Afterward, Blake didn't take Elena to the hospital because he was "broke". Instead, he disinfected her wound at home with iodine and bandaged it himself.

That night, Blake's solid chest pressed up against Elena's back as soon as she lay down.

Understanding his intention, she immediately pushed him away. "No."

Blake froze for a moment. Elena had never rejected him before.

She had gagged halfway through the last time they kissed. Now, she was resisting him again. A strange feeling crept into Blake's heart. It was a vague unease he couldn't shake.

Elena had once been cautious and reserved. But after they got together, she had grown brighter and more full of life. She was also always smiling and motivated.

Yet at some point, that light had faded. Now, she seemed distant—like a breeze slipping through his fingers that was impossible to hold on to.

His voice tensed. "Elle, did something happen? Why don't you want to?"

Elena hesitated for a second before replying calmly, "My knee hurts."

So, she wasn't rejecting him—she was just uncomfortable. Blake then let out a breath, feeling more relieved.

Of course, why would Elena refuse him? With his status, people had always approached him with ulterior motives. Only Elena had ever loved him so purely and wholeheartedly.

And Blake knew that he would never find another person who loved him like that. He understood just how rare true love was.

…

A few days later, the company organized a team-building event on Gabriella's private yacht. The moment they boarded the lavish vessel, everyone marveled at its grandeur.

"I heard this yacht cost at least 100 million, and it was a gift from one of Ms. Sadberry's admirers. The same person who gave her the star observatory."

"Look at the star-themed decor everywhere. It's because of how much she loves stars! Talk about being spoiled!"

"This model of yacht isn't something you can just buy with money. Whoever gave it to her must come from an even more powerful family than the Sadberry family."

The air buzzed with admiration and speculation.

Meanwhile, Blake's gaze settled on Gabriella, the untouchable goddess, through the crowd. His eyes burned with quiet devotion.

Even so, Elena's heart remained still. She no longer cared about their complicated romance. If this wasn't a mandatory company event, she wouldn't have even come.

Soon, she would have her own life—one that had nothing to do with them. She stood in the corner of the deck alone, letting the sea breeze brush against her skin.

As she thought about her family across the ocean, the ache in her heart, which had lingered for days, finally softened with warmth and anticipation.

"You saw me that night at the office, didn't you? You know who Blake really is now. And I'm sure you've seen everything I posted."

Gabriella's voice came out of nowhere. At some point, she had appeared beside Elena. Her tall, elegant figure exuded natural grace and superiority.

Yet her gaze was laced with disdain.

"Elena, you've always known you're just a free maid. So, why are you still holding back? You're not actually hoping to marry into wealth, are you?

"Just stop dreaming now. You don't belong in this world. Plus, whether Blake stays with you or not is up to me.

"I'm done playing around. I've decided to be with him for real. You're useless to him now, so leave while you still can."

No matter how highborn someone was, their dignity twisted into something ugly once they spoke with such venom.

Elena watched her carefully, taking in her momentary loss of composure. Then, she said in a calm voice, "If he's so devoted to you, then just tell him to leave me.

"Why bother coming to me about this?"

Gabriella's expression stiffened for a moment before she let out a cold laugh.

"A pathetic lowlife like you dares to question me? Your employee records say you can't swim and are terrified of water, while I'm an expert swimmer.

"How about we have some fun? If we both fall into the sea, who will Blake save?"

With that, she shoved Elena hard. Elena was caught off guard, and her waist slammed into the railing. She flipped over the next second and plunged into the ocean.

Gabriella smirked, then gracefully dived in after her, moving through the water as effortlessly as a fish. Meanwhile, the icy, salty seawater swallowed Elena whole, flooding her mouth and nose.

Just then, the past came rushing back like a tidal wave.

As a child in the orphanage, Elena had been praised by the headmistress for her excellent grades. That small moment of recognition had made her a target.

The bullies, led by the school tyrant, had shunned her and tormented her.

The worst incident was when they forced her head under a barrel of water again and again. If the headmistress hadn't arrived in time, she would have drowned that day.

From that moment on, Elena had developed a fear of water.

When Elena got with Blake, she had slowly let down her guard, revealing the painful memories she had buried deep inside.

Back then, he had pulled her into his arms, and his voice was filled with tenderness as he promised, "I'll protect you. I won't let anything like that happen to you again."

Now, as she struggled against the waves, she saw Blake diving into the sea without hesitation, swimming toward her with powerful strokes. At that moment, he became her last hope in the suffocating darkness. She fought against the current, reaching out toward him with all her strength.

"Save me…"

He came closer, closer still—until he swam right past her just as her fingertips were about to touch his. He was going straight toward Gabriella instead.

"You knew I could swim, yet you still came for me? Do you love me that much?"

Gabriella smiled in triumph as she wrapped her arms around Blake's neck while laughter spilled from her lips. "So much that you don't even care if Elena dies? Men can be so heartless when they stop pretending."

Blake said nothing. His face was grim, and his jaw was tight as he carried Gabriella back toward the yacht.

A wave crashed hard against Elena's chest, knocking the last bit of air from her lungs. She choked, and saltwater flooded her throat as her body slowly sank.

Her vision blurred, the sting in her eyes making it impossible to tell if it was the ocean or her own tears.

