his face immediately morphed into a gentle and caring expression. He grabbed my slippers for me and knelt down, carefully helping me put them on. When he looked up at me, his eyes shone with concern.

"Did you have a nightmare? Don't worry, I'm here."

Disgust roiled in my gut as I watched his spectacular performance. Strangely, my turbulent emotions calmed down. After suffering this final blow, my battered heart finally stopped bleeding as ice frosted over it.

Then, I heard myself speak in an uncharacteristically calm and lighthearted tone.

"You only took the draft yesterday. The actual dress is still on the mannequin in the studio. I just modified some of the details. You should take it to Sylvia too. She should be able to put it to good use."

Leon's eyes lit up with pleasure as his plans came to fruition.

"You know exactly what I want, babe!"

He kissed me happily before rushing out of the door with an eager skip to his step.

I remained rooted to the spot as I watched him disappear through the door. Tears welled up in my eyes and flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks.

I wasn't crying because I was sad. I was simply mourning the Dahlia of the past—the idiot who was constantly lied to and toyed with.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. The airline company had sent me a reminder regarding my imminent flight. I turned off the reminder and wiped the tears from my face.

I no longer hesitated as I headed upstairs, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and grabbed the suitcases I had packed beforehand. I didn't look back even once as I left the house that was filled with nothing but lies and betrayal.