A second later, he walked away without a shred of hesitation.

In his violent rush to leave, he even shoved Helena so hard she slammed right into the headboard.

Even though it was padded, the impact still rattled her bones.

Sebastian didn't even notice. He hastily threw his clothes on and stormed out of the master bedroom.

Helena finally gathered her wits. She looked down at the necklace gleaming against her skin, a bitter, mocking smile twisting her lips.

What exactly had she been hoping for?

Hoping he'd suddenly remember the things she loved?

Hoping he'd actually hand-pick a gift just for her?

No. She had no right to hope for any of that. All she needed to do was run—run as far away from him as humanly possible.

Fueled by that thought, she forced herself to sit up.

Her legs were still shaking uncontrollably.

She didn't make a sound. She just waited for her strength to return before dragging herself over to the full-length mirror.

Staring at her own wretched reflection, she slowly, mechanically unclasped the necklace he had given her.

She wasn't paying attention.

The sharp edge of the clasp sliced right into her finger.

A drop of crimson blood welled up, smearing across the dazzling diamonds.

She stared at it in total silence.

Eventually, the necklace ended up tossed into her jewelry box.

She didn't throw it in the trash. This story is hosted at novelceo(.)com.

It wasn't that she didn't want to—she just didn't dare.

But the moment she finally escaped this place, she would rip every last memory of him out by the roots.

Taking a deep breath, she numbly walked into the bathroom.

The steaming water slowly washed away the lingering scent of him on her skin.

When she finally stepped out, a notification from The Gossip App flashed on her phone screen.

[Janetta Ramirez Flees Riverton in the Dead of Night! Sebastian Hayes Rushes to the Airport to Intercept His True Love!]

The Tabloids had spun the story with their usual sensational flair, every single word dripping with scandalous implication.

She casually tapped the notification. The screen flooded with massive, high-definition photos.

Sebastian wasn't hiding his face.

Neither was Janetta.

She was even bare-faced, clearly trying to maintain a low profile at the terminal.

But as an A-list celebrity, how low-profile could she really be?

Besides, Helena knew better than anyone that Janetta was physically incapable of keeping a low profile.

She wanted the whole world to know about their affair.

This whole runaway act was obviously just a calculated stunt to force him to choose her.

Helena scrolled through the photos with a hollow, empty smile.

The news had clearly dominated the headlines, because Sophia Zane couldn't hold back and texted her immediately. This chapter was copied from novelсeo.com without permission.

Sophia: [Lena, what the hell is that Two-Faced Schemer trying to pull now? Playing hard to get?]

Helena texted back a painfully indifferent response.

Helena: [Whatever they do has absolutely nothing to do with me.]

She tossed her phone aside. Between the exhausting pregnancy and his brutal treatment earlier, she was dead on her feet.

She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open.

The moment her head hit the pillow, she was out cold.

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian didn't come home that night.

The next morning, she woke up later than usual. Wynn was already awake, soaking up the sun in the small garden.

Spotting him, she walked over with a soft smile.

"Lena, did you not sleep well?" Wynn asked, instantly concerned.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I just had to get up to use the restroom a lot last night. Don't worry about me, just focus on getting better."

Her voice was incredibly gentle and soothing.

But Wynn was her brother. They had grown up together.

He sensed that something was deeply wrong the second he looked at her.

"Lena, are you upset because my brother-in-law went out in the middle of the night and didn't come back?" he asked innocently.

She hadn't expected him to be so fiercely perceptive.

But she could hardly explain the vile reality of her marriage to him.

The impossible situation left her completely speechless.

Instead, it was Wynn who reached out to comfort her. "Lena, Ms. Ramirez is his sworn sister. She's pregnant, and she has to travel abroad for work. He was just worried about her safety, so he went to bring her back. Don't overthink it."