LOGIN'When have I ever asked Claire to meet in such a remote place?'Confused, Ethan checked the timestamp again.'That had been during breakfast. I left the table a few times… The only person who could have touched my phone and knew my password was…'His gaze slowly settled on Chloe.'But Chloe was injured too… Could it have been a coincidence?'Then his eyes caught a line of text, and his eyes widened in horror.He tapped into the chat. There it was, clear as day. The provocative video Chloe had sent. And beneath it, her final message. 'Want to bet if I can make Ethan abandon you?''At that time, Chloe was supposedly being resuscitated. How could she have sent this?'It hit him all at once.At the hospital, they had run full-body examinations and found nothing wrong with Chloe. Yet, she had cried and screamed as if she were in unbearable pain.Back then, Ethan had assumed it was some kind of internal injury. But thinking back now, Claire had been drenched in cold sweat, in so mu
At that, he opened the next note.Then another.And another.By the time he had unfolded and read every single one, Ethan collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest as if his heart had been torn apart. The pain was so overwhelming that he could not recover for a long time.Every wish Claire had made, year after year, had been the same—she wanted to marry him, to spend the rest of her life with him. And yet, because of Chloe's jealousy and constant interference, he had ruined the wedding Claire had longed for.He had even forced her to stand there as a bridesmaid.The thought of how desperate Claire must have felt made his heart seize.'So all this time… I'd been hurting her, again and again, without realizing it. But we'd once been so deeply in love.'He curled in on himself, sinking into a silence no comfort could reach. No matter who tried to speak to him, he could not steady his emotions.The family doctor followed routine and gave him medicine.Soon, Ethan drifted into
He waited for what felt like forever before one of his men called to report."We found something…"Ethan shot up from the sofa, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes. "Where is Claire? Take me to her. Now!"There was a sigh on the other end. "Mr. Lawson, please don't rush. We found records of Ms. Bennett leaving the country, along with the phone she left behind. As for where she went after that… we have no leads. It's very likely she changed her identity."She had abandoned her phone, everything she had in the country—even her identity. It was apparent she had made up her mind to disappear completely.Ethan clenched his jaw. "Check her phone. See if there's anything unusual.""We're working on unlocking it. Once we crack the password, we'll know more."Ethan shook his head. "No need for that. Bring it to me. If she didn't change it, the password should still be my birthday."As they waited, Chloe shifted uneasily. Seeing the tension in Ethan's expression, she tried to comfort
Ethan dialed again and again, each attempt more frantic than the last, but all he got in return was the same endless ringing.The servants watching from the side couldn't hold back their tears. "Mr. Lawson, please don't worry too much. Ms. Bennett might just want some time alone. If you give her a little space, maybe she'll come back on her own."Ethan's mind flashed back to the day before—to the despair in Claire's eyes and the words she had left behind."This is the last time."Only now did he understand what she had meant.His legs gave out beneath him as he collapsed to the floor, his voice breaking. "I'm sorry, Claire… If I had gone to you first, would your hand have been fine? I shouldn't have stayed with Chloe. I should've arranged for someone to pick you up. I could have done that… I could have…"For him, arranging a car was effortless. But at the time, Chloe had been in critical condition, and his mind had gone completely blank. He had not been able to think of anything
When Ethan saw the message, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.He picked up the paper and read it over and over again.Only then did he finally accept the truth. It was a breakup letter Claire had left for him.He snatched a servant's phone and saw the retirement announcement. Furious, he immediately called the club. "Claire's retirement is a huge deal. Why didn't anyone tell me?"The manager nearly broke into a cold sweat from being yelled at, but her voice was full of confusion. "Mr. Lawson, I called specifically to tell you about this. You're the one who said Chloe was in critical condition and that no matter what happened, we weren't to disturb you."Ethan froze. Only then did he remember receiving that call.The manager had been speaking hesitantly, and Ethan had already been in a terrible mood. Irritated, he had refused to let anyone bother him.If he had known it was about Claire, he never would have hung up."And her resignation needed my approval. How coul
Only then did Ethan notice Chloe coughing up blood, and he immediately panicked."Claire has already won so many championships. She has no regrets left in this life. Even if her hand is ruined, it doesn't matter. Your life is what matters most."Then he looked at me apologetically. "Chloe once saved my life. I can't just leave her alone."Anyone who took a closer look could see through Chloe's little act. But Ethan had chosen to believe every lie she told.I understood that these were nothing more than excuses for his favoritism, and I no longer cared to listen. "Ethan, this is the last time."Ethan's heart suddenly clenched when he saw the lifeless look in my eyes. For a moment, he felt as though he was about to lose something incredibly important.Just as he was about to ask me what I meant, Chloe suddenly spat out another mouthful of blood and dropped to her knees, wailing in pain.Sweat broke out across Ethan's forehead. Whatever doubts he had were instantly forgotten."Chl







