Alston frowned. “Tracy. What do you mean by ‘give’? It wasn’t giving. It was passing on and continuing. While you were on the island, those designs needed someone to perfect and realize them. You laid the foundation; Avril completed it. Everyone wins, and the credit should be shared.”
He paused for a moment, then continued in that same calm, reasonable tone.
“Besides, those designs… they’re too good to be left gathering dust on that private island, right? Keeping them hidden from the world—wouldn’t that be have been the real loss? Tracy, do you still care about these empty titles? I thought after three years, you’d see past them.”
Tracy stared quietly at him—the man she had once loved so deeply—as he spoke the cruelest words in the gentlest voice, dismissing her pain as nothing more than childish pride.
She drew in a sharp breath, turned on her heel, and started toward the door. She needed to leave before she suffocated in this place.
“Tracy.” His voice came from behind her. “Wait.”
Her steps faltered.
“There’s a celebration tonight,” he said. “We’re holding a party for Avril to celebrate her winning the International Design Gold Award. I want you to come. As the company’s former chief designer, you should be proud of your junior’s success.”
“I’m not going,” Tracy said flatly, without looking back.
“This isn’t a request.” Alston closed the distance between them in a few strides and caught her wrist. “Tracy, you’ve been away for too long. It’s time to reconnect with the circle you once belonged to.”
He paused, his tone softening just slightly. “Or… do you want everyone to think you’re jealous of Avril’s success?”
Tracy slowly lifted her gaze. Once, his eyes had been warm and tender. Now, they were cold, filled with calculation and impatience.
“Fine,” she replied quietly. “I’ll go.”
Only then did Alston release her, looking satisfied. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
The top floor of the Waldorf Hotel shimmered with golden light.
Crystal chandeliers glittered above as champagne glasses clinked and laughter rippled through the air. The city’s design elites gathered in elegant clusters, each face glowing with admiration for the famous young talent—Avril.
When Tracy entered the party hall beside Alston, conversations faltered. Every pair of eyes seemed to turn toward her.
There was curiosity, surprise… and something else—something complicated in those eyes.
“Isn’t that Tracy McQueen?”
“I thought she disappeared three years ago...”
“And now, she shows up just as Avril’s at the peak of her fame? What a coincidence.”
Whispers spread like wildfire, but Tracy didn’t react. Her face remained devoid of any emotion as she stood in the corner.
Onstage, Avril was delivering her acceptance speech. Under the spotlights, she sparkled like a jewel.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me,” she said sweetly, her voice soft and charming. “Especially Mr. Dior. Without you, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to shine on the path of design.”
As she spoke, she cast a meaningful glance down at Alston.
He raised his glass in return, smiling up at her with a tenderness that made Tracy’s heart twist.
That smile—she once thought it belonged only to her.
Applause thundered through the hall as Avril descended the stage, surrounded by admirers. She went straight to Alston, slipped her arm through his, and rose on her toes to plant a light kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Alston,” she said sweetly.
He didn’t avoid her. In fact, he even brushed a hand over her hair.
“Don’t mention it. You deserve all the praise, Avril,” he said warmly.
From three meters away, Tracy watched the intimate scene unfold. Her chest felt like it was being crushed under an invisible weight.
Then, Avril approached her, still holding a champagne glass, her lips curved in that flawless, sickly sweet smile.
“Miss Tracy,” she said softly. “It’s been so long. Shall we talk?”
Her tone brimmed with pride. “You know, I used to hate you. Back at the orphanage, you were always the director’s favorite. Always the best. Everyone loved you. Everything good somehow ended up in your hands.”
She took a delicate sip of champagne, her eyes gleaming with malice.
“So what if your real parents came back for you to bring you home? So what if you met Alston? In the end, you still lost—to me.”
Slowly, Tracy’s fists clenched at her sides.
“Do you know what the last three years have been like?” Avril leaned closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Alston and I were so happy. That bed of yours… We used it almost every night. He told me I knew better than you how to please a man.”
