Chapter 6

Elena's POV

The day before my departure happened to be Julian’s thirty-second birthday.

The celebration was held at a private Vance club, attended by nearly every high-society figure in the city.

I wore a simple black dress, sitting quietly in the shadows of the corner. My fingers gripped a small, black velvet box.

Inside lay a miniature carbon-fiber engine model.

Every single carbon-fiber plate had been cut and polished by my own hands; every tiny gear had been crafted and hand-assembled to replicate an actual F1 racing engine to scale.

I had spent two weeks working on it, nicking and slicing my fingers countless times during the sanding process.

It was the birthday gift I had prepared for him—and my final farewell.

As the party reached its peak, the gift-giving began.

Dressed in a striking red couture gown, Nora stood beneath the crystal chandelier, clutching Julian’s arm. Smiling brightly, she presented an exquisite gift box. Opening it revealed a pair of ice-blue, top-tier diamond cufflinks.

"Julian, happy birthday. I flew all the way to Switzerland to bid on these for you." Nora’s voice was sweet and cloying, prompting rounds of polite applause and flattery from the surrounding guests.

Julian smiled faintly, allowing Nora to hold the cufflinks against his French cuffs.

"What about Elena?" Nora suddenly turned, her eyes locking onto me in the dark corner with a calculated, malicious smile. "Today is Julian’s birthday. As the beloved ward raised by the Vance family for fifteen years, you didn't come empty-handed, did you?"

Every eye in the room shifted toward me.

I didn't shrink away. Standing up with the velvet box in hand, I cut through the crowd and stopped in front of Julian.

"Mr. Vance, happy birthday."

Julian looked down at me, his gaze softening for a fleeting second. Just as he reached out to take it, Nora intercepted, her fingers darting forward. "Oh, what's this? Let me help Julian open it and see!"

My brow furrowed. Instinctively, I tried to pull back, but Nora’s fingertips had already hooked around the edge of the box.

The next second, Nora let out a dramatic gasp, intentionally relaxing her grip.

*Smash!*

The black velvet box hit the marble floor hard, popping open. The intricate, handcrafted carbon-fiber engine model instantly shattered, scattering tiny gears and splintered carbon pieces everywhere.

The banquet hall fell dead silent.

"Oh no! I'm so, so sorry! Elena, the box was so slippery, I couldn't hold onto it!" Nora covered her mouth in faux horror, though her eyes brimmed with smug satisfaction.

I froze. Staring at the broken pieces on the floor felt like watching my own heart being ground to dust beneath someone’s shoe.

Julian glanced down at the pile of unrecognizable black debris, his brow furrowing slightly. Clearly, he had no idea what it had been.

"It's fine," he said, looking up. His tone was cold, carrying a hint of irritation toward me for causing such an awkward scene. "It was just a handmade model. I'll have the staff sweep it up later."

*Just a model.*

Slowly, I crouched down, reaching out to pick up the sharp carbon-fiber shards.

"Elena, don't stay down there too long, the floor is cold. Just let the staff clean it up," Nora chimed in from above, her voice dripping with artificial concern.

Julian stepped forward, grabbing my arm firmly to pull me to my feet. "Get up. Let someone else handle this. Why are you bothering with it?"

His grip was rough. Caught off guard, I was yanked upward while still clutching a jagged piece of carbon fiber.

"Ah!"

The razor-sharp edge sliced deep into my palm, and bright red blood welled up instantly.

Julian froze, his eyes dropping to my bleeding hand. "You..."

He reached out to inspect my palm, but right at that moment, Nora leaned heavily into his chest. "Julian, I've been standing for so long... my stomach hurts a little."

Julian’s outstretched hand paused in midair. Ultimately, he pulled it back, turning to wrap his arm around Nora’s waist instead.

I let my bleeding hand fall to my side, allowing the crimson drops to splatter against the pristine white marble, one by one.

I didn't cry out in pain, nor did I look at Julian. I simply watched him escort Nora back toward the center of the hall to receive congratulations from the crowd.

It looked so warm, so lively. But none of it had anything to do with me anymore.

That night, after the banquet ended, the estate sank back into a dead silence.

I sat in my dark room. My suitcase was already packed, resting quietly by the door.

An old tin box sat on the floor before me. I used a tissue to haphazardly wipe the blood from my hand, then placed the collected engine fragments into the box, piece by piece. Burying fifteen years of unspoken love along with them.

Finally, I tore off a sticky note, picked up a pen, and under the dim moonlight filtering through the window, wrote my final words in this house:

*Mr. Vance, thank you for taking me in for fifteen years. I'm leaving. Don't look for me.*

I pressed the note over the broken pieces, shut the tin lid, and slid the box into the deepest, darkest corner beneath the bed.

The night breeze stirred the curtains. The early summer in New York had finally come to an end.