Chapter 3

Worried about Chloe's health, Julian gathered all the top specialists in the hospital, demanding they save her baby at all costs.

When Captain Evans came to take me away, the hotel reception called Julian's phone repeatedly.

Julian never picked up.

It wasn't until I was in the police cruiser that his messages finally started flooding in:

"Chloe's body isn't suited for pregnancy. Do you know how much she's suffered to keep this baby?"

"You were a mother once. How could you be so cruel to her?"

Then, realizing I wasn't replying, his defensive excuses came:

"I didn't mean to leave you there alone."

"It's just that Chloe has always had a grudge against you. I was afraid she would blame you if something happened to the baby."

"Clara, please be good. Once you're better, I'll buy you an art gallery. We can adopt a cat too. Didn't you always want a cat?"

He sent these messages while carrying shopping bags, completely unaware that I was already at the precinct.

"Justin's mom always compares me to Clara. She says Clara is so sensible and obedient, and I can't compare to her at all."

Chloe sobbed as she picked up a small kitten.

"I can't have a cat, I can't have my freedom, and even when I try to be intimate with Justin, she throws shade at me."

"Julian, please spend more time with me. Justin is always so busy. If this keeps up, I'm going to lose my mind."

Her tears flowed beautifully. The kitten in her arms mewed softly.

Unable to control his feelings, Julian pulled her into a tight embrace in a quiet corner of the hallway.

"Come work at my company. I'll make you my executive assistant and give you half the shares."

"I'll take care of you. No one will ever hurt you again. Not Justin, and definitely not Clara."

He took off his scarf and cut off a strip of fabric.

He tied the keys to the art gallery—the one he promised me—to the fabric strip, placing them and the kitten into Chloe's hands.

He knew she hated the sound of clinking metal, so he carefully avoided using a metal ring. Yet, he completely forgot that this very scarf was handmade by me, knitted stitch by stitch out of premium cashmere because I was worried he would catch a cold.

"Once you decide to join this operation, you might spend the rest of your life fighting human traffickers. Clara, do you have any regrets?"

In the distance, Julian packed Chloe's kitten into a carrier, then carelessly threw a stray tabby kitten he found into a plastic bag.

Clearly, he had remembered his promise to me and decided to pass off a cheap stray as a thoughtful gift.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and nodded at Captain Evans.

"I have no regrets, Captain. Wipe my records. Declare me dead."

The cruiser drove away from the commercial district.

Julian stared at the police car passing by. Remembering how Clara used to get excited whenever she saw a police car, a sudden pang of loneliness hit him.

But looking back at Chloe's pitiful face, he used work as an excuse and didn't check on Clara for two days.

On the third day, the hotel reception finally got through to him.

"How is Clara? If she's throwing a tantrum, let her break whatever she wants. I'll pay for the damages."

There was static on the line, followed by Justin's explosive voice:

"Julian, are you out of your mind?!"

"Do you have any idea what Clara did?!"

"She used Chloe's phone to contact Chloe's mother. She lured those international traffickers to the hotel, locked the doors, and set the whole place on fire!"

"The police and firefighters are already here! Julian, you—"

The call cut off.

Julian couldn't remember how many red lights he ran.

By the time he reached the hotel, the fire had been put out. Billowing black smoke filled the sky, amidst the chaos of sirens and screaming crowds.

"Where is Clara? I told you guys to take care of her! Where is she?!"

The receptionist, covered in soot, could only shake his head in terror under Julian's furious glare.

"I don't know... The room caught fire so fast. And Mrs. Vance's leg was broken, so she probably..."

Julian punched him, knocking his glasses right off his face.

"Clara! Clara!"

Julian tried to charge into the burning building like a madman, struggling against the officers holding him back.

The wind blew ash and embers onto his face.

As he winced, he caught sight of something blue.

The scarf I had knitted for him lay unraveled on the ground. It had fallen out of his bag when he tried to shield his face, and Chloe, standing behind him, had just stepped on it, ripping the yarn apart.

"Julian..."

"Get off me!"

Julian shoved Chloe away when she tried to comfort him. He fell to his knees, desperately trying to gather the ruined scarf.

Justin held Chloe back, finally losing his temper and kicking Julian hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you? It's just a ruined scarf!"

"Chloe's mother is missing, and she's pregnant! Do you have any idea what's actually important right now?!"

There were too many people around. The unraveled scarf was quickly trampled into the dirt, ruined beyond repair.

Julian suddenly remembered the winters with Clara.

She would wake up early to brew herbal teas for him, reminding him not to sit for too long, and drag him out for morning jogs.

She was just as tough as her father. Even after escaping the traffickers, she had worked so hard to live a bright, beautiful life.

Her smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He still remembered the day he proposed. That single smile of hers was more breathtaking than any landscape he had ever painted.

"I don't believe it. She's not dead. She's just angry with me. I'm going to find her."