جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 9

Austin's POVOn the third day after Edward Duncan moved into the Prescott residence, he slit his wrist.The cut was so shallow it was barely a scratch, drawing only a few drops of blood. But it was enough to make the usually calm Clara Prescott lose control. She canceled international meetings worth millions of dollars and stayed by Edward's bed day and night. On his birthday, she rented every digital billboard downtown just to display a single message. "Ed, wishing you all the best, today and always."My best friend was livid and told me I was the most pathetic husband he had ever seen. I said nothing, but I couldn't accept it either. I refused to believe that all those years we had spent together had meant nothing to her. With tears in my eyes, I demanded an explanation. Clara cupped my cheek, her voice as gentle as ever as she replied, "You've always been the sensible one, Austin. Edward has nothing now."The transplanted heart in my chest tightened painfully, and I le

Austin's POVI started clearing away all traces of my existence from the Prescott residence, but honestly, there wasn't much to pack.I had once filled the garden with baby's breath because they were Clara's late father's favorite flower. To give her a true sense of belonging at home, I had spent a whole month at a pottery studio making us a matching pair of couple's mugs.Now, I ripped out every last flower by the roots and threw them into the trash can. The matching mugs were carelessly tossed into a cardboard box of discarded junk.When Clara returned that evening and saw the nearly empty closet, she frowned. Her hand paused halfway through removing her hair tie."Where's all your stuff?"I didn't even look up as I packed the last of my books and replied in a flat voice, "They were getting old and taking up space, so I threw them out."Clara walked over and carefully studied my expression. There were no hysterical outbursts or tearful confrontations.Assuming I had finally s

Third-Person POVClara froze, and her mind went blank.How was that possible? Why on earth would Austin go to the airport? He had just nodded and promised to stay home and wait for her to take him to Iscardia.A flicker of panic rose in her chest, so faint that she barely noticed it herself, but she forced it back down.There was no way. Austin loved her so much, so how could he ever bear to die and leave her alone? This had to be his way of throwing a tantrum and getting back at her after she had called Dr. Lambert away.The thought made her scoff in disbelief, and the irritation in her heart instantly peaked.Dealing with Edward was already giving her a massive headache, and now Austin, who had always been understanding and sensible, had started pulling such stunts to summon her back to his side.She couldn't believe that he had gone as far as to conspire with a stranger and fabricate a malicious lie about a fatal car crash just to trick her into coming home."Tell Austin tha

Third-Person POVFrom that day on, Clara completely stopped working. She refused to go to the office or see anyone at all.Late at night, she went out into the rain and dug through the huge dumpsters outside the villa like a lunatic. She found the shattered pair of matching mugs Austin had thrown away, buried among the foul-smelling trash.Sitting on the cold floor, she tried to glue the fragments together with bloodied hands. Ceramic shards cut deep into her fingers, and tears dripped onto the cracked surface of the cups.Since then, she had developed severe insomnia. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was Austin's silhouette as he walked away without looking back.Edward still stayed at the villa, but he became increasingly anxious and restless.The housekeepers had stopped paying attention to him and began to treat him with casual neglect after sensing the shift in Clara's attitude.He couldn't stand being ignored. It had felt far worse than death. So, he intenti

Austin's POVWith that, I turned around and left the lounge without sparing Clara another glance.As I stepped out of the hotel, a madman with disheveled hair and ragged clothes charged out from the bushes."Austin! You ruined my life! I'm going to kill you!"It was Edward.Over the last three years, he had endured endless cold treatment within the Prescott residence before Clara threw him out into the streets. With all his assets frozen and buried under a mountain of crushing debt, he was driven to insanity.Without me even having to lift a finger, my bodyguards immediately stepped forward to pin Edward flat against the ground.He struggled violently and glared at me with a twisted, monstrous expression."What gives you the right to act so high and mighty? I was the one raised as the heir to the Duncan family, while you're just some unwanted nobody that your own parents didn't even want! What right do you have to steal Clara, and why do you get to stand here?"Staring down at