She never should have held onto hope. Blake had clearly never loved her!

Even so, it was such a shame. She would never get the chance to see her newly reunited family and her new fiancé.

Elena refused to accept this. She didn't want to sink into the depths of the ocean like this.

But her body was drained of all strength, and she could no longer fight. In the end, she could only close her eyes in despair and let the waves and darkness consume her.

When Elena opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital bed. It was the HR manager, Kade Johnson, who had saved her.

Kade looked at her sympathetically as he asked, "Elena, did you already know about Blake and Ms. Sadberry? Is that why you decided to resign?"

Seeing how pale and lifeless she looked, he shook his head.

"People like us can't fight against someone like her. It's good that you're still young. Once you leave, find a new place and start fresh."

Elena thanked him, and her face was still ghostly pale as she got up to go to the bathroom. But when she looked out the window, she saw something by the flower beds below.

Gabriella was wrapping her arms around Blake.

"Blake, since you love me so much, I'm willing to give us a try. Let's go on a trip for a week. If you do well, I'll make it official."

She had just found out that Elena was resigning and would be leaving in a week. Since that was the case, she would keep Blake occupied, making sure he and Elena never crossed paths again.

Blake should have been ecstatic—after all, this was everything he had been chasing for so long. But instead, he just stood there in a daze.

That was until Gabriella pouted and nudged his chest. "Hey, this offer won't last forever."

Only then did he snap out of it, his voice slow and uncertain as he replied, "Alright."

He had pursued her for so long, so giving up now was never an option. Besides, it was just a week. When he came back, there was still time to take care of that matter.

Elena simply watched as they stood together, wrapped in each other's arms. Then, she slowly began to smile.

So, that was it? Blake hadn't been hesitating—he had just been too stunned by the sudden good news.

They were finally together. And soon, she would be gone. From now on, their worlds would have nothing to do with each other, perhaps forever.

Elena didn't hear from Blake until the day she was discharged from the hospital.

"Elle, how are you feeling? When I saw Kade jump into the sea, I knew you'd be fine, so I went to save Ms. Sadberry instead.

"She's so grateful that she even invited me on a business trip. If I do well, we can buy a house sooner. Just wait for me to come back."

Elena stared at the blatant lies on her screen and then calmly typed a single word: "Okay."

Blake's reply came instantly.

"Don't worry, I'll make it back in time for our two-year anniversary. I have a gift for you. True love is rare, and I know how good you've been to me."

Elena froze for a moment. So, the day she left would also mark two years since she and Blake got together.

But their relationship had been a lie from the very beginning. He was already with someone else. What anniversary was there left to celebrate?

For the first time, she realized that she no longer understood Blake. But it didn't matter anyway. She no longer wanted to.

After everything that had happened on the yacht, and now with Gabriella taking Blake on a "business trip", the entire office had picked up on something being off.

Sympathetic whispers about Elena spread everywhere.

Yet, Elena remained calm at the center of the storm. She was focused only on wrapping up her final tasks.

Seeing the situation, her manager didn't want to push her. "Elena, if you're not feeling well, someone else can take over this project."

Elena didn't plan to abandon her work. "Switching the person-in-charge now would be a hassle. I'll finish it on time."

Her manager's eyes flickered with both approval and regret.

"You're incredibly capable. I wanted to promote you long ago, but the higher-ups kept rejecting it. I hope you'll go far in your next job."

During her two years at Sadberry Group, Elena's outstanding performance had once left her wondering why she never advanced. But now, it was clear exactly who had been blocking her promotion.

She had spent two years giving everything, only to be utterly betrayed.

Every day leading up to her departure, Gabriella continued to flaunt her happiness with Blake.

While they checked into a luxury hotel costing tens of thousands per night, Elena was packing her things in their cramped, run-down rental apartment.

Yet, as she looked around, she realized there was nothing worth taking.

Back then, she and Blake had lived frugally, cutting back on everything to save for a house. Their home had been filled with discounted, second-rate items. So there was nothing of real value.

Well, it was quite like their relationship. Cheap, disposable, and not worth holding onto.

While Gabriella and Blake were out choosing custom-made couple's rings, Elena took a trip to St. Helena's Chapel.

There was a time when she and Blake had walked up the hill together, hand in hand, their hearts full of love. At the chapel's gates, they had fastened a love lock to the iron fence, vowing to stay together forever.

But now, for the first time, Elena noticed a small detail she had overlooked before. Etched onto their lock, in the faint strokes of a marker, Blake had drawn a tiny star.

The person he had always dreamed of spending forever with was never her. It had always been Gabriella.

That liar.

Elena unclipped the lock, tossed it into the trash, and walked away without looking back. That was exactly where it belonged.

…

On the day of her departure, Gabriella posted yet another grand display of affection as she arrived at the airport.

It was a certificate, printed in elegant gold-embossed lettering—Blake had spent tens of millions to buy her the naming rights to a real star.

What an extravagant gift.

Elena then thought about the gift she had left for Blake.

There was a stack of cheap fake star certificates, along with printed screenshots of Gabriella's endless flaunting on social media, all neatly placed on the table in their tiny apartment.

Elena blocked them both with no hesitation, powered off her phone, and boarded her flight to Mastrium.