Chapter 4

In the private payment room, the staff carefully handed the painting to Julian.

Julian held it excitedly. Seeing him so happy, Chloe's earlier frustration vanished.

She pulled a black card from her designer bag and handed it to the clerk. But the clerk's next words froze her in place.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. This card was declined."

Chloe snatched the card back, stunned. "Impossible! How could it decline? This card is..."

The bait had worked. Yes, that card was an authorized card under my account.

I had instructed my assistant to freeze it yesterday.

My phone buzzed rapidly with calls from Chloe, who looked frantic on the monitor screen.

Smirking, I switched off my phone and left the gala.

Later, my assistant reported that Chloe had maxed out all her personal credit cards and still came up short by tens of thousands, forcing her to borrow money from Julian on the spot.

The next morning, an aggressive phone call woke me up. The second I answered, Chloe screamed into the receiver:

"Ethan Walker, what the hell is wrong with you?! You changed the door code!"

"I know you're inside! Open the damn door!"

Listening to her shriek like a madwoman, I couldn't understand her logic. She loved Julian so much, and I stepped aside to let them be together. Why was she harassing me now?

She kept banging on the door. I took my time washing up before finally opening it.

Chloe glared at me, her face flushed with fury. She raised her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist mid-air.

"Why took you so long to open the door?! And why did you freeze my card yesterday? Do you have any idea how humiliated I was?!"

"Can't you show some decency?! Why are you blowing up over such a tiny issue? I already explained everything, so why are you being so petty?!"

I stared at her calmly, feeling only annoyance.

Seeing my silence, she tried to shove past me into the apartment.

I blocked the doorway with my arm. Chloe's face twisted. "What?! You're locking me out now?!"

Seeing her act like this, I mocked myself for being such a desperate doormat in the past.

"You bought Julian a five-million-dollar gift using my card," I said coldly. "Who gave you the right?"

"I made it clear yesterday. We're over. You have nothing to do with me anymore."

Hearing my firm tone, panic flashed across her face, but she quickly masked it with confidence:

"Are you really willing to throw away our seven years together? I know I made a mistake, but I didn't mean to hurt you! Just forgive me, okay? Can you really let me go?"

"Let's stop fighting, okay?"

"Fighting?"

"Chloe, when have I ever fought with you? Do you really think I'm just playing games?"

I looked at her with eyes like ice.

Sensing my absolute coldness, she panicked completely and tried to hug me. I stepped aside.

"Ethan, I was wrong! You're the one I love! Give me another chance, please!"