Chapter 5

Yulia's POV

For the first time, I saw Adrian panic.

All these years, he'd always been cold and cruel. I'd even thought he had no heart.

Now he finally lost his composure for me, but unfortunately, it was too late.

Adrian quickly left the hospital room because of something related to Chloe.

As soon as he left, I pulled out my IV.

No matter how much the doctor tried to persuade me, I insisted on checking myself out.

I knew I was dying soon and needed to arrange my affairs first.

I wanted to take a photo, buy a cemetery plot in the most scenic location, and have a custom music box made with all three of our names engraved on it.

After I died, the music box would be buried with that family photo.

Dragging my wounded body, I returned to that so-called "home."

As soon as I entered, a white figure pounced into my arms, tail wagging frantically.

It was Snowball, the Samoyed that Adrian and I had raised for eight years.

This dog was the last thing left between us.

"Snowball..." I hugged it tightly, remembering how Adrian had once laughingly said we were "a family of three." My eyes immediately stung with tears.

I decided that before I died, I would find a good home for the aging Snowball.

After contacting adopters, I was just about to leave with Snowball when Chloe blocked the doorway.

"Where are you going?" Chloe walked in smiling, her gaze falling on Snowball. A flash of malice crossed her eyes. "This dog is the last thing you care about, isn't it?"

I didn't want to waste words with her. I held Snowball tight and tried to walk around her.

"Stop her!"

At Chloe's command, two bodyguards stepped forward to block my path.

"What do you want?" I retreated warily.

Chloe sneered and told the bodyguards.

"Take that dog from her."

I desperately protected Snowball but was shoved aside by a bodyguard.

My forehead hit the stair railing, and blood immediately flowed down.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

Seeing me hurt, Snowball struggled to pounce and bite, but a bodyguard grabbed a club and beat it to death, blow after blow.

Snowball's cries grew weaker and weaker until it lay motionless in a pool of blood.

"No! Snowball!"

I cried out and lunged toward its gradually cooling body.

In the chaos, I knocked into Chloe.

She tumbled down the stairs, blood soon seeping beneath her.

Just then, the villa's main door opened and Adrian walked in, witnessing this exact scene.

He rushed over in a few strides and picked up Chloe. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of murderous intent.

"Yulia! Why do you want to kill her too? Don't you know she just had surgery!"

I pointed at Snowball's corpse, my voice hoarse.

"She killed Snowball..."

Adrian's gaze swept over Snowball's body and paused for an instant.

Then he said something that froze all the blood in my body.

"Good that it's dead."

He said coldly.

"Nothing that proves we were ever in love should remain."

That sentence completely destroyed me.

So every trace of love between us should be erased in his eyes.

I shook my head and laughed bitterly.

"Fine."

I said only one word.