Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 164

Clara flinched at the furious slam of the door, closing her eyes.

In the past, she would have panicked and burst into tears of distress.

But now, she felt nothing but a numbing calm.

He could do whatever the hell he wanted.

Exhaling slowly, she picked up the calendar from her desk and drew a circle around a date seven days away.

Once the preliminaries were over, she wouldn't stay in this city a second longer.

Then, she drew another circle around tomorrow's date.

By tomorrow night, any chance of reconciliation between her and Julian would be dead and buried.

...

Out in the hallway.

For once, Julian ignored Seraphina's call. He leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

His mood was fouler than it had ever been.

Clara was becoming a massive headache.

Just then.

His phone rang again.

He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

It was Arthur. "Mr. Lowell, the jewelry you ordered has arrived."

It was the anniversary gift he had prepared for Clara—an exquisite, hundred-million-dollar set from the Centennial Collection.

A level of luxury he had never even considered giving Seraphina.

Julian narrowed his eyes in thought. Lowering his cigarette, he said, "Have it sent to my office tomorrow."

"Understood."

...

After hanging up.

Julian tilted his head back, exhaling a plume of smoke. His sharp jawline looked rigid and unyielding in the dim light.

He reasoned with himself.

Women loved jewelry, and Clara was no exception.

Tomorrow night, when she saw the extravagant gift, she would undoubtedly understand his sincerity.

Then, she would come running back to him.

He didn't love Clara.

But he had no desire to replace her—not now, and not anytime in the foreseeable future.

His phone lay on speaker beside it. Susan's hesitant voice filtered through. "Mr. Lowell, Ms. Vance left the house around nine this morning..."

Left around nine?

Was she skipping work now?

She was truly letting everything fall apart. In the past, no matter how badly they argued, she never neglected her responsibilities at the company.

Julian's eyes grew stormy with brewing anger. After a long pause, he asked hoarsely, "Do you know where she went?"

Susan thought for a moment before replying, "I'm not exactly sure. But I noticed she was dressed up. She looked absolutely stunning! She must be heading to an appointment or a date."

Dressed up...

When a woman dressed up, it meant she was either in a fantastic mood, or she was trying to impress someone else.

And who exactly was she trying to impress?

His jaw clenched tight. The cigarette burned down to his fingers, snapping him out of his dark thoughts. He crushed it out, his voice thick with an irritation he couldn't quite name. "Got it. Get back to work."

He ended the call.

A palpable, oppressive gloom settled over his features.

He spun the phone between his long, elegant fingers for a moment before finally deciding to dial her number.

Standing up, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. With one hand slipped casually into his pocket, he stared down at the sprawling city below—a portrait of cold, untouchable dominance.