She stared at the lone birthday cake before her, the soft candlelight flickering against the room's emptiness.
"Enzo, from this moment on, even after many years, we shall never meet again."
By the time she finished the last bite of cake, the clock had already struck eight. Pushing aside the hollowness in her chest, she forced herself to clean up, tackling each task methodically.
But just as she wiped the last dish, her fingers froze.
His social media profile had changed.
No longer the neutral, businesslike image he once kept, it was now a simple sketch of a puppy. Below his name was another girl’s profile, a matching picture of a puppy holding a heart.
They were the perfect pair. A blatant declaration of love.
Anyone who saw it would assume they were in the depths of a blissful honeymoon phase.
Yet, she had once asked him to set a couple’s profile picture with her, too.
His reply had been the same, over and over again: cutting, dismissive.
"Are you a three-year-old child? What would my clients think? I’m a CEO, not a street vendor! How immature."
And yet, here he was now, effortlessly giving someone else what she had once longed for.
Her grip tightened around her phone as she inhaled deeply, steadying her voice.
Then, she dialed.
"Didn’t you want to take me back? I’ll go with you."
Maddox Campbell’s voice came through the line, deep and slightly hoarse, laced with the lazy drawl of someone playing cards. The faint rustling of shuffling cards echoed in the background.
"Alright. Half a month later, we’re going back to Belmond."
His tone was relaxed, but his next words carried the familiar edge of reprimand.
"These past years, you’ve been spoiled rotten. Bad temper, never listen. Say two words to you, and you bolt. Just like a little girl with too much attitude."
Though he scolded, the faint smirk in his voice gave him away, he was amused.
It seemed he had just won a round. His mood was good.
"Hailey, in half a month, make sure to clean up all your mess here."
She nodded silently and ended the call.
For over a decade, she had been raised under Maddox’s roof, a foster child in name.
To the world, he was her older brother.
So, a few words of reprimand were nothing new.
Her gaze flickered to the clock: eleven at night.
She had planned to shower and head to bed.
But before she could move, the sound of the door opening sliced through the silence.
A delicate, lingering scent of perfume drifted in.
And along with it, a pair of matching couple’s outfits.
Enzo met Hailey’s gaze, his discomfort evident in the way his eyes flickered away.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke. "This is Allison, my friend."
Hailey let out a soft "Hmm," her reaction detached, almost absent.
But the truth lay in the details, the overpowering scent of perfume clinging to his clothes, the matching cartoon couple’s outfits that practically screamed intimacy.
The air between them was thick with something unspoken, something undeniable.
Allison lifted her hand, a dazzling diamond ring catching the light. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, but there was something sharp beneath the surface.
"Thank you so much for the ring, big brother! Do you think sister will be upset?"
Her tone was light, almost playful.
Yet the venom laced within was unmistakable.
Hailey’s gaze dropped to her own hand, where a ring sat, a cheap imitation.
She remembered the day Enzo had handed it to her, his words still painfully clear.
"The wedding ring might fall off easily. Just wear a fake one."
For half a month after their wedding, she had worn it without fail.
She never imagined the real one had already been given away to Allison.
Hailey swallowed the tightness in her throat, her voice quiet but steady.
"Come in."
Allison waltzed in as if she owned the place, settling onto the couch with practiced ease.
Then, with a bright, saccharine smile, she turned to Hailey.
"Sister, I was out with big brother today. You’re not mad, are you?"
Hailey’s expression remained unreadable as she replied flatly, "No."
What was there to be upset about? She would be leaving soon. None of this mattered anymore.
Allison’s smile widened, her voice dripping with amusement.
"That’s good. You probably don’t know, right? Mother-in-law never really liked you. That’s why she asked me to get closer to Big Brother."
Then, as if remembering to play innocent, she added with a light laugh, "But don’t worry, I’d never break up a family."
Her tone was sweet, almost playful. Yet every word was a carefully placed dagger.
