Chapter Sixty Three

She left me alone.

Alone?

It's only me.

Dead.

Alone.

Two weeks remain before everything ends. My feelings should have ended as well, but an unexpected sensation has begun to take root within me. Her presence lingers in the form of forgotten possessions—pearls, diamonds, memories, moments, and tears. Her essence, her scent, still clings to the air. She knew before I set the date. That's why she asked that question. She had already instructed Theo to arrange her departure for New York. After she left the first time, I wept—for the first time in years.

Why?

This is not what I wanted. This was my plan as well, yet I lost myself in her the moment we spent that first night together. She's right—I used her. Used her to satisfy my love, to quench the insatiable hunger that only she could fill.

Yes.

I love her.

From the very first day until now, from every fleeting second to every endless minute—I love her. But now, I am left with nothing. We lost each other because of my mistake. Returning to my world, I feel empty. There is nothing left for me. Each night and day meld together as I drown in my thoughts of her. She is not in a good place. And now, I sit alone, staring out from my office window. The view does nothing to soothe me. Everything feels disordered, chaotic. I have stopped eating, stopped sleeping, stopped working. My health declines, and I grow weaker with every passing moment.

"Sir, should I order your lunch?" The voice barely registers. I shake my head, dismissing him.

"Sir, please…"

I wonder how she is holding herself together. Alone. Far from me. She must be angrier than she is sad. Yelling at me in the solitude of her empty apartment. Trying to hate me.

"What is she doing now?" I turn my chair and ask Theo.

Neil has been monitoring her around the clock. He sent me pictures—her red-rimmed eyes, her diminished frame. The evidence of her suffering is undeniable. When she left, she took nothing. After returning to my world, I found that my solace had always been her. I stood outside her door for hours, unable to knock. My head rested against the wooden barrier as I listened to her hiccuped sobs throughout the night. She never stopped.

"She started a new job today," Theo informs me. "It's lunchtime now, but Miss Rose is still working."

Damn it. She should at least eat. How will she summon the strength to fight with me if she doesn't? How can she scream at me if she has no energy?

"Take me to her."

Theo nods.

Through the glass, I watch her work. A forced smile paints her lips, but it does nothing to mask the exhaustion beneath her eyes. She left my café. She left my club. It's better for her. So why does it hurt? Why does it feel like I'm suffocating? I wanted her to understand my pain, yet I find myself drowning in my own suffering once again.

"Sir, should I order lunch for you?"

My eyes remain locked on her. "Did she eat?"

"Ask Neil."

"No, sir. She hasn't stopped working."

"Then don't. Let it stay that way."

Two hours pass, yet I can't bring myself to look away. Theo has already postponed five meetings. My responsibilities pile up, but none of them matter.

"Sir, we need to return. Work cannot be ignored."

I inhale deeply, trying to absorb every detail of her before I leave. She moves through the space with a restless energy, as though she is running from something—perhaps from herself.

"Let's go."

Back at the office, I try to focus, but my mind refuses to cooperate. Fuck. What have I done? She broke her promise. She left me. Why? She begged me to stay with her, yet she abandoned me instead. She lied. Again. She—

"Mr. Ronald, you have an appointment with a dress designer."

My secretary's voice pulls me from my thoughts. My mother has been planning a grand wedding—extravagant guests, endless shopping. Her joy is boundless. But what about me? Not once has she asked how I feel. Not once has she wondered how I am enduring this agony. If I dare to speak from my heart, it too will betray me.

"Fine."

Theo escorts me to the designer's boutique. Jenna is already seated, waiting for me. My head pounds from the weight of my thoughts, and now a new burden settles upon my chest. It's suffocating, as if invisible hands grip my throat, cutting off my breath. The room feels smaller. The walls press in.

I can't breathe.

"You came." Before she could hug me, I stopped her.

"I have no time, so do it quickly."

The designer arrived and began measuring me. An hour passed with Jenna instructing her on every little detail. My time was being wasted, and my head throbbed with pain. This wedding was nothing but a burden. Did Rose know about it? How much was she enduring?

"I'm heading home."

"But what about my dress? I want to show you..."

"You can show me on the wedding day."

The only bride I ever wanted to see was my wife. Wife? Seriously? The passing streetlights felt like my fleeting happiness—always moving forward until everything was swallowed by darkness. Looking down at my phone, I gazed at the wallpaper: a picture of her. A wave of relief washed over me. She always looked beautiful in that dress I had chosen for her. Her smile was my light. But now, it was gone.

It was already late when I arrived home. Empty. Alone. Without her. Krystal stood in the kitchen, waiting as usual.

"Mr. Ronald..."

"Not hungry. Just send a bottle of whiskey."

After all, it was the only thing I wanted now. The news had spread all over social media. Women were furious, condemning me for hurting her. But none of them knew—I was the one truly hurting.

"Ronald."

Whenever Krystal called me by my name alone, it meant she was about to lecture me. She placed a tray of snacks and the bottle on the table.

"Are you happy?"

Laughing bitterly, I slumped onto the couch and opened the bottle.

