Chapter 26

"No. She's truly let me go now." Chad's voice was beyond hoarse. "But I can't do the same." He suddenly gripped the banister, knuckles turning white. "It's just that… I realized it too late. It's not that I didn't love her—I was just too slow to see it." Chad's gaze gradually grew firmer. "I'll spend ten years, 20 if I have to… to get her to realize how I truly felt for her." Laurel was taken aback. Suddenly, she smiled faintly and said, "Alright. I wish you all the best, Chad." She turned to look out the window—the weather was fair. "I came here today to settle the matter of my ex-husband's assets. But now that I think about it, it's no longer necessary." Chad looked at her, perplexed. "I've figured it out." Laurel straightened her clothes and broke into a relieved smile. "I'll consider that money the price I paid for a lesson. From now onward, I'm going to start living a life that truly belongs to me." Chad clearly didn't catch what she was insinuating. He nodded and replied c