At those words, Emilio tensed even more. I remained calm and smiled again. "Really? Our meeting must've been written in the stars, then."

Christopher laughed at our exchange. "Amber, after all these years, you're still so awkward when trying to get close to others."

She playfully nudged his arm, their familiarity evident.

Meanwhile, Emilio stood to the side like an outsider. His eyes narrowed—a sign I knew meant he was furious.

He said to Christopher, "Since you're here, I'll leave Calista to you. I'm heading out."

But Christopher stopped him and held out a set of keys. "Perfect timing. Why don't you give Amber a ride home?"

Emilio stared at the keys, unmoving, refusing to take them. Finally, Amber pushed Christopher's hand back. "There's no need to trouble him. I can get home on my own."

With that, she bid Christopher goodbye and thoughtfully wished me a speedy recovery. Then, she turned and left in a hurry.

Emilio's gaze didn't leave her the entire time.

Christopher looked at him helplessly and sighed loudly. "Man, I gave you a chance, and you still didn't take it. Aren't you going to chase after her? Do you really want to miss out on her again?"

At that, Emilio instinctively glanced back at me, his expression darkening. He snapped, "Are you drunk on coffee or something? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Christopher was taken aback, puzzled by Emilio's sudden anger. He rolled his eyes and pushed past him, heading out while jingling his car keys. "If you're not going to drive her, I can't sit by and watch as Amber goes home alone."

Soon, Emilio and I were left alone in the hospital room. Neither of us spoke.

My calm demeanor seemed to make him uneasy. He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, a nurse came in, saying I needed to go for more tests.

Emilio nodded and gently helped me up, instructing the nurse not to hurt me. He was as attentive as ever, but from start to end, his mind was elsewhere.

As I followed the nurse down the hall, I caught sight of two familiar figures in the opposite corridor. Christopher leaned against the railing, saying, "From the way you acted just now, it seems like you're really not interested in getting back together with Emilio."

Amber lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly before smirking. "Get back with him? Over my dead body, maybe."

As her final word landed, I noticed Emilio standing frozen at the end of the corridor. He stared at Amber, as if they were the only two people in the long hallway.

Christopher stubbed out his cigarette and patted Amber's shoulder. "Well, this'll be interesting. You two take your time. I'll wait in the parking lot."

But after he left, Amber and Emilio didn't just talk. They looked more like they were arguing. Though I couldn't hear the specifics, Emilio's heated gestures told me it was intense.

I stood across the hall, my heart tangled in complicated emotions. This was the first time I'd ever seen Emilio lose control.

He was always nonchalant at high-stakes business events and composed even during dangerous races. But now, because of something Amber had said, he was unraveling completely.

I didn't watch any longer. I turned and followed the nurse away.

When I finished my tests and came out, I heard Christopher's voice again. "Amber, if I'm not wrong, you came back for Emilio. You clearly still have feelings for him, so why say something like that? Aren't you afraid he'll get mad and actually give up on you?"

She laughed as if she'd heard the most absurd joke. "Him, give up on me? From day one, I've always been the one who has the right not to want him. You don't know Emilio, Christopher. He's the type who responds to tough love, not softness.

"If we don't fight, how else will he remember the pain of our breakup? Pain is love. I want him to recall what it felt like to love me."

"The feeling of loving you?" Christopher pulled out his phone, scrolling through photo after photo of Emilio with his ex-girlfriends. "Look at this—Emilio's never forgotten what it's like to love you. Sure, he's dated a lot of women over the years, but every single one looks like you.

"They were all just flings, too. The moment he heard you were coming back, he dumped them all. I didn't even realize he was that devoted to you…"

Amber glanced at the photos briefly before looking up, her tone carrying a deeper meaning. "Dumped them all? I wouldn't be so sure."

Christopher frowned, looking confused. "No way. He's head over heels for you."

She merely chuckled without explaining. "He does love me, but it's not enough. It's nowhere near enough. If he'd been head over heels for me back then, why would I have left?

"Everyone thinks I left for my career, but the truth is, his parents forced me to go abroad after my family went bankrupt.

