After Hollingsworth Mountain, Chase began to pay more attention to Rosalie.

Though his time still leaned heavily toward Isla, his favoritism clear as day, he found himself caring more about Rosalie’s daily life, sending flowers, and trying to lift her spirits whenever he was away.

But Rosalie barely noticed. She was consumed with packing and preparing for her departure abroad.

During this whirlwind, she stumbled upon an ad for a racing competition.

The grand prize? A handcrafted maple leaf hairpin, an exquisite final masterpiece by the elusive designer known only as E.

Though E’s identity remained a mystery to most, Rosalie knew the truth. That E was none other than the late Easton.

That very hairpin had been his promised engagement gift to her.

But fate had other plans. The wedding never came, and instead, she had been shattered by his death.

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect the piece he designed for her to resurface publicly.

She had to have it.

Trembling with a storm of emotions, Rosalie knew she couldn’t race herself, so she hired Ryder, an international driver, to compete on her behalf.

To her surprise, at the race, she crossed paths with Chase and Isla.

A wave of unease settled in her chest. Chase was dressed in a racing suit too, was he competing as well?

During the pre-race warm-up, Isla fed Chase water in front of everyone, and he smiled gently as he wiped her sweat away.

The handsome man and beautiful woman drew plenty of eyes. Anyone watching would easily mistake them for a couple.

Isla caught snippets of the crowd whispering, “Ryder in such a small race? Can’t believe it.”

“That means he’s sure to take the trophy.”

“Who's that girl beside Ryder? She’s stunning...”

Isla glanced toward Ryder and saw Rosalie talking with him.

Rosalie’s phone screen still showed the maple leaf hairpin, which was the first prize.

Understanding dawned on Isla, and a sly smile curved her lips as she leaned close to Chase.

“Brother, I want that prize. The maple leaf hairpin. Will you win it for me?”

“Of course,” Chase said with a soft smile. “If I don’t win, I’ll buy it for you no matter what.”

Isla nodded, pleased.

Still uneasy, she picked up her phone and sent a quick message.

The race roared to life, and Ryder surged ahead, taking the lead with fierce determination.

With every lap, Rosalie’s heart hammered harder, the finish line drawing nearer.

She was so close, almost within reach of Easton’s precious hairpin.

But just as Ryder neared victory, a reckless car, far behind and breaking the rules, barreled onto the track and crashed into him.

Both racers were disqualified, and their results were wiped clean.

The second-place driver, Chase, claimed the championship instead.

As Chase handed the maple leaf hairpin to Isla, Rosalie hurried forward. “Chase, I want that hairpin. Will you give it to me?”

Chase hesitated.

Isla gripped his arm and whined, “Brother, you promised you’d give me anything I wanted. I love this hairpin, too.”

Chase moved to place it on Isla’s head.

Rosalie clenched her fists, her voice trembling. “Chase, I’ve never asked you for anything. This hairpin means everything to me. Can you please give it to me?”

Chase met Rosalie’s gaze, struck by the deep sorrow in her eyes.

Without thinking, he began to reach toward her.

But Isla whispered softly, “Brother...”

And just like that, Chase pinned the hairpin on Isla’s head. “Isla, whatever you want, no one can take it from you.”

Isla’s proud smile pierced Rosalie’s heart, and her face drained of color.

Isla slipped the hairpin from her head and toyed with it lazily. “Now that I have it, it doesn’t seem so special anymore.”

As she said this, she pretended to lose her grip, and the hairpin slipped from her fingers.

It fell straight into the nearby fire pit used for shows.

Flames hungrily swallowed it in an instant.

By the time Rosalie rushed over, the hairpin was nothing but a blackened, hollow shell.

“No… no…”

Tears streamed down Rosalie’s cheeks. Her heart shattered just like the burnt remains.

This had been her rare chance to hold onto something Easton left behind.

She never asked for much.

Even if everything connected to Chase was gone, she could bear it.

But why was it so hard to hold on to this one small hairpin?

She sank to the ground, hands covered in ash, feeling as if the world had ended.

Chase’s chest tightened with a sudden wave of guilt and pain.

He reached out to help her up. “It’s just a hairpin. If you want, I can find you something even nicer.”

Rosalie pushed him away coldly. “You could give me a thousand pretty things, but I only wanted that one.”

From that moment on, Rosalie stayed distant and cold toward Chase.

Whenever he tried to speak, she acted like he wasn’t there and avoided him completely.

Even though Isla no longer stayed in the master bedroom, Rosalie went to the guest room alone.

When Chase got into a minor car accident, a friend called Rosalie answered without care, “He’s not my problem. If anything happens, go to Isla.”

The friend was shocked. “Wasn’t Rosalie always crazy about Chase? I remember if he so much as sneezed, she’d stay up all night taking care of him. Now you’re in the hospital after a crash, and she doesn’t even care if you live or die? What happened? Did the fan turn against you?”

