Goodbye to the Love I Once Chose의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 19

The man looked to be in his early thirties.He had a clean-cut face and a faint smile at the corner of his lips.When Vivian didn’t respond, he asked again,“Can you stand?”Vivian nodded.She took his hand and used it to pull herself up.The moment she put weight on her ankle, a sharp pain shot through it, making her suck in a breath.The man glanced down, his brows drawing together.“It’s swelling. You should get it checked out.”He released her hand and turned to the Frenchman, speaking to him in fluent French.Vivian couldn’t understand what he said.But he remained completely calm, and by the time he finished, the Frenchman’s expression had changed.To her surprise, the man actually walked over and apologized to her.Vivian blinked.The stranger turned back and smiled when he saw her expression.“Come on. My car’s over there. You should get that ankle X-rayed.”He bent down and picked up the phone and purse she had dropped.Once they were in the car, he started th

Winter came earlier in Ashburn than it did back in Riverton.When Nathan walked out of the airport, a cold wind carried fine rain against his face, making him shiver.He was wearing only a dark gray suit jacket, looking completely out of place among the travelers bundled in winter coats.His assistant turned to him.“Mr. Hayes, would you like to go to the hotel first, or somewhere else?”Nathan shook his head and climbed into the back seat.“The opera house.”The car pulled away, disappearing into the gray Ashburn evening.Most of the leaves had already fallen from the plane trees lining the streets.The few yellow ones still clinging to the branches trembled in the wind.Nathan leaned back against the seat, staring at the unfamiliar streets outside.His palms were slick with sweat.The car eventually stopped across the street from the opera house.Nathan got out, checked the time on his phone, and waited silently by the curb.Twenty minutes later, a side door opened.Vi

The next day, Ryan openly questioned the new investor’s motives during the project meeting.Citing the need to protect the design team’s independence, he proposed an additional clause:The investor would have no authority to interfere with the design team’s decisions, including the construction schedule, choice of materials, or any matters involving the ballet company.The French partners sided with Ryan.Nathan didn’t attend the meeting.When his assistant forwarded him the minutes afterward, he read them and smiled faintly.Ryan was smarter than he had expected.And much more assertive.Nathan didn’t push back.He simply told his assistant to inform the French partners that he respected the design team’s independence and had no intention of interfering with any of their decisions.He had never wanted control over the project.All he wanted was a legitimate reason to stay close to Vivian.Not long after, Ryan asked Nathan to meet him privately.Ryan chose a restaurant nea

Nathan had lost a lot of weight.His suit hung loosely from his frame, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and the platinum ring was clenched tightly in his hand.“Vivian.”His voice was so hoarse she could barely hear him.Vivian stopped but didn’t move any closer.“What do you want?”Nathan looked down at the ring in his hand.Then he raised his head, his eyes red.“I was wrong.“Can you give me one more chance?”Vivian looked at him in silence.She remembered that ring.She had chosen it herself.She had personally had their initials engraved inside.Back then, she had truly believed she would marry Nathan.She had believed he would be the man who stayed beside her for the rest of her life.“Nathan,” she finally said, her voice calm and detached. “Keep your apology for yourself.“Go back to Riverton.“Ashburn isn’t the place for you.”With that, she walked past him.Nathan remained frozen where he stood.The ring dug painfully into his palm.When Vivian returned to

Three months later, Vivian moved into the new apartment Ryan had designed for her.He had drawn every detail himself, weaving in little preferences she had mentioned without even realizing it.The kitchen counters were set at a height she could comfortably reach because she had once complained that the cabinets in her old place were so high she couldn’t reach them even on tiptoe.The bedroom windows faced east because she had said she liked waking up to sunlight.And an entire wall by the entryway was covered with a mirror because she always checked her posture before leaving the house.When Ryan handed her the keys, Vivian walked up to him, rose onto her toes, and kissed his cheek.“That’s the deposit.“If the apartment passes inspection, you’ll get the rest.”Ryan froze for a second.Then he laughed, bent down, and swept her off her feet.Vivian yelped and smacked his shoulder.“Put me down!”“Failed inspection,” he said.“I don’t want the final payment anymore. I want t