"They wouldn't let me be with Emilio, let alone marry him. That's why I have to use these tactics to make sure his heart belongs to me alone. Only then will he have the courage to stand up to his parents."

Amber patted Christopher's shoulder reassuringly when she saw the stunned look on his face. "Don't worry about it. We may have fought today, but all it'll take is a little sweet-talking for him to come running back to me."

With that, she and Christopher headed downstairs. As she left, she glanced upstairs, where I stood. I clearly caught the provocation in her gaze.

When I returned to the hospital room, Emilio was gone. All that remained was a payment receipt with his signature, which had been left on the bed.

The nurse explained, "He paid the bill and left in a hurry. He probably had something urgent to handle."

I stared at the receipt. After a long pause, I asked softly, "What was he like when he left?"

The nurse thought for a moment before saying, "He didn't seem okay. His eyes were red, like he'd been crying."

Crying?

I gripped the paper tighter. I'd underestimated how much Emilio cared for Amber.

"Are you okay, miss? Are you feeling unwell again?"

I shook my head and turned to the nurse. "Please process my discharge."

She looked surprised. "But you're still—"

"I don't want to stay here anymore." I didn't want to stay in a place that still carried the faint scent of Amber's perfume.

Instead of going back to the villa I shared with Emilio, I went to my own home.

Christopher was shocked to see me. "Calista, weren't you in the hospital? Why are you back so suddenly?"

I welled up and threw myself into his arms, allowing my tears to soak his shirt.

"Oh, my. What's wrong, Calista?" Amber's voice rang out.

I pulled away from Christopher and turned to her. "Why are you here?"

Christopher explained, "We're having a welcome-back party for Amber here. She's the star of the show today."

My eyes met Amber's. Hers were filled with clear provocation and mockery.

Christopher ruffled my hair. "Calista, what's wrong? Why were you crying? Did someone upset you?"

I shook my head and wiped my tears haphazardly. "It's nothing."

Then, I headed toward the door.

"Hey, where are you going? Calista, what's wrong?" Christopher started to follow, but Amber grabbed his hand.

She said softly, "Let me talk to her. You don't understand how women feel."

The sound of high heels followed me. Amber leaned close and whispered, "Calista, shall we have a chat?"

I shook off her hand and said coldly, "We have nothing to talk about."

Instead of getting angry, she laughed. "Oh, really?"

She leaned in further, her voice low enough for only me to hear. "After all, we've both slept with the same man."

I jolted.

Amber led me back to the living room, where her friends were gathered. Their eyes brimmed with malice. She must've already told them who I was.

Still, she put on an act and introduced me to the crowd. "This is the piece of trash Emilio hasn't gotten around to throwing out."

Her offensive words made me turn to her coldly. "And what are you? A manipulator who wants to trick Emilio into falling for her by playing hard to get?"

Amber faltered, clearly not expecting me to fire back. Her expression darkened instantly, but her friends jumped in to attack me.

"A manipulator?"

"Ha! At least Amber genuinely won Emilio over, unlike you!"

"Yeah. Didn't she come in crying earlier? She's pathetic."

"Wanna bet how long it takes for Emilio to dump her?"

"I say one day!"

"I say one hour!"

I hurled a glass onto the floor, the sound echoing sharply.

The room fell silent, but Christopher rushed out from the kitchen. Amber immediately picked up the glass shards, gently holding my hand and asking if I'd been burned.

In that moment, I wasn't repulsed. I merely felt relieved.

So, this was the scheming woman Emilio had been unable to forget all these years. I suddenly wondered how he would react if he knew that all his pain and hysteria over Amber were just part of her game.

Of course, that had nothing to do with me anymore. I turned and headed to Christopher, saying, "I heard from Mr. Slater that you wanted to set me up with someone."

He blinked, then chuckled. "Yeah. He even told you about that? Since when did you two get so close?"

For a moment, I was tempted to tell him that Emilio and I weren't just close. We kissed every day, touched each other, and called each other pet names.

