Chapter 4

"You live here?" He scanned my cramped, humble studio, his gaze returning to me with blatant disdain and pity. "You threw away everything just to hide in a dump like this?"

"That's none of your business." I looked away, refusing to meet his eyes.

"None of my business?" He seized my chin, forcing my face toward his. "Elena, do you even have a heart? I spent five years looking for you! Five years!"

His eyes were bloodshot, swirling with raw, desperate intensity.

To me, it just looked sickeningly fake.

"Looking for me?" I laughed out loud, amused by the absurdity. "Looking for what? To see if my hand was permanently crippled? Or to verify whether I starved to death on the streets so you and your precious little sister could sleep with a clear conscience?"

"I..." He choked, a flash of panic crossing his features.

I slapped his hand away and stumbled back, putting space between us.

"Julian Sterling, drop the saint act. Today is your engagement party. Don't keep your gorgeous bride waiting."

I pointed toward the open door, measuring every syllable: "Now, get the hell out of my apartment."

"Elena!" He lunged forward, trying to grab my wrist.

Like a cornered animal, I whipped my hands behind my back, every defense mechanism screaming.

"Don't touch me!" I shrieked, losing my composure completely. "You disgust me!"

Those two words hit him like a physical blow.

Julian froze mid-reach, looking shattered and stunned.

We stood locked in a standoff, the air in the tiny room thick enough to suffocate us both.

Then, his phone went off again, slicing through the suffocating silence.

Chloe.

He glanced at the caller ID and moved to silence it.

"Pick it up," I sneered, a venomous smile curving my lips. "After all, your fragile Chloe has poor health. If she has a panic attack because you didn't answer, I wouldn't want the blame on my head."

He stared at me, then swallowed his pride and tapped the screen.

Chloe's tearful, trembling voice immediately echoed through the quiet room: "Julian, where are you? The guests are almost all gone, and I'm so scared here alone..."

Watching the instant surge of guilt and worry flood his face, I felt a bone-deep weariness.

Five years ago, when I was burning up alone in a clinic bed;

When I stood weeping beside my grandfather’s grave;

He had worn that exact same expression, abandoning me whenever she claimed to be "scared."

Five years had passed, and not a single damn thing had changed.

"I'm coming back right now," he whispered soothingly into the phone.

Hanging up, he looked up at me with tormented eyes, parting his lips to speak.

Before he could start, I cut him off: "Don't go. If you stay right now and talk to me honestly, maybe I'll still listen to your excuses."

"Elena, Chloe is..."

"Chloe is what?"

"She needs me right now... Elena, please wait for me. Once I calm her down, I swear I'll come back and explain everything..."

"Save your breath." My voice dropped to an eerie calm. "You made your choice. Just like you always do."

I walked over and yanked the front door wide open. "Congratulations, Julian. You proved it again. In your heart, I will always be the one you throw away."

He stood rooted to the floor. "Elena, don't be like this... She really needs me..."

"And what about me?" I couldn't stop the pathetic question from slipping out. "Julian, in the past five years, did it ever cross your mind that maybe I needed you too?"

His silence was crueler than any answer.

"Leave," I turned away, refusing to look at him. "Go where you belong."

I paused, letting the cold silence settle: "Step out that door tonight, and I pray we never cross paths again."