Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 156

Her assistant stepped up beside her. "Madam, it's freezing out here. We should head back."

Isabella kept her eyes on the receding traffic, a cynical edge to her voice. "The human heart really is a fickle thing. He claimed he didn't care for her, but after three years, he's actually caught feelings."

She had to admit, Clara was undeniably beautiful and full of life. It made sense that after keeping her around for three years, Julian was suddenly reluctant to let go.

She genuinely dreaded imagining how he was going to react when Clara disappeared next week.

Isabella frowned.

The assistant looked confused. "Pardon?"

Isabella ignored the question and turned to walk away, demanding, "When does Beatrice Hamilton return from abroad?"

The assistant answered promptly, "Next week."

"The moment she lands, invite her to the estate. And make sure both Clara and Julian are notified."

"Understood."

...

Inside the car.

Clara had been staring blankly out the window since she got in. Hearing the opposite door open, she frowned and immediately shifted as far into the corner as possible, desperate to avoid any physical contact with him.

Julian paused, acutely aware of her blatant rejection. He sat down in silence, but his gaze remained fixed on the delicate curve of her back.

In the driver's seat, Arthur glanced at them through the rearview mirror. He let out a quiet sigh and merged back onto the road, heading toward the estate.

The drive was suffocatingly quiet.

Julian had his own pride. Trying to stop her on the street had already been a massive concession for him, so he kept his mouth shut at first.

But as the minutes dragged on and Clara showed zero inclination to break the silence, a restless irritation began to gnaw at him.

In the past, whenever they were alone, she always had endless stories to tell him.

What was wrong with her now?

Julian pressed his lips together. He knew she wasn't out of things to say; she was actively choosing to ignore him. She was genuinely furious about today.

"Clara..." Ultimately, his patience snapped, and he was the one to cave.

Turning to look at her, he offered, "The day after tomorrow is our three-year anniversary. How do you want to celebrate? Have any ideas? I'll make time for you."

For the past two anniversaries, Clara had practically begged him to spend time with her, but he was always too busy. This year, he was going to make it up to her.

Still gazing out the window, Clara zoned out for a moment.

She couldn't help but remember his icy indifference on those previous dates.

She had spent hours preparing romantic candlelit dinners, while he had been jetting off to international resorts with Seraphina.

She had blown a massive chunk of her savings to buy him a luxury watch, and in return, he had gifted her a cheap knockoff.

...

Julian watched her focus entirely on her phone, leaving him hanging in silence. Her icy detachment made a heavy weight settle in his chest.

"What are you looking at? Who are you texting?"

Clara kept her eyes on the screen, thoroughly irritated by his interrogation. She locked her phone, finally turned to look at him, and flashed a saccharine smile. "Just browsing for restaurants. I found a highly rated, six-star fine dining spot. The day after tomorrow, we're definitely putting it on Mr. Lowell's tab."

She wasn't about to waste another dime of her own money on him.

Hearing the playful, demanding lilt in her voice, Julian's eyes darkened slightly. She had been so distant lately; this sudden return to her usual sweet self was incredibly reassuring.

It seemed she still loved him. She still cared.

He reached out, gently caressing her cheek, and smiled. "My pleasure."

But he quickly realized just how dead wrong he was.

Clara hadn't forgiven him at all. She immediately reverted to freezing him out.

The moment the car parked in the estate's driveway, she hopped out without a single word. She slammed the door shut with a loud crack, her retreating back radiating absolute apathy.

Julian pressed his lips together in a hard line. For some reason, she was being exceptionally difficult to pacify this time. He rubbed his temples as he watched her disappear into the house, waiting a long moment before finally stepping out himself.

"Mr. Lowell..." Arthur suddenly spoke up, picking up a sealed manila envelope from the dashboard.

It was the background investigation report on the little girl from years ago.