Chapter 3

"I mailed the apartment keys to your place. From now on, let's just stay out of each other's lives."

Staying out of each other's lives was the final shred of dignity I could offer him.

Once I made up my mind to leave Eugene, I packed everything I owned and hired movers to clear out the apartment entirely.

"Fine."

Eugene was a man of few words, replying with just a single text. I stared at the screen, an unexpected sting behind my eyes.

In the past, no matter how furious Eugene got, he always opened with "babe." But this time, his pride was on the line too.

He didn't bother offering another word.

Maybe deep down, he had been waiting for this day all along.

Perhaps things between Eugene and me were a mistake from the very start.

Shortly after graduating college, I settled down in the city to work as a yoga instructor.

His apartment building was quiet, with clean, minimalist modern designs that perfectly matched what I wanted. I signed the lease through an agent that very day and moved in.

Whenever I ran into plumbing or electrical issues, Eugene was the contact the agent gave me.

At first, I thought Eugene was just a professional handyman. Only later did I find out his family owned the entire high-rise.

His parents wanted to build his character, so they put him in charge of maintenance and collecting rent for the property.

"You're amazing! You look about my age—how do you know how to fix all these things?"

I genuinely admired his hands-on skills, and I admired his work ethic even more given that he was born into crazy wealth.

"It's nothing. You get used to it once you do it enough. None of this is that complicated."

Eugene's bangs were soaked with sweat, droplets running down the bridge of his straight nose. His fair skin practically glowed, radiating raw, effortless masculine charm.

Back then, we were just a regular landlord and tenant.

What really brought us close was a terrifying incident late one night.

I had wrapped up my last private yoga session of the day and didn't head back to the apartment until around eleven o'clock.

After getting off the bus, I noticed a figure trailing behind me, keeping a steady distance.

My chest tightened.

My head told me not to panic.

I picked up my pace until I reached the apartment lobby and frantically hammered the elevator button. The man, wearing a baseball cap and a face mask, closed in fast. My heart pounded against my ribs, pure terror catching in my throat.

The elevator doors slid open. I scrambled inside, slammed the door-close button, and pressed every single floor from the middle up.

When the elevator hit the fourth floor, I bolted out into the hallway.

Rounding the corner, I ran straight into Eugene, who happened to be carrying a step ladder.

"Help me, please! Someone's following me!" I gasped, clutching his arm in complete panic, clinging to him like a lifeline.

Eugene gave me a steady, reassuring look.

Before he even answered, he dashed past me down the corridor. He tackled the masked creep, landing a flurry of punches and kicks while snarling, "You sick freak! Follow her again and I'll break your damn legs!"

At six feet tall, Eugene looked towering, fiercely protective, and undeniably handsome.

In that heartbeat, the world stopped spinning.

Something shifted in me. A spark ignited.

Standing by the entryway now, I looked back at the empty apartment, down the hallway filled with memories, and let out a long, heavy breath.