On my birthday, I brought a cake for Edward.

Standing outside the private room, I overheard one of his close friends ask, "Edward, you've been with Vanessa for ten years. When are you going to marry her?"

Edward scoffed. "Marry her? She's so boring. I'm only keeping her around as a pastime. The woman who becomes my wife has to be a proper match in status."

After hearing that, I said nothing. I simply turned and walked away.

Then, I reapplied for the confidential plan. For the rest of his life, I would be far beyond his reach.

Disappear From His Life

After I left, someone at the door noticed the cake.

"Edward, Vanessa was here. She didn't hear what we just said, did she?"

"So what if she did?" Edward replied indifferently. "It's not like she'll actually get mad. Give her a couple of days, and she'll come crawling back to me anyway."

Their voices faded into the distance. There was only silence in my heart.

After knowing him for ten years, I thought I had a place in his heart. Now that I had heard what he truly thought about me, I felt that I had wasted ten years of my life.

How pitiful of me.

I shook my head and went straight to the institute that very night.

"Sir, I've decided to restart the operation."

The mentor, already past fifty, looked stunned. "Vanessa, are you sure? What about your boyfriend?"

"We broke up," I replied without hesitation. "From now on, I have nothing tying me down. I'm the best candidate, so please let me do it."

When my mentor heard this, his lips trembled, and tears filled his eyes.

This classified project began ten years ago.

Over those ten years, my mentor had sent off my seniors one by one. I would never forget the sight of him dragging his exhausted body forward, his face filled with grief.

For the past decade, I had never slackened, whether in professional training or physical conditioning.

I had been waiting for the perfect moment. Now, it was finally my turn.

Seeing the determination in my eyes, my mentor ultimately agreed. Then, I signed the confidentiality agreement.

Once I left, no one would know how long I would be gone. It could be at least three years, or it could be forever. Either way, I would not regret it.

By the time I got home from the institute, it was nearly midnight. As I saw clothes scattered on the messy living room floor, my heart sank.

I stood still at the entryway, hearing the moaning sounds coming from the bedroom, yet my emotions remained calm.

Soon, I began to clean up.

My existence had to be completely erased, leaving no trace behind.

I burned all the photos and packed up the computers. Everything else was cleared out, except the bedroom.

Though I didn't want to, I had to deal with it quickly.

I waited patiently for them to finish inside, then let out a long breath.

'Edward, you'll soon get your wish,' I thought.

When we first got together, Edward had been considerate enough.

His parents did not like me. They thought I was unworthy of him. His mother even hired an etiquette tutor to train me, believing I was nothing but an embarrassment.

Back then, I obediently studied for three months for Edward's sake.

Three months of hellish training were nothing to me. Even if they tried to nitpick, they couldn't find fault, so we could only tolerate each other.

Now, none of that matters anymore.

I touched my face and pushed the door open, walking straight in.

In that split second, a scream rang out. The two people inside scrambled to cover themselves.

Seeing it was me, Edward snapped, "Vanessa, don't you know how to knock?"

"I didn't know I had to knock to enter my own bedroom. Maybe I should ask my etiquette tutor. It seems like I'm getting a bit rusty."

Hearing this, Edward laughed. "Are you jealous because of this?"

"You're not worth my jealousy," I said calmly. "Edward, we're breaking up. Take your woman with you and get out of my house."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The woman beside him snuggled into his arms and shot me a smug look. "Edward, she's so fierce. I'm scared."

Edward parted his lips slightly. "Get out."

I turned and walked out. From inside came the woman's laugh. "She's like a dog!"

The next second, Edward grabbed her by the arm and threw her out.

Leave Everything Behind

I watched coldly as she was chased out in a panic, my heart completely still.

Edward put on a pair of pants and walked out bare-chested. He looked at me with a hint of mockery in his eyes and asked, "Are you satisfied now?"

I looked straight at him. "Pack your things and get out."

Hearing my words, he frowned and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Please leave my house now." I pointed at the luggage by the door. "See that? It's all yours. Don't leave a single thing behind."

Perhaps my indifference stung him. He let out a laugh out of anger.

"Fine, but don't regret it!"

Then, he turned back into the room, got dressed, and stormed out. Seeing the luggage by the door, he kicked it over violently. "Throw it away!"

I ignored him. After he left, I went into the bedroom. The air still carried traces of what had just happened.

I opened the windows to air it out, then casually packed up all his belongings. That very night, I called a delivery guy to take out the trash and tipped him 200.

The delivery guy was stunned as he looked at the branded clothes in the bags and asked, "Are you sure you don't want any of this?"

"I don't. You can either throw it away or donate it."

Hearing my words, he quickly hauled away the bags, seemingly afraid that I might change my mind.

Then, I packed my own things too, erasing every trace of my existence.

Looking around one last time, I smiled faintly. It was finally coming to an end.

After a sleepless night, I lay down at last. Staring at the now-empty space, I felt an unexpected sense of relief.

Aside from that, I still needed to return all the gifts Edward had ever given me.

