Chapter 5

Caroline POV

Next, I began sorting through my belongings.

The house was filled with gifts Isaac had given me over these four years.

Hermès bags, Cartier sets, limited edition heels.

Once, these were all proof of his love.

I divided them into two piles.

One pile consisted of brand-new luxury items with price tags still attached, showing no signs of use.

I contacted a reseller.

The other pile held cheap accessories he'd casually said "suit you," souvenirs from trips, and custom items printed with ridiculous love phrases.

I packed them into a cardboard box and carried them to the back patio.

Then I lit a fire.

Flames leapt up, devouring those crude materials and false vows, making soft crackling sounds, illuminating my expressionless face.

The heat waves distorted the air, as if burning a cheap and ridiculous past.

When Isaac came home, he happened to run into workers carrying boxes of items for resale.

The house was half empty, appearing somewhat cold.

"What's going on?" He frowned, looking at the nearly empty closet.

"I want to redecorate." I walked over and helped him loosen his tie. "Clear out the past and replace everything new after the wedding. I want every corner of our home to be a fresh start."

Isaac froze.

Then amusement appeared in his eyes.

He probably thought I was desperately in love with him, wanting to completely leave the past behind and wholeheartedly become his mate.

"Good." He gripped my hand, his teeth nipping my fingertip. "Whatever you want. As long as you're happy."

"Oh, right." I pointed to the dog bed in the corner. "I sent Buddy to a pet hotel for boarding. The house is too chaotic these days. I was worried about disturbing him."

"Whatever you think is best." He didn't suspect a thing, even seemed moved. "Caroline, you're so thoughtful about this home."

After he went into the bathroom to shower, my phone vibrated with a bank notification.

The amount was substantial—the price of those brand-new luxury items.

I deleted the message and looked out at the deep night. From the direction of the back patio came only the faint smell of cold ashes.

Isaac might have smelled it, but he didn't care.

I copied the video from my cloud storage.

Then I considered whether to buy some disinfectant to remove all traces of my scent.

Just then, the sound of running water stopped.

Isaac came out wrapped in a towel, gently embracing my waist from behind. His arms tensed slightly, then turned me around to face him.

He kissed me, his voice a bit hoarse: "The marking ceremony is the day after tomorrow. Are you nervous?"

His palm cradled the back of my neck, a gesture full of possessiveness.

I closed my eyes, didn't resist, even obediently tilted my head back—just like countless times over the past four years.

"Not nervous." I said. "I'm looking forward to it."

I was looking forward to seeing how shocked you'd be when you saw the gift I prepared for you.