I interrupted, “Why are you back so early today?”

“I’ve been really busy lately and haven’t really spent any time with you. I was worried you might be overthinking things, so I specifically turned down all the social engagements today.”

Adrian Grant reached out to wrap his arm around my waist and kissed me on the cheek. “Baby, where do you want to go? Today I’m completely yours.”

His expression was gentle, his eyes filled with intoxicating affection.

In the past, I would have been completely melted by him like this.

After all, he’s the president of Grant Corporation, controlling the commercial lifeline of Harbor City, and his schedule is always packed.

The fact that he could set aside an entire day just for me shows that I’m truly important to him.

But now, as I looked at his face, all I could think about was the detailed wedding plan.

Was it work or the wedding planning that was too busy?

How could he manage to choose a wedding dress with another woman while still talking sweet nothings to me and claiming I was his only love?

Those sarcastic words circled my lips, but I swallowed them back.

Forget it, there are only a few days left.

Soon, I would vanish completely from his world, as if I had never been there.

I declined his invitation, my eyes scanning the photos of us together in the living room.

“Adrian, let’s clean up the room. A lot of things tend to collect dust over time, so just throw away what needs to be thrown away.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, my wife.”

Adrian smiled and brought the trash bag, assuming I was just trying to tidy up.

But slowly, he realized that what I was clearing out were all the precious memories of our lives.

The limited-edition perfume he gave me on our first date.

The ceramics we made together on our first anniversary.

The photo booth picture we took at the amusement park.

The birthday gift he handpicked for me…

I threw them all into the trash bag with a blank expression.

Adrian’s smile gradually faded, and his eyes grew tense. It wasn’t until the limited-edition necklace he’d just given me yesterday was thrown into the trash that he finally lost his temper.

“Zara, did you hear something you shouldn’t have heard?”

“What? Are you hiding something from me?”

I stopped what I was doing and stared at him quietly, still clinging to a last glimmer of hope.

If Adrian had confessed everything at this moment, I might have considered forgiving him.

Alas, he didn’t.

Adrian avoided my gaze, not daring to meet my eyes.

After a long silence, he finally took my hand, his voice a little hoarse.

“Zara, no matter what rumors there are, just remember: you’re the only one I love.”

I chuckled softly, my heart completely cold.

I’d arranged a farewell dinner with a few close colleagues.

Unexpectedly, at the restaurant entrance, I ran into the two people I least wanted to see.

It was Adrian Grant and his fiancée, Rebecca Banks.

The moment he saw me, Adrian hurriedly released his hand from Rebecca’s shoulder. I asked expressionlessly, “Why are you here?”

Adrian’s eyes flickered. “The Grant and Banks families have a collaborative project, and we’re meeting here to discuss the details.”

After dinner, we were about to leave.

Adrian offered to take Rebecca and me home.

No one had expected the accident to happen at this moment.

A dump truck, out of control, hurtled toward us from the side. The driver desperately slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.

There was only a loud crash, and the car's body shook violently.

The car window shattered instantly, and I was thrown hard to the side by inertia.

In my blurry vision, Adrian Grant was holding Rebecca Banks tightly, using his body to shield her from the shattered debris.

He even whispered to her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

My forehead hit the sharp glass, and blood immediately gushed out, staining half my face red.

As consciousness faded, I suddenly remembered the car accident a year ago.

That was when we had just confirmed our relationship. It was the same intersection, the same sudden oncoming truck.

My seat, facing the direction of the truck’s impact, was mine.

In that critical moment, Adrian swung the steering wheel without hesitation, allowing his side to bear the greatest impact.

The front of the car was severely deformed, and he was trapped in the driver’s seat.

Blood soaked his white shirt, but he managed to maintain consciousness and gently stroked my cheek. “It’s okay, I’m glad you’re safe.”

The firefighters took a long time to free him.

That time, he nearly lost his life to me.

But now, in the same car accident,

the difference was that the person he instinctively wanted to protect was no longer me.

I woke up in the VIP ward of a private hospital. Adrian Grant sat beside me, looking at the bandage on my forehead with a complicated expression.

“Zara, the situation just now was too critical. I must ensure Rebecca Banks doesn’t get hurt. You know, the partnership between the Grant and Banks families is crucial to the future of the entire group. If she’s disfigured, this project will fail.”

“You can be angry, or blame me; I accept it. Just don’t ignore me like this.”

I lay quietly, unresponsive.

All my emotions died the moment I saw Adrian protect Rebecca without hesitation.