After some thought, I decided it was better to make things clear. Hence, I personally took the items to his place.

When I arrived, the receptionist stopped me. "Sorry, Ms. Jules. Mr. Miles said he won't see you today."

"Is it that he won't see me, or that he won't see any guests?"

The receptionist looked a little awkward. "He specifically said he won't see you."

Seeing the disappointment on my face, she tried to comfort me. "Mr. Miles isn't in a good mood. Maybe you can come back another day. I just saw a woman go up to see him."

Back when Edward and I were together, I had come to his company often, so the receptionist knew me well. As for the woman who had gone up with him, I knew that it was probably just another admirer.

After all, handsome and wealthy as he was, he was always surrounded by women.

In the past, that would have bothered me. But now, I have made up my mind.

I handed the box to the receptionist and said, "Please give this to Edward. Tell him that I'm returning it all to him. From now on, we will go our separate ways."

Her smile faltered when she heard my words. "Vanessa, you—"

"I mean it. Thank you." I patted her hand lightly, left the box at the front desk, and turned to leave.

If he didn't want to see me, so be it.

As I walked out of the office building, I took a deep breath.

I sold the house for 300,000 below the market price. Then, I left everything else behind.

The new owner acted quickly, tearing down the entire interior as instructed.

"Are you sure you don't want anything inside either?"

"Yes. If there's anything usable, you can keep it if you don't mind. But I should tell you in advance—a man may come looking for me after I leave. Just tell him I'm gone."

"Got it. A breakup, eh? Best to make it clean." The new owner grinned. "Don't worry. I've got a sharp tongue. I'll scold him until he cries."

I smiled and nodded. Then, dragging my suitcase behind me, I made a call.

Soon, people from the institute arrived and took me away.

When my mentor saw me, he was surprised. "Just one suitcase?"

"Only the essentials. I don't need anything else. I'm serious. Once this mission starts, there's no turning back."

An Old Acquaintance

My mentor personally saw me off at the airport. Before leaving, I snapped my SIM card in half.

The only people who had my new number were my mentor and my superior. I deleted all my old emails.

Now, under a new identity, I boarded a flight overseas to begin a new life.

In the tenth year, I successfully intercepted intelligence from hostile forces and ruined their plan, though I was injured in the process.

Because of my special status, I did not dare return home. So I remained abroad.

On the day my surgery ended, I ran into an old acquaintance in the hospital.

She froze when she saw me. "Vanessa? Is that you?"

I had not expected her to recognize me after ten years apart. But I did not admit it.

"You've got the wrong person. Sorry."

As we brushed past, she grabbed my arm. "You don't have to deny it. Edward has been looking for you all these years. I've seen your photos countless times, so how could I be mistaken?"

I met her gaze and smiled calmly. "I know that seeing a familiar face in a foreign country can feel comforting. However, I'm really not the person you're talking about. Why don't you take a closer look?"

I showed no fear and let her study me.

She chuckled and examined me again. Soon, a flicker of doubt crossed her face. "Sorry, you really do look alike. But there's something different."

I nodded and walked away.

As I turned the corner, I took a photo of her and sent it off.

I wasn't here alone.

Anyone who had crossed paths with me before had to be investigated if they appeared again. Back then, when I caught Edward cheating, he had thrown her out. Perhaps that was when she remembered me.

Hearing Edward's name again stirred a faint ripple in my heart, but I quickly suppressed it.

The operation had been ongoing for ten years and was nearing its end. Any variable could cause it to fail.

I couldn't afford to be careless.

Before the mission began, I had already made slight alterations to my face, and my voice had been modified as well. It would have been strange if she could still recognize me with certainty.

Back at my place, I received a report saying that the woman had only come to visit a patient. A friend of hers was hospitalized, and there was nothing suspicious about her.

Seeing this, I let out a breath of relief.

It was better that way. Otherwise, I would have handled it myself.

When it came to national interests, nothing and no one came above that.

After surgery, I rested in bed for a week. No one disturbed me, and it turned out to be the most relaxing week I'd had in ten years.

In truth, the hardest part wasn't longing but endless loneliness. However, I had grown used to it.

Thinking about it now, it's not so bad. Being alone wasn't as unbearable as it seemed.

A week later, I was discharged and returned home to recover. My partner insisted on moving in with me, since we were posing as a married couple.

The entire neighborhood was secure.

"Once this is over, arrangements will be made for you to return home. Don't worry. The framework is already in place. They won't suspect anything."

I thought for a moment before saying, "Don't underestimate them. They're not fools."

Everything proceeded as usual.

Just as we were preparing to withdraw, new neighbors moved in across the street. I didn't have time to avoid them and ran straight into him.

Beside him was that woman.

The moment she saw me, her face lit up with a smile.

"Edward, see? I told you they look alike! Anyone who didn't know would think they were twins!"

In that instant, I clenched my fists and regretted that I let her off back then.

Edward stood there in a casual suit, looking at me with a complicated expression. Then he strode toward me.

My heart pounded violently.

The next second, I was pulled into a warm embrace.

"Darling, I'm back."