After all, in the past, no matter how hurt I was, I always willingly waited for him to come back.

He was used to it.

Everyone around him said that the Moretti princess could never leave him.

He believed it too.

I started to drag my suitcases away again.

Just then, Cera's soft voice called out.

"Julian, you're here."

She ran over and clung to Julian's arm, pressing most of her body against him.

"Is your allergic reaction any better?"

Julian gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, examining her face.

"Much better." Cera lifted her face, her eyes curving into a smile. "Julian, please don't be angry with my sister."

She swayed his arm back and forth.

"It's my own fault, really. If my body wasn't so weak, Father wouldn't have made us switch rooms."

"And then sister wouldn't be so angry with me..."

"How is this your fault? It's her own narrow-mindedness."

Julian glanced at me, then deliberately pulled Cera into his embrace.

"Let's go inside. Your face just healed, you shouldn't be out in the wind."

"Okay."

I watched the two of them walk away, clinging to each other like they were joined at the hip.

But my heart was as still as a calm lake, no longer capable of making a single ripple.

After the anniversary of my mother's death, my father did not come to bring me home.

And just like that, Julian's birthday arrived.

In previous years, I would have prepared his gift weeks in advance.

I would have gone to great lengths to book the best hotel in Manhattan and meticulously plan his birthday party.

But this year, I didn't prepare a gift.

And I wouldn't be there to celebrate with him.

At 5 PM, I was in a car on my way to JFK.

Messages started to trickle in on my phone.

My father was also rushing me. "Why aren't you here yet? Your aunt, Cera, and I have all arrived."

"Rosalie, you need to be the bigger person. Julian is our future ally."

"If you don't come, what will people think? They'll assume there's a rift between you and your sister."

I found it utterly ridiculous. I didn't reply with a single word and just blocked him.

As I was about to board, I suddenly received a text message.

It was from Julian.

"Why aren't you here yet? Everyone is waiting for you."

I smiled, didn't reply, and blocked all of his contact information.

Then, I walked through the boarding gate and never looked back.