Isla slipped the hairpin from her head and toyed with it lazily. “Now that I have it, it doesn’t seem so special anymore.”

As she said this, she pretended to lose her grip, and the hairpin slipped from her fingers.

It fell straight into the nearby fire pit used for shows.

Flames hungrily swallowed it in an instant.

By the time Rosalie rushed over, the hairpin was nothing but a blackened, hollow shell.

“No… no…”

Tears streamed down Rosalie’s cheeks. Her heart shattered just like the burnt remains.

This had been her rare chance to hold onto something Easton left behind.

She never asked for much.

Even if everything connected to Chase was gone, she could bear it.

But why was it so hard to hold on to this one small hairpin?

She sank to the ground, hands covered in ash, feeling as if the world had ended.

Chase’s chest tightened with a sudden wave of guilt and pain.

He reached out to help her up. “It’s just a hairpin. If you want, I can find you something even nicer.”

Rosalie pushed him away coldly. “You could give me a thousand pretty things, but I only wanted that one.”

From that moment on, Rosalie stayed distant and cold toward Chase.

Whenever he tried to speak, she acted like he wasn’t there and avoided him completely.

Even though Isla no longer stayed in the master bedroom, Rosalie went to the guest room alone.

When Chase got into a minor car accident, a friend called Rosalie answered without care, “He’s not my problem. If anything happens, go to Isla.”

The friend was shocked. “Wasn’t Rosalie always crazy about Chase? I remember if he so much as sneezed, she’d stay up all night taking care of him. Now you’re in the hospital after a crash, and she doesn’t even care if you live or die? What happened? Did the fan turn against you?”

Chase’s face turned pale. He tore the IV from his arm, then stumbled out of the hospital, ignoring his friend calling after him.

Dragging his injured body, he threw a handful of hairpins in front of Rosalie. “Rosalie, it was just a hairpin, right? These are all much more expensive and prettier than that maple leaf one. Take them; stop making such a fuss!”

Rosalie didn’t even glance at him. She turned and walked away.

Then Chase noticed a photo lying on the table, a little boy, maybe four or five, clearly sick but smiling brightly from his hospital bed.

What shocked Chase most was how much the boy looked like a mix of him and Rosalie.

But the timeline didn’t add up. This couldn’t be their child.

He stared in disbelief. “Who is this?”

Rosalie’s face changed instantly. Panic flickered in her eyes. She couldn’t let Chase find out about James. With her leaving tomorrow, she couldn’t risk any mistakes now.

She forced herself to stay calm and smoothly snatched the photo from his hand. “Just some random kid. A friend said he looked like me and sent me the picture. I thought it was interesting, so I kept it.”

“He doesn’t just look like you,” Chase chuckled softly. “If you and I had a child, I’m sure he’d look exactly like that…”

Something still felt off. He reached out again. “Rosalie, I didn’t get a good look before. Let me see the photo again. He looks way too much like—”

Rosalie tightened her grip on the photo, searching for a way to change the subject.

Suddenly, Chase’s phone rang. On the other end, Isla cried out in pain, “Brother, I got hit by a car! Please come quickly…”

In an instant, Chase’s eyes filled with panic. He rushed out the door without a second thought.

“Isla, I’m coming right now…”

And just like that, the photo vanished from his mind.

On the day Rosalie left, she took nothing from the Hollis family, only carefully packed the portraits she had painted over the past three years into her suitcase.

As she arranged her things, Chase came home unexpectedly.

His heart sank at the sight. “Rosalie, why are you packing?”

She paused, then said softly, “I have a close friend who’s sick. I’m going abroad to take care of him for a while.”

Seeing her clutch those portraits even now, Chase felt a warm, tender ache inside.

“Can you manage on your own? Why don’t I come with you?”

Rosalie froze, surprised by his unexpected offer. Just as she searched for an excuse, Chase added, “But before we leave, let Miss Delaney take your ring size. I want to redesign your wedding ring.”

Only then did Rosalie remember she had already thrown away the original ring.

Before the designer arrived, Chase’s phone buzzed. Isla’s voice came through. “Brother, for my birthday, I want a piece designed by Miss Delaney. Can you bring her to me?”

If it had been before, Chase would have taken her there without hesitation.

But today, he refused. “Isla, maybe later. Miss Delaney needs to design a new wedding ring for Rosalie over the next few days.”

Isla’s voice broke into tears. “Brother, my birthday is in two days. A wedding ring can wait, but my birthday only comes once a year. Do you not care about me anymore? If you don’t bring Miss Delaney to me now and spend my birthday with me, I’ll go on a hunger strike…”

In the end, Chase gave in. “Okay, okay, let her design your jewelry first…”

He glanced at Rosalie with a hint of guilt. “Rosalie, I’m sorry. Since Isla’s birthday is coming, I can’t go abroad with you.”

“It’s fine,” she said quietly.

When she pulled her suitcase toward the door, Chase insisted on driving her to the airport. “Rosalie, it’s on my way anyway.”

Not wanting to cause trouble at this critical moment, she didn’t refuse.

Watching her hold those portraits close during the ride, Chase smiled softly. “Rosalie, you love me that much? I’m right here, and you still miss me so much.”

Rosalie didn’t correct him. She turned away and changed the subject. “You better hurry and find Isla. If you’re late, she’ll throw another tantrum.”

Yet, she hugged her suitcase a little tighter and gently caressed her belly.

A faint smile touched her lips as if she had just remembered something precious.

Once she was abroad and gave birth, she would save James, the child she and Easton had created from love. For the rest of her life, she would raise both children and hold onto the memories of her love with Easton.

The closer they neared the airport, the lighter her heart felt.

But afraid Chase might see through her, she quickly masked her smile with a veil of sadness.

Chase raised an eyebrow. “Rosalie, are you still jealous of me and Isla? I’ll do my duty as your husband; that’s all there is to it. Isla will always be the most important person in my heart.”

As Rosalie stepped out of the car, Chase added, “When you arrive, Miss Delaney will design your wedding ring. Let me know you landed safely.”

Without looking back, Rosalie entered the airport, feeling a heavy weight lift from her shoulders.

Chase had already driven away.

She snapped her SIM card in two and tossed it into the trash without a second thought.

She would never return. There would be no more news from her.

Chase, this was goodbye. Forever.