Chapter 6

I sat in that chair all night. Chloe never returned, nor did she send a single follow-up message.

By morning, a black government SUV was already waiting outside the complex.

I placed a bank card on the table.

It held every penny I had scraped together from working around the clock—just enough to settle the final balance on the loan.

I packed all the cheap couple items Chloe had given me into a large moving box.

Her things, our shared items, everything.

Using the address Hunter had sent me the night before, I scheduled a courier to ship it to his villa. Consider it returned to its rightful owner.

Before walking out, I left a handwritten goodbye letter on the table.

Maybe she would come back eventually. It contained everything I had intended to say to her face. But since she couldn't tear herself away from her boy for even an hour, this letter was all she would get.

It was a clean break. A final closing chapter to my foolish youth.

I doubted she would care anyway. If anything, she would probably be relieved that I had the decency to step aside quietly.

With a self-deprecating smirk, I climbed into the government vehicle and drove off.

The package arrived at the villa shortly after.

After signing for it, the maid carried the box into the foyer.

Hunter, heading down the stairs, noticed the package and flipped through it with an amused sneer.

"Chloe, did you buy more cheap junk for Logan?"

"Look at this plastic toy watch. It's ridiculous! But hey, I'm sure someone like Logan would love this kind of trash."

Chloe, wrapped lazily in a silk bathrobe, walked over with a frown.

She didn't remember ordering anything.

As she unpacked the box, the color drained from her face, replaced by sheer panic.

Matching bargain mugs. Matching clearance slippers...

Everything that belonged in our cozy, rundown apartment was sitting right here.

A suffocating weight crushed Chloe's chest. She could barely draw breath.

Frantically pulling out her phone, she dialed my number.

Usually, I answered within two rings.

This time, the call went straight to voicemail.

Dread gripped her heart. Throwing on a coat, she bolted toward the door, desperate to reach the apartment.

"Chloe! Where are you going—"

Before Hunter could finish, her car was already tearing down the driveway.

She sped across the city, running red lights until she reached the complex. Jamming the key into the lock, her hands shook violently.

"Logan? Are you home?!"

Silence.

The apartment was completely empty.