On this day, twenty years later, they parted ways. From that moment on, they would go their separate ways and no longer have any connections to each other.

They ultimately became strangers.

Nathan began to pack his things. He submitted the transfer report and had to buy his own apartment in Maple City.

When the time came, he would just move his luggage in.

While browsing single-room apartments online, his phone suddenly vibrated. It was a notification for an update on Seraphine's social media account.

The post showed Willy, his face full of happiness, standing between the two women, holding a bouquet of white roses.

"May you sail through the winds and waves, my boy."

The bold confession was completely out of character for Seraphine. Nathan could immediately tell that it was Willy who had posted it.

What confused him even more was that Seraphine, who had a cleanliness obsession, never allowed anyone to touch her things, yet now, Willy was the exception.

Nathan knew exactly what Willy's intention was. He was showing off in front of him.

As expected, a private message popped up immediately after.

“Nathan, tonight, Olive and Seraphine aren't coming back. They insisted on staying with me to continue the celebration. Sorry about that. Please don't be mad."

If this had happened before, Nathan would have felt deeply hurt or would have confronted them.

Now, he felt no emotion at all.

He glanced indifferently at the message from Willy. In the end, he blocked him.

From this moment on, Olive and Seraphine were no longer part of his life

He chose a one-bedroom apartment, paid the deposit and began packing his things.

The apartment was spacious, with four rooms. Nathan slept in the master bedroom, which was filled with the items Olive and Seraphine had bought for him.

From the smallest toothbrush holder to the bed he slept in and the clothes he wore, none of these things would be going with him.

As he sifted through his belongings, something caught his eye, a jewelry box. It was carefully wrapped and tucked away in the cabinet.

He opened it and found a finely crafted wristwatch inside. In an instant, Nathan remembered the story behind this watch.

It was one of a set of watches that Olive and Seraphine had made. His name was engraved on the watch. Each of the three of them had one.

However, Nathan had been so busy that he kept it safely stored, fearing it might get scratched or damaged.

The watch face was exquisitely detailed and because it had been well cared for, there wasn’t a single scratch on it.

Nathan carefully ran his fingers over the engravings on the watch. Since he was leaving, he knew he had to get rid of the things that weren’t his.

With that in mind, he was about to toss the watch into the pile of miscellaneous items. Just then, the door to the hallway creaked open.

Olive and Seraphine had returned and saw this scene.

Olive reacted first. She rushed over, trying to save the watch.

The watch flew through the air in a perfect arc before crashing into the pile of clutter, instantly shattering into pieces.

In that moment, Olive’s eyes welled up with tears. Her voice trembled as she asked, "What are you doing?"

Nathan’s expression remained emotionless. “It’s been sitting there too long. It’s broken.”

He walked over to the pile of broken pieces and there was still one intact watch face remaining.

Olive thought he was going to pick it up, but instead, Nathan forcefully slammed it down onto the ground again, making Olive utterly shock.

This time, there was no chance of repair.

“Even if it was broken, you could have fixed it. Why did you smash it like this?” Olive gathered the shattered pieces into her hands, her eyes already filled with tears.

Seraphine, standing beside her, also had red-rimmed eyes.

Nathan felt a wave of mockery rise within him. Hadn't they already stopped caring about him?

Now, they were acting so sentimental over a watch. Did they still think there was a place for him in their hearts?

Nathan couldn't help but wonder how they would react if they knew he was leaving.

In the end, he coldly said, "It's just a watch. If it's broken, we can just buy a new one."

All three of them knew that a watch could be bought. But this one was unique and irreplaceable. Once it was broken, it could never be restored.

But at this point, there was nothing more to be done.

Olive sniffled and said, "But..."

Before she could continue, Seraphine interrupted gently, "It's fine. If it's broken, we can just replace it. It's a good opportunity. Willy doesn't have one either, so the four of us can get a new set made."

Seraphine spoke so naturally, as if Willy was already one of them.

Olive nodded in agreement.

But Nathan remained silent, his lips pressed tight.

Seeing his silence, both women ignored him, continuing their conversation as if he weren't even there. They began discussing the design and brand of the watch.

Suddenly, Olive furrowed her brows and asked, "What made you want to pack up today? And why are you taking a suitcase?"

Nathan then remembered the suitcase was still outside.

He casually made up a lie, "Things were too messy, so I’m just packing them up in the suitcase for now."

Nathan then felt a bit puzzled. Didn't Willy say they wouldn't be back? Why had they suddenly returned?

As if sensing his thoughts, Olive explained, "We just came back to grab the household registration book. We're taking Willy on a trip in a couple of days. You’ve been so busy lately. You can join us next time."

There wasn't a word of discussion or prior notice.

Nathan wasn’t angry, though. Instead, he let out a self-mocking smile. "Alright. It's fine. I actually need to go out these days too."

Olive furrowed her brows. Nathan had always been a bit reluctant about them spending time with Willy.

Olive found herself a little surprised. Why was Nathan being so generous today? He rarely liked going out, so why did he suddenly plan to leave these days?

Seraphine also felt something was off. The man in front of her seemed a bit different than usual.