"Can't you see how happy I am? Revenge. That's all I ever wanted. And now, I've taken it. It's best if we both move on. Our relationship..."

"She's your wife. This isn't right. Ronald, you're not my son, but I know you better than your mother. You're hurting. Don't do this. Call her. At least talk to her."

Shaking my head, I drank glass after glass.

"The damage is done. I'm getting married soon. Stop this now."

"One day, you'll regret this, Ronald. Karma always comes back harder."

After drinking, I close my eyes. My dreams are the only place where she came now. Her touch is now gone. Her smell is not in the air and her smile fades away because of me. She stopped shining again. Even today in my dreams she never appears. The next day in the office when my meeting ended I came outside. As soon as my foot appeared outside someone turned and hit me on the face.

"How dare you, you son of a bitch!"

Jessie's slap and furious voice rang through my ears and echoed in the office. The first time she had ever hit me. It wasn't like when we were kids. Today was different.

"How dare you hurt her? You played with her, you bastard!"

Her hands clutched my collar. The woman standing before me wasn't my sister. Thick tears trailed down her cheeks—one more person I had hurt.

"Jessie, how dare you slap Ronald?"

Jessie's eyes burned with fury as she turned to my mother.

"You! You planned all of this, didn't you? You bitch."

"Jessie!"

Mom and I shouted at the same time. How dare she call my mother that?

"You proved today that you're just like her—just another heartless bastard. I'm ashamed that I ever called you my brother."

Her anger wasn't good for the baby. But I had hurt her friend. Again. She grabbed my collar once more. The sister I had known was gone. The person before me was someone else—someone broken, and the reason was her own brother.

"How? Why? Why didn't you think about her pain, her tears? Why didn't you stop yourself before hurting her? I... I thought she wasn't good for you. I said so many things to her. I even left her dying for you, but... but you bastard—"

"Jessie!"

Sebastian pulled her away before she could strike me again. I stood in shock. She was sobbing uncontrollably. This wasn't good for her condition.

"Jess..."

A hand stopped me. Jessie's.

"Don't call me. I hate you, Ronald. You hurt me, too."

She left without hearing me out. Everyone was watching, but I was only seeing my world shatter before me. And the reason?

Me.

"That woman... how dare she call me a bitch? I'll teach her a lesson—"

"Mom! She's your daughter, not your enemy. Do you even see her as your daughter?"

My hands ached from calling and texting Jessie. She wasn't answering. Sebastian had also ignored my calls. One by one, my loved ones were slipping away. Finally, I ordered Neil to find out where she was. He returned shortly after.

"Sir, Mrs. Jessie is with Miss Rose. They're together."

Fucking hell! Who was going to stop their tears now? I bet they were both drowning in sorrow. What was I doing? What had my life become? In one month, my entire world had turned upside down. She had come into my life—and then vanished, taking everything with her.

"Fine. Leave them alone."

They could do whatever they wanted. Why was she so blind? She had hurt me, and I had done the same. Tit for tat.

"Sir..."

A long pause from Theo.

"What's going on?"

Opening my tired, watery eyes, I looked at him.

"Mr. Brooks is here."

The bastard.

She had been with him for two hours. My heart pounded with the thought of what they might be talking about. Theo informed me that Rose had sent Jessie home, but Brooks had stayed behind. He knew Neil was watching, which was why he was taunting me. He had even threatened Neil.

Sitting in my office, open files lay in front of me, but my mind was consumed by my phone. Nothing made sense. Only filthy thoughts of them together clouded my judgment. At one point, my lungs felt tight, forcing me to loosen my shirt buttons, but it didn't help. It was enough.

"Theo, take me to her."

Ten minutes later, we parked at a distance from the café. She was sitting with Brooks. Did that asshole even work? He was holding her hand, and she wasn't pulling away. How dare he? She shook her head, but he silenced her with a hand on her cheek.

"That bastard... how...?"

My fists clenched, ready to strike. One day, I would kill him for sure.

"Sir, Miss Rose isn't in a good condition. Please don't take any rash actions."

Now I was the one hurting. She was with someone else behind my back. Had I pushed her into this? Why had she left me?

"Sir, they're leaving."

What? He was holding her in his arms? My nails dug into the seat as Theo locked the car door before I could react. My frustration boiled over. Was this her choice now? Had she called him? Watching his hand rest on her waist, my blood burned with fury.

"Follow them."

Where were they going at this hour? Brooks' security team was with them. We continued following.

"They're heading to Brooks' home."

My eyes desperately searched for her inside the car, but it was too dark. Why was I biting my nails like a madman? Now I was nothing more than a stalker because of her.

Twenty minutes later, we stopped outside his house. They disappeared inside, but my heart stopped when I saw Brooks carrying her in his arms. What the fuck? A shiver ran down my spine. I wanted to set the world on fire. What had happened inside that car? Was she okay?

My phone buzzed violently with an incoming call.

"Sir, Mr. Brooks is calling."

"Put him on speaker."

"I know you're watching us. Did you think I'd let you get away with what you did to her? You broke her. You lost her. Now, watch as I destroy you."

The line went dead. My rage exploded.