Chapter 301

The surveillance footage froze at exactly 6:00 PM.

The living room stood empty.

Evelyn Langley curled up alone in the corner of the sofa.

Nathan Evans recognized it immediately—she was waiting for him again.

No TV played. Her phone lay silent on the coffee table.

She hugged her knees like a forgotten rose in the shadows.

The "home" he'd idealized—the light always left on for him—had been built from her endless waiting and compromises.

"My childhood home only ever had nannies..."

"Evelyn, how I envied you growing up with parents..."

"They still believe money can buy familial love..."

"You showed me what real warmth feels like..."

"I'd imagine coming home to see you cooking in the kitchen..."

"Our children playing in the garden while I push you on the swing..."

"We'll grow old together like this..."

Nathan's own words from years ago echoed in his ears.

He'd wanted a warm home.

Time had eroded those promises from his memory. Yet Evelyn remembered—and had been quietly building the future he'd once painted.

Now everything lay in ruins.

Nathan slapped himself hard across the face.

Crack.

The sharp sound cut through the silent night.

Too late.

He'd lost her. Lost the life he'd dreamed of. Lost the woman who loved him most.

A tear splattered onto the sandalwood table, spreading into a dark stain.

The timestamp jumped to 1:00 AM.

He finally returned.

Reeking of alcohol, he strode past her sleeping form on the sofa and went upstairs without a glance.

Evelyn opened her eyes the moment his footsteps faded.

For three full minutes, she stared at the crystal chandelier overhead.

Then she sat up slowly, gazing blankly toward the staircase.

She hadn't been asleep at all.

What had she been thinking in that moment?

Nathan couldn't bear to imagine.

Disappointment accumulates drop by drop.

Breakups aren't impulsive decisions—they're the culmination of countless nights of quiet despair.

He'd taken her loyalty for granted.

Now came the reckoning.

Nathan stared at the screen until a gust of wind startled him awake.

He'd almost forgotten why he'd pulled up the footage.

With a click, he opened the past month's recordings...

Chloe Valentine had been asleep when the front door opened downstairs.

Her lips curled into a smirk.

You stormed out so dramatically—yet came crawling back within hours?