Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 160

Dominic nodded, turning his gaze toward the clear sky outside the window. For the first time in his life, he was desperately praying for time to speed up.

He had already waited an eternity for this.

...

Clara had no idea her blood was being sent off for a DNA match. She assumed Dominic just needed her to act as a donor for a friend or something similar.

Stepping into the elevator.

She pulled out her phone and called Leo back.

Leo didn't have any major updates; he just wanted to check in and make sure the online circus wasn't dragging her down.

The only bad news was regarding the competition. Julian had flat-out bought Seraphina's way back in. He had written a massive check—The $20 Million Settlement—effectively making Seraphina the project's largest investor, forcing the executives to hand her the spot.

They chatted briefly before hanging up.

As the elevator hit the ground floor, Clara's mood hit rock bottom.

She seriously wondered if Julian had been put on this earth specifically to destroy her.

Every single thing she had ever earned, he systematically stripped away.

Staring at the phrase "twenty million dollars" on her screen, she couldn't help but ask herself: In all their three years together, had he ever spent a fraction of that on her?

Never.

Clara let out a bitter scoff, exhaling a long breath to clear her lungs. Gripping her phone, she stepped out into the lobby.

Only to come face-to-face with Julian and Seraphina waiting for the elevator.

They stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Seraphina looked absolutely radiant, clearly thriving off the attention.

And why wouldn't she be? She had her competition spot practically handed to her on a silver platter.

Clara's hands clenched at her sides, a wave of suffocating despair threatening to pull her under.

Julian was visibly caught off guard. His brow furrowed instantly. "What are you doing here?"

That look of immediate irritation felt like a knife slipping between her ribs. The pain was sudden and blinding.

She honestly didn't think she was capable of hurting anymore. She thought she was entirely numb to him.

She tried to force a sarcastic smirk, but her facial muscles simply wouldn't cooperate.

"Why? Am I interrupting something?"

Julian's face darkened, and he opened his mouth to reply.

Seraphina quickly recovered, leaning closer to him and shooting Clara a look of faux sympathy. "Clara, why would you say that?"

"Julian just came with me to help my family get some medical tests done."

The words hit Clara like a physical blow.

Her mind went entirely blank. She didn't even know which part of that sentence disgusted her more.

A moment later.

But Clara immediately looked away. True despair wasn't anger; it was total, suffocating exhaustion.

She fired back at Sylvia with glacial calm. "Then you'd better soak it all in while you can. Because perks like this have a funny way of disappearing overnight."

Both Sylvia and Seraphina's faces drastically paled.

Clara let out a cold scoff and walked straight past them.

Julian watched her go, his expression terrifyingly grim. He stepped onto the elevator in total silence and immediately pulled out his phone.

Staring back at him was a photo someone had just sent him—Clara walking into this exact hospital to meet Dominic!

And yet, she had just stood there looking entirely unbothered, acting as if she had done absolutely nothing wrong.

Seraphina and Sylvia immediately sensed the lethal drop in his mood and wisely kept their mouths shut.

But Sienna, entirely oblivious to the tension, started whining to Julian.

"Julian, you and Sera are so perfect together, when are you finally going to make it official? Isn't it time to get rid of that Clara girl? Did you see the way she just acted? Who does she think she is, talking to my aunt like that?"

Seraphina and Sylvia panicked, desperate to silence her before it was too late.

"Shut up, Sienna!"

Sienna rolled her eyes. "Why? You and Julian are practically married. Why does Clara get to act so high and mighty? She's absolute trash..."

Julian's face was a mask of pure rage, but he didn't utter a single syllable. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and stared dead ahead.

But every single person in that elevator knew he was absolutely furious.