By nightfall, Sebastian still hadn't received any news from Clara. He tried to call her, but her phone remained switched off.

Where exactly did she have to go that she had to fly an entire day to get there?

He was completely at odds with the lively atmosphere in the villa. An inexplicable sense of unease lingered in his chest, as though an invisible hand were gripping his heart.

"What's wrong, Sebastian? You've been sulking all night. Is something bothering you? Or did Clara make things difficult for you again?"

Sebastian shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Erica asked, "When will you reveal the truth to her? You've already proposed to me, so you can't keep this from her for long."

Hearing that, the others also chimed in to support Erica.

"Sebastian, if I were you, I wouldn't have put up with Clara this long. Clara's just after your body and your look

Sebastian snapped out of his reverie abruptly. What was he doing? Erica was the woman he loved, and Clara couldn't hold a candle to her.

"I was just thinking about how to break it to Clara. When she comes back, I'll make it clear to her, and then we can officially prepare for our wedding."

Sebastian reached out to wipe the tears from Erica's eyes. "Why are you crying? Eri, I've told you time and time again that you're the only woman I love. The other women meant nothing to me."

He'd waited three whole years for her to come back. How could he let her suffer and shed tears?

In the days that followed, Sebastian and Erica were inseparable again. They hugged, kissed, and went on dates just like before, as if the past three years had never happened.

Sebastian personally prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Erica every day. Even after being apart for three years, he still remembered h

Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Clara's answer.

He began packing a few clothes while explaining, "I found a new part-time job that requires training for a few days. Baby, I'll miss you while we're apart."

Clara merely grunted indifferently in acknowledgement. She knew he was most likely staying with Erica so he could take care of her.

She went into the walk-in closet, which was lined with clothes and gifts she'd picked out for him over the past three years. In contrast, there were only a handful of small items he'd given her.

That very night, Clara signed the property sale agreement and left all the follow-up matters in the hands of the agent.

The night before she left, Clara met up with friends she hadn't seen in a while to bid them goodbye. Halfway through, she felt a headache coming on and went outside for some fresh air.

Standing on the second floor, she looked down and noticed that someone had reserved the courtyard on the first floor. The entire space was lavishly decorated, clearly arranged with care for a proposal.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Sebastian's familiar figure.

He was clad in a bespoke black suit, looking refined and unapproachable.

Clara's eyes stung as she watched him come closer. The elegant, proud man lowered himself onto one knee, holding out an exquisite bouquet to the woman before him.

"Eri, will you marry me?"

Before him, Erica was already reduced to tears. As everyone cheered them on, she nodded tearfully.

Sebastian slid an expensive ring onto her finger before standing up to kiss her.

The next moment, a thousand drones lit up the night sky above the river, spelling out his love for her. At last, the drone display created one sentence. "Erica, marry me."

It turned out to be Sebastian's proposal.

Clara had often imagined Sebastian proposing to her. Now, she finally got to see it, but the person he was proposing to wasn't her.

"Baby, wait for me. I'll propose to you once I can afford to buy a diamond ring."

"Baby, I'll marry you once I have the means."

"Baby…"

She could still hear the tender words he'd once whispered in her ear. Back then, she'd naively believed that a day like this would truly come.

The truth was, he could have saved her if he wanted to. Yet, he'd done nothing but watch as she was forced into an arranged marriage.

Clara had the urge to ask if he'd ever truly loved her, even for a moment.

But she knew it was pointless.

Flashing a self-deprecating smile, Clara spun on her heel and returned to her private room.

After partying till dawn, she hauled her luggage and headed directly to the airport.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Sebastian. "Baby, what time is your flight? Remember to let me know once you get there so I won't worry."

Clara couldn't believe he was still bothering to put on an act.

After glancing at his text, she promptly deleted his number and blocked him on everything.

The moment the plane took off, all the memories in her mind shattered into pieces. Those three years of misplaced devotion felt like a dream. Once she woke up, she was going to marry someone else.

"Goodbye, Sebastian," she thought. 

She never wanted to see him again.

By nightfall, Sebastian still hadn't received any news from Clara. He tried to call her, but her phone remained switched off.

Where exactly did she have to go that she had to fly an entire day to get there?

He was completely at odds with the lively atmosphere in the villa. An inexplicable sense of unease lingered in his chest, as though an invisible hand were gripping his heart.

"What's wrong, Sebastian? You've been sulking all night. Is something bothering you? Or did Clara make things difficult for you again?"

Sebastian shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Erica asked, "When will you reveal the truth to her? You've already proposed to me, so you can't keep this from her for long."

Hearing that, the others also chimed in to support Erica.

"Sebastian, if I were you, I wouldn't have put up with Clara this long. Clara's just after your body and your looks. She couldn't possibly like you for real. She thinks she can buy you with money, but little does s

Chapter 10