Chapter 4

I gave him a faint, calm smile, then quietly set the gift bags down on the porch steps.

Seeing the panic and guilt in his eyes, I didn't say a single word. I just gave him a slight nod.

I turned and walked away. He didn't chase after me.

In his mind, he probably assumed I was still the same pushover who would forgive anything he did.

Once I cleared the neighborhood gates, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Ryan.

"Maya, you understand me, right? I was literally just helping Elena out with a tiny favor."

"You have to talk to my parents for me later. I think they're genuinely furious this time."

"Do you have enough cash on you? If you need anything, just say the word and I’ll wire it to you right now."

Before I could answer, Elena’s voice whined in the background.

"Ryan, hurry up! My parents are waiting for us at the venue!"

Ryan quickly lowered his voice, speaking to me with fake tenderness.

"Maya, I have to run. As soon as the reception is over, I'll come straight to you."

Click.

The line went dead. I silently slid the phone back into my pocket.

It was my final day in this city. I didn't go anywhere. I spent the entire afternoon standing by the harbor railing, staring out at the vast, crashing ocean.

This was the exact spot where Ryan and I had first met. And it would be the last place I would ever see in this town.

Late that night, after playing the role of the dashing groom, Ryan called me again, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Maya, where are you? I'm coming to see you! Aren't you happy I wrapped things up early just to be with you?"

I calmly gave him my location. Within half an hour, he appeared, still wearing his handsome wedding tuxedo.

He smoothed out the wrinkles on his lapel, looking breathtakingly sharp.

A dull sorrow flashed in my eyes. That first glimpse of him in a tuxedo was supposed to belong to me.

Now, that memory would forever belong to his first love.

"Maya, look—I kept the tux on just for you. Do I look good?"

He leaned against the railing beside me, smiling as he looked out at the water.

"This place brings back so many memories. This is where our story started. Let's hold our real wedding right here, and we'll come back every single anniversary!"

The cool ocean breeze brushed against my face. I looked at him intently.

"Ryan, there's something I need to tell you—"

Before I could finish, his phone blared loudly. It was Elena again.

"Ryan, where did you go?! My parents are asking for you, and they're getting suspicious. I think they know it's a lie!"

Ryan frowned. Elena’s voice on the other end was on the verge of hysterical tears.

"Ryan, you wouldn't abandon me, would you? You promised you would help me see this through!"

Ryan immediately softened his tone. "Elena, don't panic. I'm on my way."

He hung up, turning to me with an apologetic, rushed smile.

"Maya, let's talk about whatever it is later. Let me just handle this one last thing for Elena, okay? I'll be right back."

Without waiting for my answer, he spun around and sprinted toward his car, terrified that Elena might shed a single tear if he was late.

Watching him sprint away without a backward glance, I didn't shed a tear.

I turned around and climbed into the black government SUV that had been idling quietly down the street.

Inside, an officer took my phone, snapped the SIM card in half, and ran a terminal command that wiped every trace of my digital identity from public records.

My clearance was classified. My existence here was erased.

Just past midnight, Ryan pulled out his phone, a smug, satisfied grin on his face as he dialed my number.

Usually, I answered within three rings.

This time, the call rang until it hit a dead tone.

A cold bead of sweat trickled down his neck. Anxious, he immediately called the front desk of the luxury hotel where he had booked the penthouse suite.

"Hi, I'm calling to check on a guest in the penthouse suite—Maya Lin. Did she return to her room?"

The receptionist clicked through the system.

"Sir... our records show that nobody ever checked into the penthouse suite under that name."

Ryan froze, his mind blanking. "What did you say?"