I moved to shut the door on instinct—didn't want to deal with him.

Cedric caught it, frowning. "You avoiding me? Why?"

He leaned in, scanning my face. "You mad? Is it about Elyna?"

I shook my head fast. "Nope. I'm happy for you. You two finally made it happen."

He didn't buy it. His eyes shifted, cold and sharp.

"That's really how you feel? Or just acting?" He let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Reine, don't tell me you're still clinging to me. You think I didn't notice that kiss on your eighteenth birthday? That fake drunk bit?"

He sneered. "All those love letters you wrote—I read every single one. Thought you were being slick, but the way you looked at me? Obvious. Everyone in this house knew."

He leaned back, smug. "Not saying it out loud was the smartest move you ever made. Cause if you had? I would've laughed in your face. Laughed at you for ever thinking you stood a chance."

His laugh echoed as he shoved past me and went straight for the desk. He yanked open the bottom drawer, pulled out a thick stack of letters, and threw them across the floor.

Then he stepped on them.

"I raised you since you were seven. And this whole time, you had feelings like that?"

He looked disgusted.

"You knew my heart was with Elyna. And you still wrote that crap? You honestly make me sick."

He got in my face, voice dropping.

"Yesterday, when I was drugged—I saw your eyes. You wanted to be my cure, didn't you? Good thing you didn't. If you had, I'd never stop feeling disgusted. You're not even worthy of touching me."

A sharp stab hit my chest.

I didn't love him anymore—not in this life—but still, those words cut deep.

Cedric threw one last warning my way: stay out of his orbit so Elyna wouldn't get the wrong idea.

Then he slammed the door on his way out.

Fine by me. I didn't want to be anywhere near them anyway.

I had bigger things to handle—like getting my paperwork sorted for moving abroad.

Threw a few essentials in a bag and left the mansion.

***

I didn't get back till almost ten—on purpose.

The second I stepped into my room, I knew. Someone had touched my bed.

Then I saw Elyna's new post: a smug little selfie of her sprawled across my mattress.

Caption: [A $100,000 mattress really makes a difference. Told him I wasn't sleeping well, and boom, he replaced one. That's what love looks like!]

He gave her my bed. The one he custom-ordered when my back was killing me. Six figures, easy.

He used to care like that—used to know what I needed before I said anything.

He raised me. Let me fall for him. Then played the saint and made me the sinner.

But now? Elyna whined once, and boom—he didn't even bother telling me. Just handed it over.

Cedric showed up at my door. "Elyna's a light sleeper, so I gave her your mattress. Your back's fine now, so any mattress should do."

I didn't look at him.

"Okay."

He frowned hard. "You've been way too obedient lately. What's your deal? You used to lose it when I was nice to anyone else. Now you're just... chill? Don't tell me you're plotting something. I'm serious—if you screw with Elyna, I won't hold back."

I looked up. "I'm not trying to screw with anyone. Honestly, I'd just like to be left alone. Isn't this what you always wanted? Me, acting grown? You should be thrilled."

His jaw tightened. "Good. Reine Rouvroy, you're really something."

He slammed the door and stomped downstairs.

That line? Always meant he was pissed.

But I wasn't in the mood to play peacekeeper anymore.

Didn't matter if he was mad. I'd be out of here soon.

The next few days were quiet. Elyna kept flaunting their relationship like it was her full-time job. Cedric stayed moody, but I wasn't about to chase after him this time.

A month later, Elyna dropped the bomb—she was pregnant.

Cedric lit up like he'd hit the jackpot. Wedding plans launched overnight, and the whole house turned into prep central.

This time, she got the baby. And I was finally ready to walk away.

Once my documents cleared, I booked a one-way ticket to Italvia.

Date of departure? The same day they said "I do."

Cedric cracked before I left. Found me while Elyna was out, barged into my room.

He held up his phone to show me an email. "You touched the money your parents left? Lawyer says it's a deposit for studying abroad. Seriously? You're running off just 'cause I'm getting married?"

My heart stuttered, but then he kept talking and it sort of... steadied.

When I didn't say anything, he scowled. "Still giving me the silent treatment? A whole month, Reine. If I hadn't come, were you just gonna ghost me forever?

"You've been off since Elyna moved in. But she's the one I love. If you ever cared about me, you'd accept the people I care about too. Don't hide from us like this.

"Sure, you can dodge us now, but after I marry her? What then? You gonna vanish for good?"

I shook my head. "You've got it all wrong. I see you as the person who raised me. I'm just... grateful. That's all."

He laughed like I'd just cracked the best joke. "Grateful? Come on, Reine. Everyone knows you're hopelessly in love with me. You really think anyone's buying the gratitude act? Do you even believe it?"

His gaze landed on my desk. He smirked. "You've kept every gift I gave you. Still pretending this isn't love?"

He walked in, picked up each item like it meant something, then looked straight at me.

"You should pack this stuff up. I'm marrying Elyna. Time to let go of your little fantasy. We're not blood, sure—but I'm never gonna love you.

"And now that Elyna's pregnant? She doesn't need to see any of this. I'm not risking anything happening to my wife or our baby."

I let out a quiet "mm" and swept everything off the desk into a storage box.

I was gonna toss it all before leaving anyway. Might as well start now.

Cedric's frown deepened. He reached out, stopping me.

"Can't you be more careful? Look—you broke the little bunny on this hairpin."

I glanced at the pin in his hand. His first gift to me. He'd given it right after adopting me, back when my parents died and he stepped in as their closest friend.

I'd guarded it for years. Never even let anyone else touch it.

I'd just dumped it all into a junk box like it meant nothing—and he was the one who couldn't handle it.

"You're such a performer," he snapped. "Always acting for someone. You're still in love with me, and now you can't deal with me marrying someone else. Who are you trying to fool?

"You're clearly so torn up over my engagement you're fleeing Lurevia, and now you wanna pretend you're over it? Please. If you've really moved on, I'll write my last name backward."

He huffed. "Maybe it's for the best you're leaving. Elyna's pregnancy is still shaky. Better if you're not around stressing her out."

Then he pulled out his phone and transferred ten grand. "Use this to travel around. Take a month. By then, things'll be more stable."

He looked at me, all serious. "Have a good trip. Don't miss me too much. I'll be a married man soon—you'll have to get used to that. We still live under the same roof. It'll be awkward if you don't."

He even started giving me travel tips.

What he didn't know? I'd already been through all of this once.

And this time, I was really gone.

On Cedric's wedding day, the Gramont mansion was a full-on frenzy from sunrise.

While they were all running around, I slipped out the back with my suitcase and caught a cab to the airport—quiet, clean, gone.