Chapter 2

Nathaniel acted quickly.

In just one day, he had removed everything that belonged to him from the house.

When the real estate agent brought potential buyers to view the property, they could hardly tell anyone had ever lived there.

It was as if Nathaniel had never left a mark on Audrey's life, despite all the years he had spent by her side.

"Mr. Cooper, are you sure you want to sell it so quickly? With this location and these renovations, you're losing quite a bit by selling at this price."

After signing the listing agreement, Nathaniel replied calmly, "I'm sure. The sooner it sells, the better."

He had bought the house with so much hope for their future. Now that he was leaving, there was no reason to keep it.

The research institute required him to finish handing over his duties before he could leave, so he still had to stay at headquarters for another two weeks.

A heavy rainstorm hit Ashford on the day Audrey and Jackson returned.

Nathaniel was organizing data in the lab when he received a message from Audrey. "I've landed."

In the past, no matter how late it was or how terrible the weather was, he would have dropped everything and gone to pick her up the moment he saw that message.

Even when he had a bad cold and a fever, he had still driven to the airport for her. He had ended up passing out while waiting, leaving Audrey with no choice but to take a cab back to the lab herself.

When she found out what had happened, she had only said in her usual flat tone, showing no concern for him at all, "If you're not feeling well next time, you don't have to pick me up."

He had been upset by those words for a long time. He thought he had somehow displeased her.

Now, Nathaniel simply turned off his phone screen and continued checking the data.

The research institute held a small welcome dinner to celebrate Audrey and Jackson's return from the international summit.

Nathaniel hadn't planned to attend, but the deputy director personally invited him, leaving him little room to refuse.

He arrived late, so he chose a seat at the corner.

The dinner was already halfway over. As expected, all eyes were on Audrey, who sat at the head of the table, and Jackson, who sat beside her.

Jackson was excitedly sharing funny stories from the summit, keeping everyone at the table entertained.

Even Audrey, who usually kept to herself, sat quietly beside him without showing the slightest hint of impatience.

Whenever Jackson got excited, he would sometimes throw an arm around her shoulders and give her a playful shake. She would frown slightly, but she never moved away.

Then Jackson changed the subject and looked toward Nathaniel, who was sitting in the corner. "Oh, speaking of yesterday, it was such a mess! We arrived at night, and it started pouring just as we left the airport. Audrey and I waited forever for a cab, and even our suitcases got soaked. Nathaniel, I remember you used to handle airport pickups. How come you didn't come yesterday?"

Everyone turned to look at Nathaniel, curiosity written all over their faces.

Nathaniel set down his silverware, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and met Jackson's innocent-looking gaze. "Airport pickups and transportation arrangements aren't part of my job."

Jackson's smile froze for a moment.

Audrey, sitting at the head of the table, looked at Nathaniel without changing her expression.

But he caught the brief flash of surprise in her eyes.

Perhaps she had grown so used to his careful arrangements that she simply expected him to be there whenever she needed him.

He had been like the air she breathed. She had never noticed his presence, but now that he was gone, she felt a faint sense of discomfort.

The dinner ended in an awkward atmosphere.

After the guests began to leave, Audrey stopped Nathaniel at the end of the hallway.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked in her usual calm tone.

Nathaniel stopped walking and looked at her.

The hallway lights cast soft shadows across her sharp features. There had been a time when he thought being able to look at her like this for the rest of his life would be the greatest blessing he could ever receive.

"What did you mean by that just now?" she asked. "Jackson was only making conversation."

She paused, as if trying to find the right words to explain herself. "His area of expertise was a great help at the summit. And you're my personal assistant. Taking care of these little things is part of your job, so..."

Nathaniel understood. She thought he was throwing a tantrum over Jackson, and that he had deliberately embarrassed him in front of everyone.

"Audrey." Nathaniel's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make her stop mid-sentence.

She stared at him, seemingly surprised that he had interrupted her.

Nathaniel looked at her with a quiet ache in his heart. "I'm not throwing a tantrum. And I'm not upset because you attended the summit with someone else."

He took a deep breath and finally said the words that had circled in his heart countless times. "Let's call off our engagement."