Chapter 5

I turned and strode out of the banquet.

My heart felt like it was being fiercely squeezed, a sharp pain radiating through me. I shamefully recalled the first time Dante had publicly rebuked me for Willow.

Dante's office had a resting room specifically for me, filled with our personal belongings.

One afternoon, I went to rest and found him fresh out of the shower, toweling his damp hair.

And Willow emerged from the bedroom, wearing my sexy silk negligee.

That negligee was Dante's favorite.

Anger surged through me, and I lashed out at her.

Dante watched me with a faint smile, not offering a single explanation, shielding Willow behind him.

"Sister Sera, I spilled coffee on my clothes, and Big Brother Dante brought me here to change. Nothing happened between us..."

I slapped Willow, then looked at Dante. "Aren't you going to explain?"

His expression turned cold. He looked at Willow, who was crying and running out, then roughly grabbed my arm and dragged me out.

He made me apologize to Willow in front of everyone.

Because of this, the authority I had painstakingly built up within the family was completely ruined, turning me into a joke among his men.

Afterward, when he finally explained, it was just a light, dismissive remark: "Willow is sensitive. If you don't apologize, how will she be able to stay by my side?"

"And nothing really happened between us."

I dared not dig deeper into whether nothing had happened or if nothing *had time* to happen.

I was too deeply immersed in the illusion of tenderness he could create.

Now, looking back, perhaps it was just my own stubborn refusal to give up.

Unwilling to admit my failure; my career and love life all became a joke because of Willow.

When I got home, before I could even turn on the light, I saw the glowing tip of a cigarette in the darkness on the sofa.

I frowned, my first act was to open a window for ventilation.

I used to find him incredibly captivating when he smoked; now, the scent made me sick.

I tried to ignore him.

But he pulled me into his arms, and I clumsily landed on his lap, forced to face him.

"Sera, can you stop making a scene about Willow in public? She's just a clumsy young woman, not a threat to you."

I looked at him flatly. "No, I can't."

He stared at me, his face darker. "My men manage all aspects of the family's operations, legal and illegal. Your endless drama just makes me feel exhausted, you know that?"

I said seriously, "If you're tired, then let's end it."

I had loved him genuinely; even now, confronting him defiantly, I still found his features handsome and sharp, just as they were when I first met him.

And my love for him was genuinely gone. Once enough disappointment accumulated, my heart no longer stirred for him.

After a long pause, he avoided my gaze, pulled out his lighter, and fretfully rubbed it back and forth. "Sera, let's both calm down."

I got up and walked into the bedroom, hearing the click of his lighter and the igniting of tobacco behind me.

Dante said, "What Leo, my man, told you, think about it carefully. Don't... wander off aimlessly these days."

I scoffed internally. He thought I’d understood his hint, that I’d seen he tore up the papers and would inevitably compromise and stay, just as I had countless times before.

Leo had hinted, but did I *have* to understand?

That day, I had managed to hack into the family's network and discovered a chilling piece of information—a hit order from the Volkov family elders against me.

They believed I might betray them at any moment and wanted to eliminate me quickly.

Dante had suppressed this hit order, which meant he clearly knew that if I stayed, I would be facing hell.

Yet, he still tore up the papers.

For Willow, he disregarded my safety.

Perhaps this relationship was never worth it. No matter how unwilling I was to let go, it was time to move on completely.

After packing my bags, the suitcase was light. I only took simple clothes and documents, leaving everything else behind.

This included all the limited-edition bags and jewelry Dante had given me over the years, which I had no intention of taking.

Just as I was about to head to the airport, I realized I was missing one crucial item.