Chase’s face turned pale. He tore the IV from his arm, then stumbled out of the hospital, ignoring his friend calling after him.

Dragging his injured body, he threw a handful of hairpins in front of Rosalie. “Rosalie, it was just a hairpin, right? These are all much more expensive and prettier than that maple leaf one. Take them; stop making such a fuss!”

Rosalie didn’t even glance at him. She turned and walked away.

Then Chase noticed a photo lying on the table, a little boy, maybe four or five, clearly sick but smiling brightly from his hospital bed.

What shocked Chase most was how much the boy looked like a mix of him and Rosalie.

But the timeline didn’t add up. This couldn’t be their child.

He stared in disbelief. “Who is this?”

Rosalie’s face changed instantly. Panic flickered in her eyes. She couldn’t let Chase find out about James. With her leaving tomorrow, she couldn’t risk any mistakes now.

She forced herself to stay calm and smoothly snatched the photo from his hand. “Just some random kid. A friend said he looked like me and sent me the picture. I thought it was interesting, so I kept it.”

“He doesn’t just look like you,” Chase chuckled softly. “If you and I had a child, I’m sure he’d look exactly like that…”

Something still felt off. He reached out again. “Rosalie, I didn’t get a good look before. Let me see the photo again. He looks way too much like—”

Rosalie tightened her grip on the photo, searching for a way to change the subject.

Suddenly, Chase’s phone rang. On the other end, Isla cried out in pain, “Brother, I got hit by a car! Please come quickly…”

In an instant, Chase’s eyes filled with panic. He rushed out the door without a second thought.

“Isla, I’m coming right now…”

And just like that, the photo vanished from his mind.

On the day Rosalie left, she took nothing from the Hollis family, only carefully packed the portraits she had painted over the past three years into her suitcase.

As she arranged her things, Chase came home unexpectedly.

His heart sank at the sight. “Rosalie, why are you packing?”

She paused, then said softly, “I have a close friend who’s sick. I’m going abroad to take care of him for a while.”

Seeing her clutch those portraits even now, Chase felt a warm, tender ache inside.

“Can you manage on your own? Why don’t I come with you?”

Rosalie froze, surprised by his unexpected offer. Just as she searched for an excuse, Chase added, “But before we leave, let Miss Delaney take your ring size. I want to redesign your wedding ring.”

Only then did Rosalie remember she had already thrown away the original ring.

Before the designer arrived, Chase’s phone buzzed. Isla’s voice came through. “Brother, for my birthday, I want a piece designed by Miss Delaney. Can you bring her to me?”

If it had been before, Chase would have taken her there without hesitation.

But today, he refused. “Isla, maybe later. Miss Delaney needs to design a new wedding ring for Rosalie over the next few days.”

Isla’s voice broke into tears. “Brother, my birthday is in two days. A wedding ring can wait, but my birthday only comes once a year. Do you not care about me anymore? If you don’t bring Miss Delaney to me now and spend my birthday with me, I’ll go on a hunger strike…”

In the end, Chase gave in. “Okay, okay, let her design your jewelry first…”

He glanced at Rosalie with a hint of guilt. “Rosalie, I’m sorry. Since Isla’s birthday is coming, I can’t go abroad with you.”

“It’s fine,” she said quietly.

When she pulled her suitcase toward the door, Chase insisted on driving her to the airport. “Rosalie, it’s on my way anyway.”

Not wanting to cause trouble at this critical moment, she didn’t refuse.

Watching her hold those portraits close during the ride, Chase smiled softly. “Rosalie, you love me that much? I’m right here, and you still miss me so much.”

Rosalie didn’t correct him. She turned away and changed the subject. “You better hurry and find Isla. If you’re late, she’ll throw another tantrum.”

Yet, she hugged her suitcase a little tighter and gently caressed her belly.

A faint smile touched her lips as if she had just remembered something precious.

Once she was abroad and gave birth, she would save James, the child she and Easton had created from love. For the rest of her life, she would raise both children and hold onto the memories of her love with Easton.

The closer they neared the airport, the lighter her heart felt.

But afraid Chase might see through her, she quickly masked her smile with a veil of sadness.

Chase raised an eyebrow. “Rosalie, are you still jealous of me and Isla? I’ll do my duty as your husband; that’s all there is to it. Isla will always be the most important person in my heart.”

As Rosalie stepped out of the car, Chase added, “When you arrive, Miss Delaney will design your wedding ring. Let me know you landed safely.”

Without looking back, Rosalie entered the airport, feeling a heavy weight lift from her shoulders.

Chase had already driven away.

She snapped her SIM card in two and tossed it into the trash without a second thought.

She would never return. There would be no more news from her.

Chase, this was goodbye. Forever.