All Chapters of The Countdown to Us: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Coming back from city hall, I was completely out of it.Before getting in the car, I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes first. Only when my eyes weren't red anymore did I tell the driver to take me home.Victor couldn't stand seeing me cry. He'd given orders to everyone around him—anytime, anywhere, if they saw me upset, they had to report it.Now wasn't the right time to blow things open.I got a call from Victor."Baby, what made you think of going to city hall today? Did you make it?"Hearing the careful, almost tiptoeing tone in his voice, I almost laughed.He'd always been the type to panic the second he heard I'd left the house. This time, though, he was asking about errands.So even he had a guilty conscience."I think I ate something bad today. Had to rest for a while as soon as I got to city hall.""Still didn't get the certificate replaced. I'm so unlucky."The moment those words left my mouth, I heard him let out a quiet breath on the other end."Flora, let me worry

Chapter 2

Victor woke up that day and nearly jumped off the hospital bed when he saw me. His arms locked around my waist like he'd never let go.His eyes were full of longing and something darker—possessiveness."You're not leaving this time. Not allowed.""Flora, you're the only family I have left."His voice cracked on the word family.I held him just as tight. Told him I wasn't going anywhere. Never again.Then my sister Anna burst in like a madwoman and shoved me aside.Victor explained it to me later—during those two years apart, he missed me so much he'd brought Anna, who looked so much like me, to stay by his side. She'd confessed her feelings to him. He'd turned her down flat. Nothing ever happened between them.But when his life hung by a thread, Anna was the one who pulled him back.He'd promised her one wish. She wished to marry him.I didn't want to agree. But a debt of life—you can't just walk away from that.In the end, he sent her to Milan with five hundred million euros in proper

Chapter 3

The next day, Victor whisked me off to a presidential suite downtown with that mysterious little smile of his.He dropped to his knees at my feet like a devoted worshipper and opened the box in his hands. Inside lay our marriage certificate—replaced—and a set of sapphire jewelry."Baby, the certificate's all taken care of.""This set is the newest piece from the most famous jeweler alive. Consider it my apology."His arms wrapped around my waist, his face tilting up toward mine with that same earnest look, those blue eyes swimming in adoration.If I hadn't known that the master jeweler had designed two identical sets this season—and that both had been bought by the same buyer—I might've actually believed the love in his eyes."Tonight, you're mine, Flora."I stared at Victor's still-handsome face and suddenly felt like everything in front of me was just foam—pretty, hollow, about to pop.And he was still standing there, puffing that fake bubble bigger and bigger.Pinocchio never got a

Chapter 4

On the third day, I picked up a freshly compiled property list and headed for the law firm.Anna grabbed my arm before I could get out the door."Sister, you came to my room last night, didn't you.""I'm pregnant, sister. Just found out.""You think getting there first means you've got Victor locked down? He's been bored of your stiff, boring act for a long time."I shook her hand off and looked at her belly with something close to pity."After all this, he still won't acknowledge you publicly.""Anna. Is it really worth it?""As your sister, I don't get why you'd betray me. But in the end—""I hope you'll be a good mother, Anna."Then I turned and walked away."Ahhh—"A scream ripped through the air behind me. Then two splashes—*thump, thump*—into the water.The next thing I knew, Victor had shoved me into a razor-wire fence. Within thirty seconds, my back was a bloody mess."Flora, why did you push her? Her right arm's damaged—she can't swim!"I stared at him, speechless."She fell i

Chapter 5

Victor's POVAnna's fever broke quickly. Victor only asked about Flora after confirming with the doctor three times that both Anna and the baby were fine."Is Donna asleep?"The housekeeper pointed at the untouched dinner tray with obvious concern."Don, Donna didn't touch a single bite tonight. She went to her room and hasn't come out since.""Is sister still angry? Housekeeper, get the car ready right now. I'll leave—"Victor pressed Anna back down."She's mad at me. Don't move—you've got the baby to think about.""I'll go check on her. It's the same as always—a little jealousy, a few harsh words. I'll smooth it over."Victor went to the kitchen, grabbed a plate of Flora's favorite desserts and toasted bread, and slipped quietly into the room."Flora? Flora?"But all that answered him was an empty closet and moonlight so cold it could cut through bone.Something was wrong. His right hand started shaking. He forced himself to stay calm.He ran to the safe where they kept documents—the

