In the past, whenever their arguments stretched into cold silence, it was always Nathanie who yielded first.
After a few days of ignoring each other, he would eventually soften, writing a brief apology note just to bring things back to normal. Back then, Adriana had taken those gestures to heart. She had believed the effort meant he cared.
Now, she understood something else.
If a signed apology could once mend their relationship, perhaps a signature could also end it.
“I don’t need you arranging my future,” she said lightly, a hint of challenge in her voice. “If I’m going to move up in rank, I’ll do it with my own abilities.”
Nathanie let out a low laugh, clearly amused. To him, she sounded like a stubborn pup trying to prove herself.
“Suit yourself,” he replied lazily as he reclined against the headboard. “Saves me the trouble. Just don’t come whining to me when no one notices your so-called talent. You might regret being so proud.”
His tone was teasing, but beneath it lay something colder.
Adriana heard it clearly.
She held his gaze. “I won’t come to you. In fact, there’s something I want you to sign.”
His brow lifted. “Sign what?”
Without answering immediately, she stood and walked to the desk. Her movements were steady, though her palms were damp.
She took out a blank sheet and began writing carefully:
From this moment forward, Adriana Whitmore and Nathanie Reed shall maintain clear boundaries. Adriana assumes full responsibility for all her decisions and actions. Under no circumstances will her affairs involve or implicate any individual or authority. All consequences shall be borne solely by Adriana Whitmore.
Signed: Nathanie Reed.
When she finished, she brought the paper to him along with a pen.
Her hands trembled slightly as she placed them on the bedside table.
“Sign it.”
Nathanie didn’t reach for it immediately. His eyes narrowed as he studied her.
There was something different about her tonight—something he couldn’t quite define.
“Why?” he asked evenly.
She met his gaze without flinching.
“What? Are you backing out already? Or are you afraid you’ll end up interfering behind my back?”
She knew exactly where to press.
Nathanie had always been sensitive about his pride.
As expected, his expression darkened.
“Have you forgotten who brought you into this territory’s infirmary?” he said sharply. “Without me, you’d still be in some remote settlement treating injured farmers and rogues. Don’t overestimate yourself.”
The words cut deep.
For a brief moment, it felt like something lodged in her throat.
But she forced herself to remain calm.
“Then prove it,” she replied coolly. “Sign. Let’s see whether I ever need you.”
Her defiance seemed to dissolve his lingering doubts.
With a faint scoff, he grabbed the pen.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll watch how long this independence lasts.”
He signed his name in one swift stroke.
The sound of pen against paper felt louder than it should have.
Adriana watched the ink settle.
A quiet sense of relief spread through her chest.
Carefully, she folded the document and slipped it into her pocket as though it were something precious.
She didn’t say the words aloud, but they echoed in her mind.
This is the last thing I’ll ever ask of you.
That signature wasn’t an apology.
It was her release.
---
The next morning, Adriana rose before dawn.
The letter was still in her coat pocket, and for the first time in weeks, she felt something close to lightness.
She dressed quietly and stepped outside toward Nathanie’s car, intending to take her usual place in the passenger seat.
The window rolled down.
Olivia’s face appeared instead, bright and smiling.
“Adriana, sorry,” Olivia said sweetly. “I get motion sickness if I sit in the back. I have to take the front seat.”
Her tone was innocent. Almost playful.
Adriana paused.
She knew for a fact Olivia had never had issues riding in the back. They had traveled together many times before.
If anyone had struggled with motion sickness, it had always been Adriana.
That was why she typically sat in front.
But today, Olivia occupied that seat effortlessly, as though it had always belonged to her.
As though she had every right to claim it.
