Chapter 4

Sunday was my day off.

I started packing early in the morning.

First, I threw out all of Olivia's remaining belongings, wiping away every trace of her presence.

Then, I gathered every single gift Julian and Tristan had ever given me and tossed them into the trash chute.

It wasn't until 1:00 PM that I remembered my date with Zackary Sterling.

I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. My eyes drifted to the ceiling, where a mural still remained.

It was a painting of a starry sky with three little bears sitting on a cloud.

Tristan had painted it.

We were in high school back then.

After tutoring me, he got a sudden burst of inspiration, climbed a ladder, and painted it.

"Audrey, the white bear in the middle is you. The black one on the left is me."

"What about the yellow one on the right? Don't tell me that's Julian?"

He had laughed, his eyes sparkling like stars.

"From now on, the two of us will be your knights."

"We promise to protect our princess whenever she calls."

The warmth of his voice still echoed in my mind. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if I should just sell this townhouse.

If I got married, I would definitely move into the Sterling estate anyway.

Selling it would save me the trouble of repainting the walls.

As for those childhood memories... I’d just treat them as a long, faded dream.

Letting go of things that no longer belonged to me was its own form of liberation.