Chapter111

The first night Riley moved into Amanda’s old apartment, the silence struck him hardest. He unlocked the door with a slow hand, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. The sound of the latch echoed too loud in the narrow hall. For a moment, he stood still, staring at the space as if it might resist him. His boxes had already been delivered earlier that day. They sat stacked near the wall, plain and heavy, out of place among the furniture Amanda had left. The sofa was still there, the one he remembered from years ago, deep in color and wide enough for her to curl into with a book. The dining table stretched in the center of the room, smooth wood that carried the faint mark of use. He could almost picture her sitting there with a cup of tea, papers spread in front of her. Riley set his briefcase down but did not open it. His eyes moved from corner to corner, and every corner felt like hers. The curtains framed the windows just as she h

Last Updated : 2025-09-07

Chapter112

The new secretary is competent. She takes notes, arranges schedules, answers calls. But Riley feels the difference in every step. He asks for a document and waits minutes, not seconds. He points out an error in a report and sees nervousness instead of quiet confidence. He gives instructions and has to clarify twice. None of it is disastrous, yet each moment sharpens his sense of loss. Amanda would not have let it reach him. Amanda would have known before he asked. He tries not to let his frustration show, but inside it grows heavy. The comparisons come without effort. He does not seek them, yet they are there, unavoidable. And with every comparison, he misses her more. What once seemed ordinary now feels irreplaceable. The pride he feels for her success in Milan mixes with the ache of his daily life without her. He imagines her walking into her new studio, adjusting quickly, learning faster than anyone else, proving her worth in ways others

Last Updated : 2025-09-11

Chapter113

Nights stretch late when he cannot sleep. He imagines her in Milan. He sees her walking along stone streets with a sketchbook in her hand, her dress brushing against the air. He imagines her stopping at a café, sipping coffee while the morning light pours over her. He imagines her entering a studio, paint on her hands, her eyes alive with focus. These images hurt him, but they also keep him close to her. In the silence of his office or in the emptiness of her old apartment, Riley feels the same thought circle back: Amanda deserves more. And he has to become more if he wants even the smallest chance of standing beside her again. Riley finds out about her flight. He tells no one. He does not go to her gate. He does not call her name. Instead, he waits in a quiet corner of the terminal, where the lights are bright and the air smells faintly of coffee and perfume. People pass him in steady waves, but he does not move. His eyes search unti

Last Updated : 2025-09-11

Chapter114

Since then, the feeling has only grown. Each unanswered call, each cold reply, builds on that night. Now Faye finally understands. Amanda is gone. Not just from the company, but from Riley’s life. From this city. From this marriage. She tries to deny the truth at first. She asks questions, pretending not to care. She even calls Riley’s father once, speaking in a careful tone, circling the subject without naming it. But no matter how she turns it, the answer is the same. The company is doing well. Riley himself is fine. The only change, the only wound, is Amanda’s leaving. Faye feels the conclusion press against her, heavy and unwanted. It is Amanda. It has always been Amanda. Her leaving has shaken Riley in a way nothing else could. She sits in her apartment one evening, staring at her phone, thinking of all the times she pulled him away from Amanda. She remembers the rush of victor

Last Updated : 2025-09-16

Chapter115

Amanda is not weak, not the fragile woman Faye once painted in her mind. She is stronger than Faye ever imagined. Why? Faye asks herself this again and again. Amanda had no parents to turn to. No family she could lean on. The relatives she once had only wanted her money, and Amanda cut them away long ago. After she married, Riley was the closest person in her life. He was her family. Her husband. Faye thought that meant Amanda would cling to him no matter what, that her heart would keep her trapped. But she was wrong. Amanda walked away. She carried her pain and still found the strength to cut the bond. Faye bites her lip at the thought. She cannot understand it. For someone so loyal, so deep in her feelings, how did Amanda do it? How could she leave behind the man she loved? And Riley—Riley who always looked cold, who always made Amanda wait, who ignored her pain—he is the one now undone. He is the one who c