"I've made up my mind, Brent. I'll work at your company, but I've got a few things to take care of first."

The sky was lit with the soft hues of a sunset as Melanie stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down at the luggage by the door. A woman stood there too, eager to move in. Watching it all unfold, Melanie felt her heart sink so low it felt like it might never rise again.

"Alright, Mel. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll book your flight," Brenton replied.

"Thanks, Brent," she murmured before ending the call.

Turning back to her room, she quietly started packing her things.

She had lived in this house for eight years, once thinking it would be her home forever. But that was just her wishful thinking.

On the night before her 14th birthday, her parents abandoned her. They left behind nothing but a short letter and a mountain of debt. Her perfect world came crashing down, and she was kicked out of the villa like some stray with nowhere to go.

At her lowest, it was Edwin Setchfield—nine years older than her—who defied all odds to bring her into his home. He protected her and cared for her for eight long years.

He gave her back a sense of stability, joy, and the freedom to chase her dreams without fear.

In her youth, she met someone who made her feel like he could define her life, and that guy stayed by her side as she grew up. How could she not fall in love with him?

It was slow, so slow she didn't even notice it at first. But the way he cared for her and how he was always there made it impossible not to hope that maybe he felt the same.

Last summer, she went hiking with friends, got lost, and injured her leg. It was Edwin who searched for her all night in the rain. When he found her, he carried her down the mountain on his back.

At dawn, as she lay against him, watching the golden light spread across the horizon, she finally confessed her feelings.

But Edwin didn't say anything.

Not long after they returned to Oklahoma, he introduced a girlfriend to the family.

Everything changed after that. He stopped picking her up from school. He stopped taking her out to eat or shop. They hardly saw each other anymore.

By June, at Melanie's graduation ceremony, she overheard someone say Edwin had broken up with his girlfriend.

That night, after a few drinks with friends, she kissed him in a haze of courage, wrapping her arms around his neck and confessing to him in front of everyone.

It was the first time he ever yelled at her.

"This is ridiculous! Melanie, I'm your brother!"

"But you're not really my brother, Ed! I've liked you for so long, since—"

"Enough! This is absurd!"

He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

That night, it rained harder than it had in years. She waited for him outside the bar, sitting in the cold for hours. But he never came back.

When she finally ran back to the Setchfields' villa, drenched and shaking, the maid told her he hadn't been home at all.

Terrified something might've happened to him, she ran out again into the rain to look for him. She checked his office, his usual spots—he wasn't there.

Then it hit her. His ex.

Out of desperation, she rushed to the woman's place.

By the time she arrived, the rain had eased, and the sky was starting to lighten.

Across the street, she saw them—Edwin and Maurice. She was standing there in a silk nightgown, leaning close to him under the same umbrella. They looked nothing like two couples who had broken up.

When Melanie returned to the Setchfields' villa, soaked and exhausted, Edwin was calmly having breakfast.

He barely glanced at her before saying, "Get your things packed. Don't be late on your first day at work."

Fighting the ache in her chest, she walked up to him, holding back tears. "Have you ever… even once… liked me?

She could feel it—deep down, she knew she meant something to him.

But then, that look on his face… Melanie could never forget it.

It was cold, colder than she'd ever seen, with a hint of disgust she never expected from him.

He said, "The only reason I took you in was because of the bond between our parents. I treated you well out of pity, nothing more."

"I've never felt anything for you beyond what a brother feels for his sister."

His words were sharp, final, and completely emotionless. Just like that, her last bit of hope crumbled.

She barely remembered how she made it to the company. She walked to the office soaked from the rain, her head pounding, her body weak. In the middle of a meeting, she fainted.

That night, her fever spiked past 39 degrees. She lay alone on a hospital bed, her ears ringing and her vision blurred by darkness.

The noise around her was overwhelming, but one thing was painfully clear: Edwin wasn't there.

It wasn't until a nurse came in and noticed how bad Melanie's fever was that she finally got some meds injected into her.

When she woke up the next morning, her body felt drenched like she'd been boiling in her own skin.

Being sick makes you weak. It makes you crave care—any kind of care.

After hesitating for a long time, she picked up her phone and called Edwin.

"Ed… can you bring me some clothes? Please?"

She hoped he'd come like he used to. But the voice on the other end wasn't his.

It was Maurice.

The clothes? Maurice brought them over. Edwin never showed up.

Maurice smiled warmly. "Edwin's been so busy with work lately. If you need anything, just let me know. I'm your sister-in-law now, you know."