“Enough!” Tracy snapped, her voice trembling with rage. “You shameless, despicable thief! My designs, my lover, my life—you stole everything! Do you really think that means you’ve won?”
“Of course, I have.” Avril’s smile widened, cheerful and undaunted. “Because soon, Alston will be mine completely. Guess when he’s planning to propose?”
Tracy glared at her, her eyes blazing. “You bitch—”
But before she could finish saying it, the ground suddenly began to shake violently!
The massive crystal chandelier overhead swayed wildly. Walls groaned and cracked. Glass shattered.
There was an earthquake!
The party hall instantly descended into chaos. Terrified screams, pounding footsteps, and the sound of shattering glass filled the air as guests stumbled toward the exit in a frenzy.
Tracy was near the door. She ran instinctively.
But just as she was about to step out of danger, a hand suddenly clamped around her wrist from behind and yanked her back with brutal force.
Caught off guard, she fell hard to the floor. Pain shot through her as the panicked crowd surged forward like a stampede. Feet pounded mercilessly against her arms, her legs, her back—everywhere.
“Avril!”
Through the chaos, Alston’s voice rang out, desperate and clear.
Tracy lifted her head just in time to see him rushing toward the stage, his eyes instantly locked on Avril.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward her, pulling her into his arms and shielding her as debris rained down. Holding her tightly, he guided her toward the exit.
Lying amid the chaos, Tracy watched as he disappeared from view—still holding that woman close. With that, the last trace of warmth inside her went cold.
Blood trickled from her elbow, staining her black dress a deep crimson. She tried to move, gritting her teeth. But before she could lift herself, a deafening crash exploded above her.
A crystal chandelier and a chunk of the ceiling came crashing down, slamming onto her body!
Agony consumed her. She curled up in torment instinctively, realizing she was trapped beneath the wreckage, unable to move.
Her vision blurred; her consciousness flickered between darkness and light.
She didn’t know how long had passed before she heard voices—shouting, footsteps, someone calling her name.
“We found Miss Tracy!” a man shouted urgently.
Then came Alston’s voice—familiar, commanding, and taut with worry.
“Get her out now! Keep her alive—whatever it takes!”
Her heart trembled faintly.
So… at such a crucial moment, he did still care about her.
But before the rescuers could move, another voice pierced the air—soft, trembling, tearful.
“Alston! My dog! Luther is still inside! He must be terrified! He must be hiding somewhere! He must be shaking!” Avril sobbed, clutching his arm. “He must be terrified! Please! Save him! He’s all I have left in this world!”
She clung desperately to his arm, her tears pouring down. “He’s my only family from the orphanage… He’s been with me all these years! Please… save him!”
She cried like a kitten in the rain—pitiful and fragile.
The rescuers hesitated. One of them glanced at his monitor and said grimly, “Sir, the aftershocks are coming. We don’t have much time. You have to decide now—do we save Miss Tracy first, or the dog?”
The air froze.
Avril broke down completely, crying harder. “Alston, I’m begging you! Luther is still so small! He can’t die! He’s all I have left!”
She clutched his shirt, nearly collapsing in his arms. “If I lose him, I don’t know how I’ll go on…”
From beneath the rubble, Tracy could barely see. But through her fading vision, she caught a glimpse of Alston’s face.
He was in conflict. His eyes flickered between her and Avril.
Seconds ticked by—each one a stab of pain, each one a step closer to death.
Finally, Alston closed his eyes and gave the order in a low voice.
“Save the dog first.”
Those four words struck Tracy’s heart like thunder.
With that, the brutal truth couldn’t be clearer—all those vows, all those promises of “forever”—in the end, they couldn’t even outweigh a dog.
‘Alston… How cruel you are…’
At that point, Tracy’s hope shattered completely. She slowly closed her eyes, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.
In the quiet of her dying thoughts, an undying hatred roared within her.
‘Alston, I’m going to leave. Two weeks from now, I’ll leave you forever!’