But all I did was smile bitterly and say, "We're not close. As for that guy you wanted to introduce me to—I'm game."

I kept my head lowered as I walked out, adding the guy's contact on my phone. His profile picture was a seascape, old-fashioned and quaint.

Soon, he responded to my message with one of his own. "I'm Rowan Sterling."

The name felt familiar, like I'd seen it somewhere before.

Suddenly, my phone was snatched away. Emilio had shown up at some point, looking displeased. "Why didn't you tell me that you got discharged?"

His gaze flicked to my phone, and he frowned. "Rowan Sterling? That's a guy's name. Who is he? Why haven't you mentioned him before?"

I grabbed my phone back, ignoring his barrage of questions. I said coldly, "You left without a word, too, didn't you?"

He stiffened. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Christopher waved him over. "Perfect timing! Today's Amber's welcome-back party. Come have a drink."

Emilio looked at Amber, who stood in the center of the crowd. He growled, "A welcome-back party I wasn't told about?"

Sensing the tension, someone chimed in, "Oh, Amber only invited close friends. Don't take it personally."

"Yeah, and her crush, Jon Clarke, is here. It'd be awkward to invite you."

"Crush? Jon Clarke?" Emilio's expression darkened completely at that. I knew he was on the verge of losing it.

If I weren't there, he might've already stormed over to Amber to confront her.

I smiled bitterly at the sight of his furious, trembling figure and turned to Christopher. "I'm heading home."

My steps were unsteady because my fever hadn't fully subsided. Emilio instinctively reached out to steady me but stopped when he glanced at Amber. His hand dropped silently.

"Calista, you don't look well. Why don't you let Emilio take you home? He's got nothing better to do here, and I'm busy entertaining other guests, anyway." Amber brushed past Emilio and grabbed my hand.

He turned to look at her, the sorrow in his eyes piercing my heart like a sword.

I shook my head. "There's no need to trouble Mr. Slater."

Emilio froze. He stepped forward to follow me but ultimately stopped himself. In the end, Christopher was the one to take me home. I leaned against the car window without saying a word.

My phone pinged with a message from a number I didn't recognize. The sender revealed that she was Amber, and she sent a photo of Emilio's profile as he sat in the driver's seat.

"Oh, he's so petty. The moment you left, he punched Jon and dragged me away. Poor guy—he was just playing along with my act. I'll have to make it up to him later.

"You still don't know how to handle men, Calista. You need to be hot and cold; be nasty one moment and nice the next. Keep them on a leash, and they'll never forget you."

I zoomed in on the photo, noticing blood at the corner of Emilio's mouth. It was probably from his fight with Jon.

"Calista, what's going on with you?" Christopher pulled over and turned to look into my red-rimmed eyes. "You've been off all day. Tell me what happened, and I'll take care of it for you!"

I pursed my lips. Just as I wanted to speak, a Porsche pulled up in front of us. Emilio and Amber got out.

He yanked her out of the car, and they started arguing again. But this time, it didn't end with them parting ways. He suddenly pinned her against the car door and kissed her fiercely. He gripped her waist and deepened the kiss.

I started trembling as I watched them quietly.

Christopher noticed me staring and chuckled, thinking I was curious. "Don't be so surprised. That's just how they are. One second, they're fighting. The next second, they're getting a room. I'm used to it by now. After all this time apart, Amber still has Emilio wrapped around her finger."

He glanced at me, panicking when he saw me sweating profusely. "Calista, what's wrong?"

I clutched my abdomen and said weakly, "Take me… to the hospital…"

When I woke up in the hospital again, Christopher stood by the bed, his face dark with anger. He threw a pregnancy test report at me. "Calista LeBlanc, who is the father?"

I pursed my lips and gripped the bedsheet, saying nothing.

He went on for a while, but I stayed silent. Then, Emilio walked in, and my heart leapt to my throat.

"Why are you here?" Christopher asked, puzzled.

Emilio said calmly, "I heard from a colleague that your sister was sick. As her boss, it's normal for me to check on an employee, right?"

