Norah climbed into the car without looking back. As the engine roared to life, she snapped her SIM card in half and tossed it out the window.

If no one would love her, Norah would love herself.

"Goodbye, Swinford. Goodbye, everyone," she thought.

The deserted island wasn't accessible by direct flight, so she had to fly to the nearest country and take a boat from there.

By the time she arrived at the island, which she had already purchased and transferred ownership of, a full day and night had passed.

The estate on the island was everything she had envisioned. It had been built to her exact specifications and was move-in ready.

With abundant funds at her disposal, Norah had anticipated the inconveniences of living on a remote island and had even purchased a yacht.

While she doubted she would leave often, she wasn't sure if the companions she had hired—her parents and boyfriend—woul

After sending the guests away, Charlie and Lilian finally learned that Norah had fled before the wedding, causing the entire debacle.

"I knew she'd cause trouble. Even her own wedding ended up being a mess. She's an embarrassment to the family," Charlie berated with a grim expression.

Lilian, however, considered the situation more carefully. Her gaze fell on Isabella, who was following them and appeared clueless. A sliver of unease crept into her heart.

"Norah and Antonio were getting along so well. Why would she suddenly run away? Besides, Sheldon didn't show up either. Could it be that she regretted her decision and went to find him instead?"

Though her words were just an instinctive guess, they resonated with the others. The more they thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Hastily, they rushed to the Warner residence.

It was one of those rare moments when everyone seemed

Then, Antonio found a notebook. When he opened it, he saw pages of notes, all about Norah's preferences.

"Norah has a sensitive stomach and can't eat spicy food. Learn 365 recipes to cook her soothing meals."

"Norah is afraid of thunderstorms and always forgets her umbrella. Be there for her before it rains." 

"Norah loves cherries. Plant an entire orchard for her."

"Norah is lonely. No matter what, always be there when she needs company."

Antonio read through the meticulously detailed notes in the notebook. By the end, he chuckled softly and said, "Norah, winning your heart was difficult. But I'm glad I stuck with it."

His earnest expression caught Norah off guard.

He truly had gone to great lengths to pursue her. If she hadn't heard what he had confessed to Hayden previously, she might have believed in this deeply devoted version of Antonio.

But now she knew the truth. He had done all of this for someone else.

Unaware of Norah's thoughts, Antonio hugged her and said, "Norah, I'm finally going to make you mine. Tell me, once today is over, you'll belong to me forever, won't you?"

Norah shook her head. She thought, "No. The moment you lied to me, it was already over for us."

Just then, the butler entered. "Mr. Emerson, the bride and groom shouldn't see each other before the wedding. It's time for you to head to the hotel."

Antonio didn't budge. Instead, he wrapped his arms tightly around Norah. "I want to stay with her."

"But, sir—"

Before the butler could continue, Antonio's phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID and froze. In the end, he let go of Norah and stepped aside to answer it.

Whatever was said on the phone shifted something in Antonio. When he returned, his demeanor had changed, though he still leaned in to embrace Norah one last time.

"Norah, I'll see you tomorrow."

Norah knew it wasn't the butler's insistence that made him leave. It was the phone call—and it was from Isabella.

She didn't try to stop him and simply watched as his figure disappeared through the front door. Once he was gone, she quietly moved the packed boxes to the front yard.

Earlier, she had instructed the house staff to prepare a firepit in the garden. Though they had been confused by the unusual request, they had complied without question.

One by one, Norah tossed the items into the flames—the photos, notebook, and diary. 

When the last photograph curled and blackened in the fire, Norah smiled faintly.

"Antonio, even the memories are gone. There's nothing left for us now."

Later that night, no one noticed the bride-to-be dragging her suitcase out of the villa. She walked with decisive steps and didn't look back.

Norah climbed into the car without looking back. As the engine roared to life, she snapped her SIM card in half and tossed it out the window.

If no one would love her, Norah would love herself.

"Goodbye, Swinford. Goodbye, everyone," she thought.

The deserted island wasn't accessible by direct flight, so she had to fly to the nearest country and take a boat from there.

By the time she arrived at the island, which she had already purchased and transferred ownership of, a full day and night had passed.

The estate on the island was everything she had envisioned. It had been built to her exact specifications and was move-in ready.

With abundant funds at her disposal, Norah had anticipated the inconveniences of living on a remote island and had even purchased a yacht.

While she doubted she would leave often, she wasn't sure if the companions she had hired—her parents and boyfriend—would feel the same. Thus, it was better to be prepared.

When Norah opened the estate's grand doors, th

Chapter 11