Chapter 2

"Chloe... what are you doing here?"

The moment the door opened from the inside, Julian’s relaxed expression instantly switched to a cold, distant mask.

He was getting really good at this.

His brows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He took half a step back, instinctively shielding Scarlett behind him.

A textbook amnesia reaction. It was so perfect I almost wanted to applaud.

"My name is Chloe," I said, my voice as flat as if I were introducing myself to a stranger. "Your girlfriend. For seven years."

"I’m sorry, but I really... don't remember you."

His gaze drifted over my shoulder, his voice dropping into a perfectly rehearsed tone of apology. "Scarlett, don't be scared."

Scarlett peeked out from behind his back, her fingers gently tugging at his shirt.

"Julian, she won't do anything to me, right?"

Her voice was dripping with sweet innocence, but her eyes were crystal clear, without a single trace of actual fear.

At this moment, I finally understood what great chemistry looked like.

One actor, one enabler.

If I didn't know the truth, I probably would have believed I was some psycho stalker harassing a poor trauma patient.

"I just came back to grab some things," I said, walking past him without a hint of emotion. "I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

Julian’s hand suddenly gripped the doorframe.

"Is this... my apartment?"

He looked around the place in confusion, pretending he was seeing the luxury condo we had shared for the past two years for the very first time.

I didn't reply and walked straight to the home office.

Scarlett followed closely behind Julian, her voice soft and timid. "Julian, maybe I should leave first. I don't want to cause any trouble between you two..."

"Stay."

His voice was firm and protective. He wrapped an arm around Scarlett's shoulder and glared at me. "Please leave as soon as you get your stuff. Scarlett gets anxious easily."

I pulled open the desk drawer and gathered the documents I needed.

The deed to this condo and the equity papers for his three startups all had one name written clearly under the owner's section—Chloe.

Back when he started the companies, he registered everything under my name to avoid previous tax liabilities and to show his "absolute devotion." He thought it was a grand gesture of trust. Now, it just looked like a shortcut to his own ruin.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a message from Liam, my attorney.

[Chloe, the 38% stake you hold in Aura Tech is currently valued at around $6.7 million. Do you want me to initiate the transfer protocol tomorrow?]

I flipped my phone face down on the desk, not replying immediately.

The office door pushed open. Scarlett stood there, holding a glass of water.

"Chloe," she tilted her head, a curious, mocking smile playing on her lips. "Were you and Julian really together for seven years?"

"Yes."

"But Julian said he feels absolutely nothing when he looks at you."

She placed the glass on the desk, her manicured finger tracing the rim. "He said if he really loved you once, it would be impossible to forget everything. Don't you think?"

"So, he figures your past relationship... probably wasn't that deep anyway."

Every word was wrapped in cotton, but they were meant to draw blood.

I closed my folder and looked up at her.

"His exact words?"

Scarlett didn't say yes or no. She just smiled. "Chloe, if he never remembers you, will you finally let him go?"

"Yes."

I answered so fast that Scarlett’s smile froze for a second.

She had probably prepared a whole speech to guilt-trip me, but she didn't expect me to be this easy.

"Oh... that's good then."

She backed up to the door, her voice returning to that soft, whiny pitch. "Julian will be so relieved."

I grabbed my folder and walked out of the office. Julian was sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

Seeing me walk out, he tilted his chin up. "Done?"

"Done."

"In the future... please don't come back if you can avoid it," he said with polite, distant hostility. "I don't want Scarlett to feel uncomfortable."

I bent down at the foyer to put on my shoes.

"Julian."

"Yeah?"

"All those startup investments under your name—they are legally mine. You do know that, right?"

His body stiffened for a fraction of a second. His pupils dilated slightly.

But he quickly recovered, putting back on his confused amnesia face. "What investments? I don't really remember..."

"It's fine."

I opened the door and walked out. The hallway lights flickered on one by one as I walked toward the elevator.

I pulled out my phone and replied to Liam.

[Tomorrow is too slow. Start tonight.]

Three seconds later, he replied.

[Chloe, $6.7 million is a massive amount of equity. Are you absolutely sure you don't want to think it over?]

I stood in front of the mirrored elevator doors, looking at my reflection. My eyes weren't red, and my hands weren't shaking. I looked completely fine.

[I've been thinking about it for seven years, Liam. That's long enough.]