Claire stared at the photo, her fingers trembling.
So it wasn't that he never got her messages. It wasn't that he had a reason.
He had already given his heart to someone else.
She thought of how he hadn't come after her in the rain, of the way he had said he had no interest in her, of how he had stood by while she was dragged away…
Now everything made sense.
Had the pain she endured for five years meant nothing to him at all?
She had to get answers from Ethan.
Claire rushed out of the room and headed straight for the Quinn estate.
She had just reached the main building when two maids came out from a side entrance carrying a black garment bag, whispering to each other.
"Did you hear? Mr. Quinn's getting engaged."
"Yeah. Sophie said this is the engagement outfit. Mr. Quinn is trying it on today."
Claire froze as if struck by lightning, her feet rooted to the ground.
Ethan was getting engaged?
To Sophie?
All her courage drained away in an instant. She no longer wanted to face him.
She turned to leave, but footsteps sounded behind her.
"Claire?" Ethan's voice was low, with a trace of restrained urgency. "What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?"
Claire turned slowly.
He stood in the morning light, his shirt slightly open, his expression unreadable.
She stared at him, her voice shaking. "That outfit just now… is it yours?"
He frowned. "Which one?"
"The one the maids were carrying." Her voice almost broke into a shout. "Is it yours or not?"
Ethan paused for a second, then let out a cold laugh. "If it's not mine, whose would it be, yours? Do I need your permission to have an outfit made now?"
The words cut into Claire like a blade.
Five years ago, they were supposed to run away together, and he vanished without a trace.
For five years, ninety-nine emails, all unanswered.
And now, five years later, all he gave her was mockery and humiliation.
Everything inside her snapped at once. Her eyes burned red as she raised her hand.
A sharp slap landed across his face.
Ethan froze. One side of his face burned, but he did not move.
Claire's eyes were red as her voice shook. "I must've been blind to fall for someone like you five years ago!"
With that, she turned to leave.
Ethan stood there, his cheek still burning, yet something in his chest loosened unexpectedly.
She had just said she loved him five years ago?
For a moment, he felt the slap had been worth it.
But when he saw the finality in her back, panic set in.
He caught up, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into his arms. "You're still the same spoiled rich girl. Slapping me without even asking what really happened?"
Claire had never seen anyone this shameless. Yet the more she struggled, the tighter his hold became.
Feeling the familiar warmth she had not known for five years, the steady beat of his heart beneath his chest, she suddenly broke down. "Ethan..."
Ethan felt dampness spreading against his chest. Panic flickered through him. Without thinking, like he had done countless times before, he reached up and gently wiped her tears. "Claire, don't cry..."
Before he could finish, Sophie rushed out from the corridor.
The moment she saw the mark on Ethan's face and Claire in his arms, she let out a sharp scream and lunged at Claire.
"You dared to hit him?"
Claire had no time to react before Sophie's hand was already raised.
Ethan reacted instantly, grabbing Sophie's wrist with enough force to make her cry out.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped coldly.
But in Claire's eyes, he was protecting Sophie, afraid she might get hurt.
Claire broke free from his arms and walked away without looking back.
Ethan moved to follow, but Sophie wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, crying out, "I'm the only one who deserves you! She'll only hurt you!"
Claire's figure disappeared beyond the gates of the estate.
Ethan's expression darkened. He shoved Sophie away hard, his voice ice-cold. "If you try anything like that again, you're out."
Sophie collapsed to the ground, staring at him in disbelief, before scrambling up and running off in tears.
Ethan stood in the middle of the garden, the morning wind ruffling his hair.
His assistant hurried over. "Mr. Quinn, the outfit for tomorrow night's dinner with the four major families is ready. As for your face..."
"I know." He cut him off, touching his still-burning cheek. A faint smile curved his lips. "It's nothing."
The assistant was stunned. He had just been slapped by Claire, and he was… smiling?
Ethan looked toward the gate, his gaze deep. "As long as she can still get angry because of me, it means she still cares. I can forgive her for leaving without a word five years ago, as long as she's willing to speak now, willing to stay by my side. I can forgive her anything."
