Chapter 4

A message appeared on my screen.

"Miss Alessandra, Don has sent me to bring you back to the estate. I will be there in an hour."

The sender was listed simply as Moretti, my grandfather's longtime estate manager.

Daniel caught a glimpse of the message, and his brow creased almost imperceptibly. "The estate? What estate?"

"Nothing," I said. "Someone has finally come to take me back where I belong."

Right after I said that, his phone buzzed again. Megan had sent a voice message. He did not hesitate to play it out loud.

"Daniel, I am already at the airport. Let me know when you are on your way. I will get you a coffee."

Her tone was casual, not obviously flirtatious. But it carried the kind of familiarity that said, "I am here, waiting for you."

He looked at me after it finished, as if the message itself proved his point. "You see, that is just normal work communication. She is young and alone. It is not wrong for me to look after her. You are reading too much into everything."

I did not say anything. I picked up the silver bracelet from the table and walked to the fireplace.

His eyes followed me. "What are you doing?"

I looked down at the bracelet in my hand, the thin silver chain catching a sliver of light. I did not hesitate. I dropped it into the fire. The metal made a soft sound as the flames reached it, like something closing shut. Then it stopped glowing and blended into the ash.

I turned back to him and said, slowly and clearly, "Daniel. We are done."

For a second, he looked stunned. But the shock faded quickly, replaced by the familiar steadiness he always wore. He looked at me with a tiredness that felt almost like pity. "Is this really necessary?"

"Same routine again. You throw something away, and then what? You wait for me to come after you? You always do this, and you always come back. Are you not exhausted?"

He thought it was just another test. In his eyes, throwing away the bracelet was just another way to push him into a response. He was certain I would not really leave.

I did not bother explaining. I closed my suitcase and walked past him without looking back.

The fire kept burning. The bracelet was probably already melted into a small shapeless lump, mixed in with the rest of the ash. Soon it would be impossible to tell which piece had been mine. Like the past eight years.

An hour later, I stood at the window of the hotel room. The doorbell rang. When I opened the door, two rows of men in black suits stood with their heads bowed. At the front was Moretti.

"Miss Alessandra, your plane is ready. You may leave whenever you are ready."

I nodded, picked up my bag, and got into the car. The convoy moved toward the airport. As we approached the private terminal, I could see that the main terminal was more crowded than usual. Extra security checkpoints had been set up at the entrances, and men in dark uniforms were checking documents one by one. Moretti glanced back at me from the front seat. "Don ordered tighter access control today. He wants to make sure nothing interferes with your departure."

I said nothing and looked out the window. The convoy slowed as it passed the main terminal entrance. Some passengers grew restless at the sudden restrictions, and a few tried to ask questions. They were turned away politely but firmly.

Through the glass wall, I saw a familiar figure standing on tiptoes, peering in our direction with undisguised curiosity. Daniel followed her gaze and looked up.

Our eyes met.