Silas: [Nina, where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me?]
Silas: [Nina, are you mad about this morning? I can explain. It was just a mistake.]
Silas: [Nina, you’re pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me? And what’s this abortion report? Did we lose our baby?]
Silas: [Nina, please, I’m begging you. Just tell me where you are. I’ll come find you.]
Before I could process it all, the phone rang again. It was Silas.
Taking a steadying breath, I answered.
“Nina! Finally, Silas exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. “Where are you? I’ll come to you right now.”
“Don’t,” I said calmly. “I only answered to tell you that we’re done.”
His tone shifted instantly. “No! No, I won’t accept that. We’re engaged! We’re about to get married! You can’t just break up with me like this. I won’t allow it!”
If he’d been standing in front of me, I had no doubt he’d have grabbed my hand and tried to drag me back.
I took a deep breath to steady myself. “This isn’t un for debate. I’m letting you know not asking for your permission.”
I took a deep breath to steady myself. “This isn’t up for debate. I’m letting you know, not asking for your permission.”
Before he could argue further, I hung up and blocked his number.
Silas had always valued his freedom and hated feeling tied down. This time, I’d give him exactly what he wanted: complete freedom, with no strings attached. He could be with Elyse openly now.
After leaving the airport, Lila took me to rest for a while before we headed to our destination.
Although Lila had lived in the same country as me, her career had always been abroad. Her boss had noticed my skills long ago and tried multiple times to recruit me.
But back then, I was so infatuated with Silas that I couldn’t imagine leaving his side. No matter how enticing the offers were, I had turned them down. Now, I regretted it. If I’d seen things clearly sooner, if I’d left when I had the chance, my life would’ve been so much better.
Then again, maybe some lessons had to be learned the hard way. Only after you’ve been burned can you truly walk away unscathed the next time. Lila’s boss was incredibly accommodating. After meeting with me, he immediately offered an executive position, complete with a beachfront apartment.
Somehow, he’d heard about what happened back home. Expressing his sympathy, he gave me a full week off to relax and recover.
That evening, Lila and I celebrated by indulging ourselves with food and wine. We ate until we couldn’t move, stumbling home in a haze of exhaustion and satisfaction.
But as I lay in bed that night, the memories crept back in… the operating room, the doctor carefully removing the tiny, fragile life inside me.
It had been so small, just a cluster of cells, barely formed enough to be called a baby. And yet, it was gone. A life snuffed out because I had placed my trust in the wrong person.
If I hadn’t pinned all my hopes on Silas, if I’d built a stronger support system, maybe things would’ve been different.
When my week off ended, I started my new job.
The work was demanding, often so busy that I barely had time to eat. But Lila always made sure I was fed, bringing me meals and keeping me grounded.
The days were long, but they were fulfilling. For the first time in years, I felt alive again. The grief of losing my child began to fade, replaced by the quiet satisfaction of building something for myself.
Then Silas showed up.
I saw him standing outside the office one afternoon. The moment his eyes met mine, he sprinted toward me.
“Nina!”
Instinctively, I stepped back, widening the distance between us. “Stop! Don’t come any closer!”
Silas froze in his tracks, staring at me with a mixture of confusion and pain.
“Nina,” he said softly, his voice trembling, “you love me. Why did you leave? Why did you block me? Why are you shutting me out?”
I avoided his gaze, my tone firm. “I don’t want to see you. Go home.”
“No! Nina, please,” he begged, his voice breaking. “We can talk this out. Don’t do this to me. Do you know how much I’ve been through to find you? How could you be so cruel and just leave me behind?”
His words didn’t move me. I’d heard it all before. When he reached out to grab my arm, Lila appeared, her voice sharp and commanding.
“Don’t touch her,” she snapped, slapping his hand away. “This isn’t your playground, Silas. Try one more stunt, and I’ll have you arrested.” Silas hesitated, his hand falling to his side, but his eyes stayed locked on me.
“Nina,” he said earnestly, “I can explain everything. I’ve already sent Elyse and her son away. They’re out of our lives for good.”
I frowned, my voice cold. “Do you really think this is about Elyse?”
Yes, Elyse played a part. But she wasn’t the reason I’d left. The truth was far deeper than that.
For five years, I’d poured everything into Silas. I’d treated his problems as my own, helped build Crowe Holdings from scratch, and loved him with all the warmth and tenderness I had.
And what had he given me in return?
Empty promises. Token gestures. The bare minimum required to keep me tethered to him.
Elyse had only revealed what I’d been too blind to see… What I’d clung to wasn’t special. It was something anyone could
