Chapter 5

The surgery was finalized for tomorrow morning.

4 days left until my departure.

I took advantage of the free time to head back to the apartment.

Dusk was falling, and the walk-in closet was filled with a dazzling array of luxury goods.

Birkin bags, limited-edition watches, fine jewelry, I had added all of these piece by piece over the years to accompany him to Family banquets.

Theo never went shopping with me. I could only kill time among these cold, lifeless fabrics.

When I leave, leaving these clothes here to collect dust would just be an eyesore.

I took a panoramic photo and posted it on an exclusive underground marketplace: Flash sale, 90% off, no questions asked.

The buyers swooped in like hungry sharks. In less than half an hour, more than half of the items were snatched up.

Watching the last dress get packed into a black plastic bag, I stared at the mostly empty display cabinets.

It turned out that peeling away the past wasn't as painful as I had imagined.

I turned and walked toward the bedroom.

In the drawer, there were still several perfumes he particularly favored.

Back then, he said he liked these scents on me the most, so I hadn't changed to any other brand in these seven years.

At the time, I always thought that was love.

Looking at it now, recalling his dismissive behavior of hastily washing off my scent every time we made love, it just felt completely ironic.

What I deeply loved was nothing more than the version of Theo I had personally idealized.

Tearing open the bloody truth, I finally realized that all my sacrifices were so cheap.

I swept them all into a garbage bag and poured the liquids down the drain.

The water swirled a few times and disappeared completely, leaving behind a lingering mix of high-end perfume scents.

But soon, these scents would also disappear completely, just like my heart right now.

At eleven o'clock late at night, a noise came from the entryway. Theo was back.

His shirt collar was stained with blood, and a bullet had grazed his arm, which was now haphazardly wrapped in thick, blood-seeping bandages.

Clinging tightly to his side and supporting him was Isla.

The corners of her eyes were red, looking like she had just cried from a terrible fright.

"Harper, there was a street shootout today. Theo got grazed by a bullet trying to protect me. You have to keep a close eye on him tonight."

I cast a cold glance at her, my tone flat. "If you're worried about me doing it, you can stay and take care of him."

Isla's face instantly flushed red, and she nervously pinched the hem of her shirt.

"Harper, don't misunderstand. Theo and I are just normal supply chain partners."

Theo's narrow eyes instantly darkened. "Harper, do you have to speak so viciously?"

I found it amusing. "Which sentence of mine was wrong?"

"Isla came home with me, trembling in fear the whole way. And you are giving me attitude?"

He slammed his bloody trench coat onto the sofa, looking at me with eyes full of exhaustion and disappointment.

Isla quickly waved her hands, but tears welled up in her eyes right on cue.

"Theo, please don't be mad at her. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come upstairs. I'll leave right now."

Covering her face, she turned and ran toward the elevator.

Theo didn't even bother to spare his own injury a glance and chased after her without hesitation.

The heavy security door slammed shut.

It took a full hour before Theo returned, his face terrifyingly dark.

He didn't even notice how many things were missing from the house, much less the mostly empty display cabinets, and immediately lashed out at me.

"Are you satisfied now?"

I snapped the lock on my suitcase shut. "Satisfied with what?"

"Protecting Isla was a direct order from the Don! She was shaking the whole way, and you just had to force her to cry to feel good about yourself?"

I pulled the zipper all the way to the end, my movements not stopping.

I was long used to this kind of drama.

In his eyes, Isla was always the innocent victim caught in the crossfire.

I was always the irrational, crazy woman who ignored the big picture.

Packing my last personal item into the box, I couldn't be bothered to waste any more words and stood up to head to the guest room.

"Stop right there." Theo reached out and grabbed my wrist, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Where's dinner?"

I forcefully pulled my hand free. "There's instant food in the kitchen. If you don't want to eat it, go have your men buy something."

Theo lifted his bleeding arm, his brows furrowed tightly. "I'm injured, and it's bad."

I stopped and looked back at him, my eyes filled with nothing but cold indifference.

"You took a bullet for the Family, and I'm supposed to play the generous wife for another woman?"

Theo choked on his words, his face turning ashen. After a long moment, he laughed out of extreme anger.

"Fine. Harper, you are really something."

He turned, kicked open the study door, and slammed it shut so hard the paintings on the wall tilted.

I didn't even blink.

I had to go into surgery tomorrow and had no energy to waste on him.

Collapsing onto the bed in the guest room, I quickly closed my eyes.

This actually turned out to be the most peaceful night of sleep I'd had since making my decision.

Early the next morning, Jade drove over and picked me up to go to the private hospital.

"Are you really sure about this? You're taking it out?"

I touched my flat stomach, stayed silent for a few seconds, and nodded firmly.

"I made up my mind a long time ago."

Once upon a time, my world consisted solely of Theo.

For his absolute safety, I willingly sacrificed my career and even stripped myself of the right to be a mother.

But he was entirely unworthy of my unreserved devotion.

It was time to return to the sunlight and live my own passionate life.

After signing the privacy agreement, I was wheeled directly into the private hospital's VIP operating room.

The chief surgeon was looking down at my medical records, and the anesthesiologist was pushing the syringe.

Just then, the automatic doors slid open, and a familiar figure swaggered in.

I met those eyes past the surgical lights, and the blood in my body instantly turned cold.

It was Isla.

She was wearing full sterile gear, actually sporting a "Surgical Consultant" badge on her chest, and stood right next to the chief surgeon as if she belonged there.

Catching my shocked gaze, not only did she not look away, but a trace of undisguised, malicious amusement surfaced in her pretty eyes above the mask.