Chapter 5

Lena POV

Ethan was infuriated by my indifferent attitude. He sneered. "Fine, I'll compensate. Name your price. Whatever amount, I'll pay, just to buy your insanity today!"

I looked at him, the last trace of attachment in my eyes disappearing completely.

"One dollar."

Ethan froze, his brow knitting into a tight knot. "What did you say?"

"I said, pay me one dollar." I held his gaze, speaking slowly. "Ethan, send me one dollar. For this model. For these twelve years. Consider it even. From now on, we don't owe each other anything."

"Good. Very good." Ethan pulled out his phone through gritted teeth and transferred me one dollar on the spot. "Lena, remember what you said today. Don't come crying to me later!"

With that, he scooped up the injured Vivian and left the firm without looking back.

Looking at the one dollar that appeared on my phone screen, I didn't cry.

I crouched down, picked up the broom, and swept those fragments that carried my most beautiful youth, bit by bit, all into the trash can.

Just like sweeping away my twelve years of ridiculous one-sided love.

Returning to my seat, I typed the last word of my resignation letter on the computer and clicked send.

Then I called Professor Miller.

"Professor, I've booked my ticket. Ten days from now, I fly to Paris."

After hanging up, I looked at the overcast sky outside the window and let out a long breath.

Ten days.

Just endure ten more days, and I could completely leave this suffocating place, leave Ethan.

That evening, the sky opened up with pouring rain.

I returned to the Manhattan villa and had just reached the front gate when my steps abruptly halted.

Outside the villa, by the trash bins, my things lay scattered.

My custom-ordered German drafting board. Out-of-print architecture books. The markers and tools I'd treasured for years.

All of them soaked in muddy rainwater. Ruined beyond repair.

Vivian stood under the villa's eaves wearing a silk nightgown, holding a cup of hot milk, looking at me with an innocent expression.

"Oh my, Lena, you're back. I'm so sorry. I had the maids clean today. These things looked old, so I thought they were trash you didn't want and had them throw it out. You won't blame me, will you?"

I stood in the rain, icy water instantly soaking me through.

I didn't fly into a rage or rush up to question her. I just calmly walked over and searched through the muddy water.

The books were ruined. The markers were destroyed.

I opened a waterlogged sketch book. On the first page, in Ethan's bold handwriting, were the words. "To my genius little architect, may you soon build the world's number one skyscraper. Ethan"

I stared at those words, rain blurring my vision.

Expressionless, I tore the sketch book to shreds and threw it, along with those ruined tools, completely into the trash bin.

A black Maybach sped through the rain curtain, screeching to a stop at the villa entrance.

Ethan got out with a black umbrella, and seeing me soaked through in the rain, his brow furrowed instantly.

"What are you doing out here? Don't you know it's raining?" He strode over and grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me under the umbrella.

I forcefully shook off his hand.

"Don't touch me." My voice was colder than the autumn rain. "Ethan, don't dirty your designer suit."