Chapter 40
Chapter 40 Leaving It All Behind
“Take your time. What exactly happened p>
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“I… I stumbled into a shooting scene… Two people just collapsed right in front of me. Blood was everywhere, and I… I…
“I didn’t dare call home, I was afraid my parents and brothers would panic. I’m terrified, Zacharias. Every time I close my eyes, I see them again. C–Can you come and stay with me p>
Zacharias was already out of his office, one hand scrolling through live updates. Headlines confirmed it: a shooting in the very district Selina was in.
“Okay,” he said softly, voice steady. “I’m heading to the airport right now. Don’t be scared p>
Selina’s lips trembled into a tearful smile. “Zacharias, I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Anne is really blessed to have a husband who makes her feel so safe. I’ll wait for you p>
Jackie spotted Zacharias striding out and hurried after him.
“Book the earliest flight you can. I need to get to Agylae immediately.” Zacharias‘ tone was clipped, leaving no room for doubt.
Jackie nodded quickly, but hesitated. “Mr. Shaw… Mrs. Shaw was expecting you for dinner tonight p>
Zacharias froze for a second, conflict flickering across his expression. His jaw tightened. “Send her flowers. Tell my wife I had to leave on urgent business p>
This was the first time Selina had ever broken down in front of him, asking for comfort.
She had always been the strong one, radiant and unshaken. Alone in a foreign country, crying… how could he ignore her?
Without another word, he stepped into the elevator.
Soon, a plane sliced through the night sky.
At Sunrise Residence, silence loomed.
Anneliese stood in the living room, her gaze drifting slowly over the space she had poured two years of her life into.
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Chapter 40 Leaving It All Behind
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Every corner bore her touch, every detail a fragment of the home she once cherished.
Here, she had believed she’d found warmth. A safe haven. A place she could grow old with Zacharias.
Now, standing in the same rooms, everything felt foreign. Unfamiliar. Shattered beyond recognition.
Anneliese walked to the corner of the living room and pulled a golf club from the bag. The weight felt right in her hands.
She strode to the enormous wedding portrait, raised the club, and swung without hesitation.
Crash!
Glass shattered, the smiling couple torn apart, the wall behind exposed in a jagged frame.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The vase she had chosen so carefully exploded into fragments. The keepsakes from Adros scattered in pieces. The handmade couple’s mugs, the coffee table, the dinnerware, the candlesticks–all reduced to wreckage.
Amid the chaos, Anneliese stood still. Tears slipped down her face, but the corners of her lips curved into a faint smile.
All expectations– gone. All trust – betrayed.
Only those who lived through it would understand the weight of that hollow ache.
She let the club fall with a dull clang and walked out, the villa door closing slowly behind her, sealing the ruins in shadow.
She left with nothing in her hands, her back straight, her steps unyielding.
Penelope had given Anneliese a unit in the upscale Maple Bay,
As Anneliese reached the elevator, her phone buzzed.
A new WhatsApp notification flashed across the screen–Jackie’s name.
Jackie’s message popped up. ‘Mrs. Shaw, Mr. Shaw had to leave suddenly on a business trip. He asked me to deliver flowers as an apology. I left them outside Sunrise Residence since you
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Chapter 40 Leaving It All Behind
weren’t home p>
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Anneliese let out a dry laugh. Good thing I didn’t wait by candlelight for a man who never planned to
return.
She tucked her phone away and pressed the elevator button.
Just then, another notification chimed–a voice note from Jessica.
Anneliese tapped play.
“Anneliese, come out with me! I’ll show you what real men look like. Innocent boy–next–door types, rugged mechanics, charming professors, dark doctors, even pilots with abs sharp enough to cut glass. One of them will scoop you up and call you baby. Tempted yet p>
A faint smile tugged at Anneliese’s lips. She knew about those role–play clubs, all flashy fantasy and little substance.
Not her style.
She smiled faintly, realizing she hadn’t even pressed the button yet.
Her gaze rose–and froze.
One of the floor numbers was already lit.
Her pulse quickened. Someone else is here.
A chill spread across her skin. She stiffened, forcing herself to turn, inch by inch.
in hand,
Behind her stood a man. Tall. Imposing. His pilot’s uniform pressed to perfection, cap posture steady. Those dark eyes fixed on her, unwavering, sharp as a blade in the dim light.
For a breath, the elevator felt smaller.
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