Chapter 6

Victor's POV"Don, aside from the breakup agreement, there's also a recording in this file."On the plane, seeing Victor sinking into despair, Damon tried to pull him out of it."Donna might have left you a message. Put it on—listen."Victor grabbed the headphones, hope flickering in his eyes. Then he hit play—and the recording left his mind completely blank.First came the sounds of him and Anna—bodies colliding, breathless and raw—and his own voice, saying he flew to Milan every month just to see her.Then Anna's voice, sharp and vicious:"Sister, you came to my room last night, didn't you.""I'm pregnant, sister. Just found out.""You think getting there first means you've got Victor locked down? He's been bored of your stiff, boring act for a long time."The Anna in that recording—arrogant, cruel, poison-tongued.Victor couldn't reconcile that with the meek, obedient woman who'd curled up next to him.And he couldn't bear knowing that Flora—kind, gentle Flora—had endured all of tha

Chapter 7

October in New York.That flight was just a decoy—I'd actually left by car. And I'd already made it back to my favorite design studio in the city.The day I married Victor, I'd walked into that relationship ready to give up my career. Art needs inspiration, travel, a new collection every season. But being a Donna takes just as much—all those little details, the constant emergencies.Without a steady flow of inspiration, I refused to half-ass my designs.The night before our wedding, I sealed away every single one of my jewelry tools.The moment I set foot on New York soil again, I pulled them right back out.I guess life's just like that sometimes—circling around, twisting in ways you can't predict.Only time knows the whole story."Flora, my dearest student—your ex-husband seems to have tracked you down.""Mentor, I've told you a hundred times. Ex-boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend."I laughed and corrected the old man again."Sure you're not still hung up on him?""He made his choice. I made mi

Chapter 8

That night, the gun went off.But neither of us looked surprised.Every ending needs its closure—a final act to seal it. That shot was ours.Who knew Victor would lose his mind over it.Before his bullet wound had even healed for a month, he was camped outside my studio every day, morning and night. He even launched a jewelry exhibition under my name.I didn't understand why he wouldn't just stay with Anna. Stay with the child in her belly.It was like he couldn't be happy with her unless I was out of the picture.Or maybe—the thrill was only there when it was stolen.That was just insane.I got tired of the back-and-forth. I told my mentor I needed to travel for inspiration.He didn't say much—just let out a pitying sigh and wrote me a note."Darling, try Paris.""This was supposed to be our class field trip the year you graduated. But you missed it because of... certain circumstances.""Start here, child. It might be exactly where you need to be."I held that card in my hands, and te

Chapter 9

Victor's eyes were bloodshot, locked onto Ethan's hand holding my coat.Ethan didn't flinch. He gave me a reassuring smile, then turned those equally beautiful blue eyes toward Victor—mocking."Two weeks? You have no idea how popular Flora is.""Besides, we've already decided to go to the Wall of Love together."Ethan explained with perfect poise."You said yes to the Wall of Love? Flora—how could you say yes to him?"The moment Victor heard those words, he exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on—yelling, losing it completely.I didn't want to keep dragging this out. I shot him a cold glance and headed for the car."Flora, don't walk away. Let's talk."I pushed his hands off me coldly, shut the door."Screech—""Victor, are you insane?!"I threw the door open and slapped him across the face.This maniac had thrown himself in front of the car while Ethan was already pulling away.I was so tired of this—the threats, the harassment.We had all that history. Why couldn't he just

Chapter 10

In the end, I still didn't say yes to Ethan. I told myself—slow down this time. Take it slower.For my career. For my heart."Not bad. All that wandering around finally paid off.""You were too rushed before. Every line in your designs was screaming with tension.""You want back into the jewelry world? Fine. But don't let your craft be restless.""Design hates an unsettled heart, Flora."I muttered an apology to Elasa, promising never to make that kind of rookie mistake again.Ethan jumped in, laughing, saying it was a good experience anyway—a test of character. He even brought up some of Elasa's own embarrassing moments from her younger design days.Watching the two of them, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time—warmth. Like Paris at night could actually feel like home.Over the next two months, Ocean's Tear finally came together.The client was moved by the design—a blend of elegance laced with a touch of Italian melancholy.She commissioned an entire Ocean's Tear collection.

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