Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world

Clara went home, freshened up, and at seven o’clock, headed to the six-star riverside restaurant from their previous date.

It was the same familiar VIP room.

As Clara walked in and looked around, tears prickled her eyes.

The waiter stepped in. ”Shall we serve the food now, Ms. Vance?”

Clara shook her head, taking a seat at the table. ”Hold off for a bit.”

”Certainly. Please let me know if you need anything.”

The waiter backed out of the room.

Clara slipped off her coat and waited quietly for Julian to arrive. She sat perfectly straight, the picture of elegance and grace, though her eyes kept darting down to her watch.

Thirty minutes passed. He still hadn’t shown up.

He was late again!

Clara forced down her frustration and waited another ten minutes. Still nothing. She called his phone, but it rang out.

Left with no other option, she called Arthur to check on the situation.

Arthur picked up. The background noise on his end was loud, but he quickly moved to a quieter spot before speaking with evident awkwardness, ”Ms. Vance, Mr. Lowell is tied up right now. You shouldn’t wait for him...”

Clara blinked slowly.

She knew exactly what was going on. Julian was busy entertaining Seraphina.

Gripping her phone tighter, Clara said softly, ”It’s fine. I’ll wait until he’s done.”

Hearing her determination, Arthur couldn’t bring himself to argue.

After hanging up, Clara stared blankly at her phone screen, a bitter, hollow smile pulling at her lips. Her heart was turning to pure ice, piece by piece.

She poured herself a glass of red wine and took a slow sip...

Another thirty minutes dragged by.

Finally, at eight-thirty, Julian pushed the door open, looking hurried and exhausted.

His expression was dark, laced with a clear undercurrent of impatience.

He loosened his tie, sat down across from her, and frowned. ”If I was too busy to make it, were you just going to sit here waiting all night?”

Clara stared at him in silence, her smile stiff and thoroughly tragic.

From the second he walked through the door, he hadn’t offered a single word of comfort. He hadn’t even looked her in the eye. His first instinct was to scold her and throw a tantrum.

Had he completely forgotten?

He was the one who planned this date!

Clara set down her wine glass and gave a self-deprecating laugh. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a burden.”

Julian froze, his eyes snapping up to meet hers.

Under the dazzling crystal chandelier, he finally took a good look at her.

It was painfully obvious she had dressed up specifically for this date. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder black Dior dress that exposed her flawless shoulders and delicate arms. She looked impossibly beautiful—a perfect blend of innocence and seduction.

Julian’s eyes darkened. A flash of guilt pierced through his annoyance, and realizing how harsh he had sounded, his tone immediately softened.

”Clara, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. Look, I got you a gift.”

As he spoke, he reached into his suit jacket, pulled out an exquisite blue velvet box, and slid it across the table to her.

Clara smiled faintly. She didn’t bother playing hard to get. She picked up the box and popped it open.

It was a new-season necklace from a luxury brand, retailing well into the seven figures.

Quite the royal favor!

But Clara’s eyes remained dead. All she could think about was the $20 million he had casually thrown at Professor Thorne for Seraphina that afternoon. That money could have bought twenty of these necklaces!

Taking a deep breath, Clara forced a look of pure delight. She snapped the box shut, set it aside, and offered a few sweet words of gratitude before casually asking, ”Where did you go this morning?”

Julian was just pouring himself a glass of wine. He was enjoying the view of her across the table when the question hit him, making his hand stall for a fraction of a second.

Without missing a beat, he lied smoothly, ”I told you, I went to the office.”

Still lying.

Clara’s smile faltered slightly. ”And what about tonight? What took you so long? You’ve been busy all day.”

Julian swirled the wine in his glass, his expression perfectly composed.