Just as she was about to ask where he was going, a loud crash came from downstairs.

"Mr. Scott, what's going on?"

Hearing that it was Willy, both of them rushed downstairs without a second thought.

Willy's face was pale and he looked weak as he collapsed to the ground.

Olive and Seraphine were immediately on edge. "What happened?"

"I just thought you guys had been gone for a while, so I came looking for you. I got a bit of low blood sugar, but it's nothing serious."

Seraphine's usually calm face now showed a hint of concern. She quickly helped Willy to his feet and rushed him to the hospital.

Only when the car lights in the yard flickered on and the vehicle left the apartment building did Nathan finally slump wearily onto the sofa.

He pulled out his phone and dialed the airport manager's number.

"Mr. Bright, regarding my transfer, please hold off on announcing the notice for now."

Typically, when someone leaves early, the airport would issue a notice. But to avoid any complications, Nathan didn’t want anyone to know just yet.

Just as he ended the call, another one came through.

It was one of Nathan's apprentices who had called.

It turned out that the first-edition airplane model he had ordered this year was finally released.

Since his apprentice worked for an international company, the shipment had arrived quickly. The model would be delivered the next day.

After receiving the model, Nathan placed it in the display case. Just as he was about to close the glass door, he heard a voice behind him, filled with admiration.

"Nathan, is this entire wall your collection? It's amazing. I really envy you for having so much. I heard these are impossible to get, even if you have the money. Can I take a look?"

Nathan turned around, surprised to see Willy standing right behind him, not realizing when he had arrived.

Nathan looked at him warily, well aware that Willy's intentions were far from friendly. Though the Sharlow Family had taken him in, everything from his food to his clothing had been earned solely through his own efforts.

The model of the First Flight airplane was something that money alone couldn’t buy. He had gone to great lengths, begging several people to secure the chance to own one.

Now, Willy wanted to "look"? No, he likely wanted to claim it for himself.

Nathan’s expression hardened. “Who let you in? Leave.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he moved to push Willy out.

Clearly taken aback by the abrupt dismissal, Willy’s face twisted in discomfort, as though he had swallowed something bitter.

The more Nathan tried to make him leave, the more determined Willy became to satisfy his curiosity.

Willy bypassed him, heading straight to the display cabinet, where he retrieved a model.

Nathan’s eyes widened in alarm. “Put it down!”

“Nathan, I’m just having a look, ah!”

Before either could react, the model slipped from his hands, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. In the chaos, Nathan pushed Willy, sending him tumbling to the ground.

The model shattered into pieces in an instant.

The sounds of their heated struggle quickly attracted Olive and Seraphine, who rushed downstairs to see what was happening.

Olive and Seraphine rushed up in panic, only to find the room in disarray with Willy lying on the floor.

Olive's face was filled with concern as she carefully checked to see if Willy was unharmed. However, she noticed a small cut on his fingertip from the model.

“You’re bleeding! We need to go to the hospital!”

Willy feigned indifference. “It’s nothing, just a small scratch. It doesn’t hurt.”

“You’re bleeding, how can it not hurt?” Olive exclaimed, her heart tightened as she gently pressed her lips to the wound, trying to soothe it.

The way Olive treated Willy, as if he were a priceless treasure, made Nathan feel disgusted.

On the other hand, Seraphine was furious and turned to him. “You just can’t stand seeing Willy happy, can you? It’s just a model. If he wants it, you should give it to him. Why are you fighting over it?”

She scolded him as though Nathan were a heinous criminal.

“This is mine, why should I give it to him?” Nathan retorted.

“Because you owe him,” Seraphine snapped back. “You’ve been living comfortably for decades, but Willy has been struggling outside. Don’t you feel any guilt?”

Nathan froze for a moment.

It hit him.

He was the fake son who had taken someone else's place, while Willy was the real heir who had been cast aside. But the mistake that had started it all wasn’t his fault. Over the years, he had tried his best to make up for it. So why should he feel guilty?

He didn’t owe anyone anything. Even though the Sharlow Family had raised him, he had brought them profits in return. As for his living expenses, he had earned everything with his own hard work. What was there to feel indebted about?

All the moral pressure they tried to put on him could go to hell.

“It wasn’t me who made him suffer,” Nathan said, his voice calm but firm. “And this model? Do you know how much effort I had to go through to get it? More than anyone else here.”

He had never lost his temper in front of them before.

This was the first time Olive was taken aback.

She certainly knew how much effort Nathan had put into getting that model. He had even begged the head of the distribution company, who had agreed to let him trade it for the flying champion trophy. Nathan had sacrificed sleep and health, participating in the competition at all costs, even suffering injuries along the way.

Thinking of this, Olive's anger subsided a little. "But you still shouldn't have pushed him. Fine, just apologize to Willy and let's leave it at that."

Nathan furrowed his brows in confusion, looking at her in disbelief. Clearly, it was Willy who had done something wrong, yet she was asking him to apologize? What kind of logic was this?

"Why should I?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration.

Seraphine's face turned cold as she responded, "Nathan, you know we have no patience for this. Hurry up and apologize to Willy."

She looked at him and her gaze briefly met Willy’s smug expression.