When Melanie was discharged, it wasn't Edwin who came to get her. He sent a driver.

Standing at the hospital's entrance, she looked around. Strangers rushed past and cars whizzed by, but the one person she longed to see wasn't there.

Back at the villa, the emptiness felt suffocating. She sat in the living room all night, waiting.

He didn't come home.

Even now, part of her refused to believe he could be so heartless.

But today, staring at the luggage by the door and the woman walking in like she owned the place, Melanie finally pieced everything together.

The courage she'd held onto for so long was gone, washed away by the rain.

She didn't want to love Edwin anymore.

A sudden knock at the door startled her, making her drop the photo frame in her hands. It hit the floor with a sharp crack, the glass shattering over the picture, blurring the faces in it.

Maurice stood at the door, looking apologetic. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Edwin asked me to bring my stuff to his room. This is his room, right?"

Melanie's heart ached, but she forced herself to smile. "Oh, it's fine. I—I'm just finishing up packing. Sorry to keep you waiting."

This used to be Edwin's room. But because she loved the ocean view and the way the sunlight streamed in the room, he'd let her have it.

Now, it was going back to him.

Maurice nodded. "Take your time. I'll run to the store for some essentials. When Edwin gets back, we can all have dinner together."

She set the suitcase down inside and left.

But as she turned, Melanie noticed something hanging from the suitcase. It was a photo keychain—a picture of Maurice and Edwin, smiling and close in front of Melanie.

Once upon a time, Edwin hated taking pictures. The only photo he and Melanie had ever taken together was one she'd begged him for.

Melanie stared at the photo on the floor, tears slipping down her face again.

She bent down to pick it up, not even noticing when tiny shards of glass pierced through her fingers.

In the picture, she was smiling brightly, leaning slightly toward Edwin. But he? He looked so distant like he didn't even want to be there.

It was nothing like the photo of him and Maurice on that keychain.

That's when she finally got it: love and indifference—they'd always been clear. She was just too stupid to see it.

This villa had been her home for eight years. Every corner of it was filled with her things. But so much of it—too much—had been gifts from Edwin.

She decided she didn't need to keep any of it.

Piece by piece, she packed everything he'd given her into boxes. It took a few trips to carry it all down to the storage room.

When she was done, all she had left was one suitcase.

As she stepped out of the house, she ran right into Edwin.

He glanced at the suitcase she was pulling, his brows furrowing slightly, but he didn't say a word.

Her heart ached as he brushed past her without a word. It felt like swallowing a thousand needles, but she still forced herself to speak.

"Ed, my department's really busy this week. I'm going to stay at the company for a few days."

She'd taken on some freelance projects recently. Once she finished them, she'd finally have enough money to pay him back. Between that and her savings from college, she could finally clear her debt to him.

Then she could leave for good.

He paused for a second, but his tone stayed cold. "Do what you want."

And just like that, he walked back inside. No other words. No attempt to stop her.

Her eyes stung as she dragged her suitcase out the door.

She couldn't help but think back to when he first brought her here. He'd told her this was her home. He'd told her that he'd always be there for her.

When her parents abandoned her, Edwin was the one who pieced her heart back together.

No matter how busy he was, he'd come home every night to eat with her. On weekends, he'd take her hiking or camping. He even introduced her to his friends.

"This is my baby," he'd say with a grin. "She's going to be a big designer one day!"

Eight years of warmth and promises… gone, just like that.

She pulled her suitcase to the gate and was about to call for a ride when a delivery guy in a Southern Roots Kitchen uniform walked up to her, holding a fancy food container.

It was from her favorite restaurant.

"Hi, are you Miss Henley? This is your order," he said.

She blinked, confused. "I didn't order anything."

The delivery guy showed her the receipt. "The number ends in 3981. Isn't that yours? The address matches here, too."

That number—it was Edwin's.

The delivery guy looked at her, a bit impatient. "I tried calling the number earlier, but no one answered. Are you Miss Henley?"

After a moment, she nodded quietly and signed for the food. She took the container and set her suitcase aside.

She figured she'd give it to the maid. It wasn't hers, anyway. A glance at the receipt told her everything—these were all dishes Maurice liked.

As she walked back to the door, she saw Edwin heading her way, phone in hand, talking to someone.

When he spotted her, his steps faltered for a second before he said into the phone, "Got it. I'll be there soon.

When he hung up, he looked at her with the same calm, distant expression as always. "Did you book the ride?"

Her chest tightened, but she forced herself to nod.