As the airport speakers announced the final call for boarding, Cody spotted a familiar silhouette in the crowd ahead. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

From both the back and the side, the woman looked strikingly like Whitney. Even the beige trench coat she wore was nearly identical.

But wasn't Whitney just here to pick her friend up? Why was she lined up at the boarding gate? Was she leaving?

A storm of questions flooded Cody's mind, but he didn't have any answers.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, the woman turned her face toward him. She did look a lot like Whitney from the side, but it wasn't her. Cody let out a sigh of relief.

Yvette tugged on his sleeve. "What's wrong?" Her voice held a hint of concern. Following his gaze, she saw only the crowd ahead. "Are you tired? The gate's just up ahead."

"Maybe it's just stuffy in here."

Cody's expression dimmed slightly, and

As Cody stepped forward, he pulled out a few bills from his wallet and set them down on the counter.

The moment the receptionist saw Cody, his expression shifted instantly. A fawning smile spread across his face as he swiftly handled the check-in and personally led them to the elevator.

Inside the elevator, Yvette was still fuming. "Who does he think he is, talking to me like that? So what if I didn't tip him? What a jerk!"

Cody reached out and tousled her hair gently. "Don't let someone like that ruin your mood. We're here to enjoy ourselves."

But despite what he said, he couldn't stop thinking about Whitney.

He remembered the time he had accompanied her to Leflein for an art exhibition. She had worn a wine-red evening dress and conversed fluently with the gallery manager in smooth Lefleinian. The grace in her gestures had drawn the admiration of everyone around them.

She seemed t

When Cody said those words without so much as blinking, Whitney suddenly smiled.

To him, that smile meant she had finally let it go. Relieved, he turned and headed into the bathroom.

The moment the door shut, his phone buzzed on the table. The sound grated on Whitney's nerves. She picked it up to silence it but accidentally unlocked the screen.

A group chat popped up automatically, and the latest messages flashed right before her eyes.

One of Cody's friends texted, "No way! Yvette's really pregnant? Cody, didn't you always use protection after the first time you got hooked, just so you could have her again and again? It's been so long with no accidents. How'd this even happen?"

"We had a few drinks up in the mountains last month. I got carried away, and Yvvy forgot to take her pill. It's fine that she's pregnant. It's not a big deal," Cody replied.

"Not a big deal? You won't be able to sleep with Yvette while she's pregnant, and you promised Whitney you'd send her overseas after the kid's born. Seeing her will be a challenge. Good luck ever getting back in bed with her."

Whitney's fingers trembled slightly, but she kept scrolling to see Cody's reply.

"Who said I'm sending her overseas? I already bought a villa near my office. Yvvy's going to live there. I can visit anytime I want, and the kid can see their mom whenever."

"Smart move. Whitney never goes to your office anyway, so she won't even know Yvette's still around."

Whitney read every message. And yet, she didn't feel sad.

All she felt was relief—relief that she had started preparing to leave two weeks ago.

Once she was gone, Cody might suffer and feel devastated for a while, but with Yvette and the baby around, he would get over it and forget about her eventually.

And Whitney would forget about him too. From then on, their paths would never cross again.

The water in the bathroom stopped running. Whitney quietly set the phone back where it was, pretending that she hadn't seen anything.

Cody stepped out, drying his hair. Droplets fell across his collarbone.

He smiled at her. "What do you feel like eating tonight, Whit? I'll cook."

Whitney casually named a few of her favorite dishes. Cody nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. She leaned against the doorframe, watching the man who once made her heart race. The soft glow of the kitchen light traced a warm outline around him.

This was a scene she had seen countless times. But now, it felt like a memory from another life.

As the pan sizzled, Cody's phone rang once more.

Whitney picked it up to hand it over, but the message that popped up made her hand go stiff.

"Mr. Larson, did you take many cold showers last night? I know how hard it is for you to resist while I'm pregnant… So I learned a few other ways to help you without hurting the baby. Do you… want to give it a try?"

Cody took the phone and frowned.

Whitney saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. He untied his apron, his voice carrying the faintest edge of urgency as he said, "Whit, something's come up at the office. Do you mind ordering dinner instead?"

Whitney knew that this was probably the last dinner they would ever have together. And so for the first—and only—time, she didn't play along.

"Dinner will just take an hour. Is it really that urgent?"

Cody nodded, grabbed his car keys, and left in a rush.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Whitney walked into the kitchen and turned off the blue flame.

The steaming, half-cooked dishes mirrored their relationship—both had never been given the chance to come to a proper end.

…

The next morning, Whitney headed to the airport with her last suitcase. Right before boarding, she stopped by the restroom, only to run into Cody in the hallway.

They both froze. He glanced at the suitcase she was dragging, his eyes flickering with surprise.

"Whit, what are you doing at the airport with a suitcase?"

She didn't tell him that she was leaving for good. Instead, she smiled and lied, "My friend's flying in for a visit. Her suitcase broke, so I bought a new one for her."

Then she looked him in the eye. "What about you? Why are you here?"

Cody didn't tell Whitney that he was taking Yvette abroad for their wedding either. He gently lied, "Didn't I tell you that I've got that business trip this week?"

As he checked his watch, his face tensed slightly. "Whit, you should go meet your friend. You wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

Whitney knew that he was rushing her so she wouldn't run into Yvette. If that happened, it would be too hard for him to explain. So she played along, stepping into the restroom and deliberately taking her time for ten whole minutes.

By the time she stepped out again, Cody was gone.

The overhead speakers were already announcing boarding for her flight. Before walking to the gate, Whitney unlocked her phone one last time and saw two new messages.

The first was from Edward. It was a photo of her divorce certificate, along with confirmation of a one-billion-dollar bank transfer.

The second was from Cody. "Whit, I've boarded. You should head home too. Have fun with your friend these next few days. I'll bring you some souvenirs when I'm back."

Whitney didn't reply. She reset her phone to factory settings and tossed it in the trash bin. Then, she walked toward the boarding gate without looking back.

As the airport speakers announced the final call for boarding, Cody spotted a familiar silhouette in the crowd ahead. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

From both the back and the side, the woman looked strikingly like Whitney. Even the beige trench coat she wore was nearly identical.

But wasn't Whitney just here to pick her friend up? Why was she lined up at the boarding gate? Was she leaving?

A storm of questions flooded Cody's mind, but he didn't have any answers.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, the woman turned her face toward him. She did look a lot like Whitney from the side, but it wasn't her. Cody let out a sigh of relief.

Yvette tugged on his sleeve. "What's wrong?" Her voice held a hint of concern. Following his gaze, she saw only the crowd ahead. "Are you tired? The gate's just up ahead."

"Maybe it's just stuffy in here."

Cody's expression dimmed slightly, and a flicker of unease flashed through his eyes. He quickly looked away and guided Yvette forward.

At

Chapter 9