The Goodbye That Set Me Free

They were the people I had met during the three years I'd been missing—scientists stationed at a secret research base overseas. They were the ones who had pulled me from the sea, healed my wounds, and helped me rediscover my true passion—the study of neuroscience, something I had once loved deeply but given up for Enzo and my parents.

In my previous life, I had turned down their repeated invitations, foolishly clinging to the belief that Enzo still loved me. I had stayed behind out of obsession, only to meet a tragic end, my body never even recovered. This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"I don't have a family," I said evenly over the phone. "I make my own decisions."

There was a brief silence, then a warm laugh on the other end. "How could you say that? We're your family, Raina! You'll always have a home with us."

I stood there in the chill of the night, gripping my phone, and for the first time in years, I smiled—genuinely.

The departure was set for the next day, coincidentally, the same day Enzo and Selina were to hold their second wedding ceremony.

I didn't sleep that night, but I wasn't tired either. At dawn, I finalized all the paperwork for my asset transfers and legal authorizations, then rolled my suitcase straight toward the airport.

There was nothing left in this city to keep me anymore.

Just as I stepped onto the boarding stairs, my phone vibrated with a new message from Enzo. 'Raina, the ceremony's about to start. Where are you? Get here now! Don't forget you promised to officiate, and don't let those rumors affect Selina!'

Same commanding tone. Same misplaced concern. Always for someone else.

I looked at the text and let out a soft, bitter laugh. Without replying, I popped out the SIM card and flicked it into the wind.

Goodbye, Enzo Lior.

Goodbye, the foolish, pitiful half of my life.

I turned off my phone, lifted my head high, and boarded the plane without looking back. From then on, the mountains and seas between us would be my final curtain—one we would never cross again.

…

Meanwhile, at the wedding venue, Enzo stood beside the stage, face beyond grim, dialing the same unreachable number again and again.

Selina, dressed in her wedding gown, twisted her fingers nervously, her eyes brimming with tears. "Enzo… do you think Raina's still mad at us? Is that why she's not coming? Maybe we should just start the ceremony without her."

"She'll come," Enzo said in a low voice, though his expression grew colder by the second. "She always does."

He was convinced that Raina was simply throwing another tantrum—trying to get his attention, just like before. In his mind, she would always come back if he pressed hard enough.

Just then, his assistant burst into the room, pale and panicked. "Mr. Lior, we have a problem! Miss Arroway's gone missing!"

Enzo's eyes widened with incredulity. "What did you say?"

"And that's not all," the assistant stammered. "The company's legal department just received notice—Miss Arroway has transferred all her shares overseas through a private channel!"