Christopher frowned but didn't think much of it. He said impatiently, "Get out. I need to talk to her."

Emilio was taken aback. His gaze landed on the report.

I coughed, and Christopher quickly hid the paper behind his back, shouting, "Get out!"

Emilio hesitated but ultimately left the room. It was just me and Christopher now.

His tone was grim as he repeated, "Who is the father?"

I wanted so badly to tell him it was the man he'd just kicked out. But what right did I have?

Emilio had just called me his employee, and last night, he'd kissed another woman like his life depended on it. How could someone like that deserve to be my child's father?

I smiled bitterly and snatched the report from Christopher. Then, I tore it to shreds. "Don't ask, Christopher. This is my business."

He barked out an exasperated laugh and stepped back. "Fine. Fine! You're all grown up now, and I can't keep you in check anymore! Did you stop to think about what would happen when Mom and Dad find out about this, Calista? You're carrying the child of a man you refuse to name!"

Guilt flooded me when I saw his face become blotchy with rage. Finally, I looked up at him solemnly. "Give me a little time, okay? I'll tell you everything."

Christopher looked into my eyes for a while before leaving, slamming the door behind him.

Emilio was startled by the loud bang. He slowly walked into the room and asked, "What were you two talking about? Why was he so mad?"

When I didn't answer, his head shot up sharply. "You didn't tell him about us, did you? Calista, I told you—"

"I didn't," I cut him off, irritated.

Even now, he was terrified that I might reveal our relationship to Christopher. Of course, he was—he'd cheated right in front of Christopher. He wouldn't have the nerve to own up to anything.

"Sorry," he said. "I got ahead of myself."

Emilio sat by my bed and gently touched my hand, which was hooked to an IV. "Why were you in such a rush to leave the hospital? Your fever hasn't broken."

I didn't respond. Instead, I fixed my gaze on his neck, where a mark that I hadn't left stood out.

He noticed my stare and quickly adjusted his collar. "It's a mosquito bite. The weather's been warm lately."

I looked away and said softly, "Must be a lot of mosquitoes."

How else could there be so many love bites on that small patch of skin?

Emilio was relieved by my response. He poured me a glass of water and made small talk. Suddenly, he glanced at his watch. "I've got some company business to handle. I'll head out now and send Laura to stay with you."

He was lying again.

Before, when I'd merely sprained my ankle, he'd chosen to stay by my side, even if it meant missing multimillion-dollar deals. At that time, he said I was more important than anything in the world.

But now, I knew that while I might outshine the world, I would always lose to Amber.

Sure enough, an hour later, Amber posted on her social media. The photo showed no faces, just two hands clasped under a sunset.

The caption read, "How long will it take to let go this time?"

I had to admit that she knew how to play men. Instead of saying she loved Emilio, she hinted that they would part again if he didn't try harder.

When I snapped to my senses, I saw a comment below from Emilio. It was short and simple. "Never."

I smiled, gave the post a like, and took a screenshot. Then, I stumbled out of bed and went to the clinic I'd visited not long ago.

This time, I said firmly, "Doctor, I don't want the baby."

The doctor was taken aback. "Ms. LeBlanc, are you sure?"

I nodded with a smile. "I'm positive. After all, the child's father doesn't want it anymore."

After scheduling the abortion, I left the hospital. Amber sent me another message. This time, it was a photo of two plane tickets. She and Emilio were going on vacation.

At the same time, Emilio messaged me. "Babe, I'm going on a business trip. I'll be back soon."

I smiled. After years of lying to Christopher, Emilio could spin falsehoods without batting an eye. I didn't reply to him, but I replied to Amber. "Have a great trip."

They were embarking on their journey together, and I was ready to start my own.

I returned to the villa and began packing my things. I took only what was mine and threw out everything tied to Emilio, like the wooden carving he'd given me and the first racing medal he'd won.

When I was done, I looked back at the empty house, my eyes stinging. This place had seen our laughter, our intimacy, and the countless "I love you" we'd exchanged.

I wouldn't be coming back here anymore.