Chapter 39
Chapter 10
He suddenly remembered a long time ago, when I was staying up late drawing design sketches, he gently rubbed my hair and said, “Don’t push yourself so hard. I’ll take care of you in the future p>
I replied, “Declan, I want to be someone who can stand by your side, not just hide behind you and wait for
your protection p>
At the time, he thought I was cute.
Now, he finally understood that I was serious.
Once my studio was firmly established, the people seeking me out were no longer gossip tabloids, but proper
financial and fashion media outlets.
I had made a name for myself, and I started my own brand.
That afternoon, Declan came again.
He had lost a lot of weight, with dark circles under his eyes, and the once vibrant energy he had was
completely gone.
“I just want to say a few words, and then I’ll leave p>
I instructed the receptionist to let him up.
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He stood in my office, awkward and uneasy, like a student who had done something wrong.
“Selena, I’m a fool. I’ve been blind.” He repeated this over and over, as if scolding himself would somehow undo his mistakes. “I truly understand now… I’ve already sent her overseas. She won’t be in my life again, I
promise p>
He lifted his head, his eyes red, filled with genuine pain and regret.
“Give me one more chance, please? Just one last time p>
I listened quietly.
“Declan, I accept your apology p>
His eyes lit up for a moment.
“But hurt isn’t something that can be wiped away by an apology p>
My tone was calm, almost detached, as if discussing someone else’s affairs.
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“I don’t hate you. I even… feel a bit grateful. If you hadn’t been so completely ruthless, I might not have woken up and found my own path so decisively p>
The light in his eyes slowly faded.
“What we had ended a long time ago p>
He opened his mouth, about to argue.
I looked at him and finally asked the question that had been circling in my mind.
“You’ve always insisted you and she were just friends, that it was all pure and innocent. Alright, let me ask you this: if her family went bankrupt tomorrow, and the only way to save them was for you to marry Mila immediately, would you do it p>
The air in the room froze instantly.
“If, for even a fleeting moment, you hesitated, then it proves your feelings for her were never pure p>
“Declan, betrayal is betrayal. If you still try to justify it with endless excuses, I will lose all respect for you p>
The color drained from Declan’s face completely.
“You see, this is the most essential difference between you and me p>
He stood there for a while, then turned away, walking off with a heavy heart.
After that, I never saw him again.
Months later, my personal brand won the prestigious International Emerging Designer Award.
At the celebration banquet, I wore a gown I had designed myself, raising a glass in response to congratulations coming from all directions.
At the same time, many people, both openly and secretly, sent me news.
The Hawke family and the Blake family had faced consecutive failures in several joint projects, and there were rumors that they were considering a marriage alliance to stay strong.
But it was said that Declan refused to agree, no matter what.
In the end, he was forced to reconcile, yet they argued endlessly over petty things like who should lower their head first or who was more at fault.
The bond they once shared, in the grind of reality and mutual resentment, had long turned into nothing but awkwardness.
Chapter 10
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I listened and felt perfectly at peace.
Stepping out alone onto the balcony, I raised my glass toward the moon in the sky.
“A toast to the future. To myself p>
“A toast to every soul brave enough to break free from their binds and create their own life with their own
hands p>
With a smile, I drained my glass in one go, my gaze lifting toward the vast, serene, and deep night sky
beyond.
There, not a single shadow of a cloud remained.
Chapter 10
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