My chest felt empty, as if something important had been emptied out, leaving only the howling cold wind.

Adrian continued his explanation, then suddenly, as if a thought occurred to him, a glint of light in his eyes. “By the way, Zara, your birthday is next week. I’ll give you a gift in advance, how about it? Whatever you want, money is not a problem.”

Hearing this, I finally slowly turned my head to look at him. “Then please book me a plane ticket. I’ll fly to Crestfall the day after tomorrow.”

“Crestfall?” He frowned. “You’re going back home?”

I nodded gently without saying anything more.

Adrian didn’t ask any further questions. He immediately took out his phone and booked a flight right in front of me.

After booking, he said,

“The company has had an important project to deal with recently, so I may not be able to accompany you. You should go back and see your family first. I’ll pick you up when I’m done with this.”

“A plane ticket is no big deal for a birthday gift. When you come back, I’ll definitely give you a big surprise.”

“This gift is enough,” I closed my eyes, my voice as soft as a feather. “It’s more precious than anything else.”

The day I left, I woke up earlier than usual. Six hours before my flight, I dragged several large suitcases one after another to the gate and was about to call a taxi when Adrian suddenly appeared.

Seeing the suitcases lined up at the gate, his expression changed instantly, and he took two steps at a time to block my way.

“What do you mean?”

My expression was calm: “Didn’t I tell you I was going back home?”

But this explanation clearly didn’t convince him.

“It’s just a trip home, so why bring so much luggage? Are you planning to move?”

I shrugged: “Girls always need to pack extra clothes when they go out.”

Adrian Grant stared at me intently, his eyes flickering between the suitcases and my face.

“No, take a look. It’s too much luggage. Just buy whatever you want when you get there, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Adrian was determined to keep my suitcase, as if doing so would guarantee my return.

Just as we were at a stalemate, his phone rang rapidly. Adrian stepped aside to answer the call, and Rebecca Banks’s sweet voice came through.

His expression grew increasingly serious, and he finally had to leave in a hurry.

Before leaving, he clutched my hand tightly: “Zara, remember, don’t stay out too long. Remember to send me your return ticket, and I’ll pick you up personally.”

I didn’t respond, because there would be no return trip between us.

Four hours before departure, I changed the apartment’s password from my birthday to Rebecca Banks’s.

Then I posted a small note on the door:

[Since a new woman will be living here, the password should naturally be set to her birthday.]

Two hours before departure, I gathered all the photos of Adrian and me in the apartment and burned them all. He held me in his arms as we watched the night view from the Ferris wheel, promising to give me the world.

He put an engagement ring on my finger on the beach, promising to never leave me.

He turned down important business meetings for me.

His phone screensaver was always my photo, and his social media was filled with updates about me…

We were once so in love, we thought we could grow old together.

Now all those beautiful memories have turned to smoke, and our story has ended.

An hour before takeoff, I received a video from Rebecca Banks.

In the video, Adrian and Rebecca were surrounded by a group of people in the center of the box, all cheering.

“Give me a kiss! Give me a kiss!”

“Mr. Grant, why are you so shy when you’re about to get engaged? Do you want Miss Banks to take the initiative?”

Amidst the crowd’s urging, Rebecca shyly closed her eyes and slowly leaned closer to Adrian.

Their faces grew closer, and the cheers grew louder.

Adrian stared at the woman before him, his throat rolling. The next second, he reached out, gripping the back of her head and kissing her hard.

The camera zoomed in so closely that I could clearly see their lips and tongues entwined, and Adrian’s expression was transfixed by the moment.

I rewatched the video several times, until every detail was etched in my mind.

Soon, Rebecca’s message arrived.

[Zara, did you see that? I’m the future Young Mistress, recognized by the Grant family. You’re a poor student, what right do you have to compete with me for a man?]

[Even if Adrian loves you, what good does it do? Isn’t he still completely captivated by me? From holding hands to kissing, the next step is sex, right?]

I didn’t reply. Instead, I printed out all the provocative screenshots she’d sent me recently and placed them neatly on the coffee table.

Half an hour before departure, I scribbled a few words on the last page of the pile of printed paper.

“Adrian, I wish you a happy wedding.”

Then, dragging my suitcase, I walked out of the apartment without looking back, hailing a taxi and heading straight to the airport. From now on, I will return to being the “Red Rose” who made the entire underworld tremble.

When I exited Crestfall airport, a black Rolls-Royce had been waiting outside.

The car door opened, and a man in a black suit immediately stepped forward and respectfully opened it for me.