She only had 30 bucks left. If she was careful, it might last 10 days, but there was no way she could afford a cab.
Still, she nodded, not wanting him to worry.
"Cancel it," Edwin said suddenly.
She looked up in confusion.
Without looking at her, he explained in a firm, cold voice, "I'm leaving for a two-day business trip. Maurice doesn't like being alone, so stay here for a few more days and keep her company. When I'm back, we'll talk. Take any car from the garage to get to work."
Her heart sank, but she didn't argue—just moved to the smallest room at the end of the hallway.
The room didn't have the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows she was used to—just two tiny ones that barely gave her a glimpse of the ocean.
Even though no one had roomed there for a while, it was spotless. The bedding had been freshly replaced, but she didn't bother unpacking.
She spread her suitcase on the floor, grabbed a few essentials, and left the rest untouched. She wanted to be ready to leave at any moment.
That night dragged on forever, but eventually, morning came.
Melanie got up early, went downstairs, and started helping prepare breakfast.
She noticed the time and realized it was almost time for work, but Maurice still hadn't come down. When she asked about it, one of the maids casually mentioned, "Miss Maurice went with Sir Edwin on his trip."
Edwin had always been strict about keeping work and personal life separate.
When Melanie wanted to join the game development department at Setchfield Square, she had to go through the proper hiring process and assessments like everyone else.
But now, he'd taken Maurice on a business trip?
Melanie couldn't explain how she felt. The breakfast on her plate might as well have been cardboard. All she knew was that she was about to be late.
At the office, her colleague Crista Joyce was the first to greet her.
When Crista heard that Melanie was planning to resign, the former gasped in shock. "Wait, what? Are you serious? But President Setchfield already approved your project proposal! They're going to announce your promotion any day now!"
On Melanie's first day, the department head asked everyone to submit a proposal along with a project plan.
Since she was new, she wasn't required to participate. But then, the department head casually asked if she had any ideas.
Back then, her reason for joining Edwin's company wasn't just because of him—it was because this company was the perfect place to bring her ideas to life.
She took the chance when the department head asked her; she brought up an old game concept she'd worked on before.
But she'd barely gotten through half her presentation before she fainted from a fever and ended up missing work for days. She had no idea anyone had paid attention to her pitch.
Back then, she'd shown it to Edwin once. He hadn't been impressed, dismissing it as "too risky." Businesses value profit, and just a few words doomed her concept to have no future.
"Melanie," Crista said earnestly, "you can't leave! You're so talented, and President Setchfield clearly values your work. Girl, how could you throw this chance away?"
Melanie forced a smile. "Well, nothing's really me keeping me here. I've been in Oklahoma for too long. I mean, it's time to move on and see the world."
She used to think she could stay in Oklahoma forever, even with all its painful memories—as long as Edwin was here.
But now, there was nothing left but the pain.
If leaving would make things easier for him, she'd go.
She'd been a burden to him for too long.
Still, by the end of the morning, she couldn't bring herself to formally withdraw her project.
It wasn't just a project to her—it was her dream, her hard work, her heart and soul. She couldn't let it go so easily.
