Upon hearing Hendrix's question, Sabrina slammed her cup onto the table. "I let him in. Any problem?"

Hendrix's voice rose. "Without asking me? How can you let him invade my room and mess with my things?"

"Hendrix, I bought everything you own. Since I bought them, Rowan has every right to touch them."

Her words hit him like a cold slap.

Rowan gently chided, "Bri, don't talk to Hendrix like that. You'll hurt his feelings."

Then he turned to Hendrix and said, "I heard from the household staff that Bri's clothes and shoes used to be kept in your room. Apparently, she had so many that they took up half your closet, and you had no space for your own. So I thought I'd help and move her stuff to our room."

Sabrina used to cling to Hendrix all the time. Growing up, he had never received a single love letter—Sabrina had intercepted every one of them.

Later, she had gone as far as moving all her clothes into his bedroom, claiming it was so she could wear the dresses and heels Hendrix picked for her each morning before work.

He knew her wardrobe better than she did, down to which shelf held each dress and bag.

Hendrix hurried upstairs and rushed straight into his room.

The room looked like a tornado had swept through. There were clothes, gadgets, and figurines scattered everywhere.

Hendrix angrily pointed at the mess scattered across the floor and demanded an explanation from Rowan. "Is this what you call helping?"

Rowan apologized, "I'm sorry, Hendrix. I accidentally—"

"Accidentally? You've accidentally turned my room into a post-tornado disaster? Your 'accident' must have been quite something!"

Sabrina's voice cut through like a whip. "Watch your tone, Hendrix!"

Hendrix smiled bitterly. "I did nothing this time, yet it's still my fault?"

"Rowan is my fiancé. You need to respect him," Sabrina shot back.

"Why don't you come up and take a look for yourself first, Sabrina?"

Sabrina slowly walked upstairs. As she saw the utter chaos in the room, she was taken aback for a brief moment.

But that moment passed quickly.

A soft laugh escaped her lips as she turned to Rowan. "Maybe we should have the staff tidy our bedroom from now on."

"But I don't want anyone touching my clothes, especially... my robes."

He emphasized "robes" in a suggestive tone, and his gaze grew more intimate.

Sabrina sighed and nodded in resignation. "Fine, I'll handle it from now on. Okay?"

Rowan asked, "Bri, do you think I'm a little silly?"

"It's alright. As long as I'm here, it's okay if you're a little silly."

Hendrix squeezed his eyes shut. He had never hated the dreaded resignation handover period so much. Otherwise, he would have already flown across the ocean, avoiding this chaotic and disgusting scene.

"Hendrix, calculate how much damage Rowan's done to your clothes and equipment. Just give me a total, and I'll compensate you for it," Sabrina said.

Hendrix let out a bitter laugh. Sabrina was actually using money to shut his mouth.

Rowan casually nudged his arm and whispered, "Hendrix, feel free to overstate the cost. With me here, she'll have to pay whatever you ask."

Sabrina shot back with affection, "So now you're teaming up with an outsider to empty out my wallet, huh?"

Rowan stuck his tongue out. "Well, I'm like Hendrix's brother now. Of course, I'm going to support my little brother."

Hendrix scoffed at those words.

Sabrina had actually called him an outsider.

Well, she and Rowan were the closest to each other now. He was indeed the outsider among the three of them.

Just then, Hendrix's phone rang. It was Jefferson.

He composed himself and answered, "Yes, Mr. Scott?"

"I remember your bird photography series was impressive," Jefferson said. "The magazine editor wants to see it again. Could you send me the negatives?"

"Sure, Mr. Scott. Just a moment."

Hendrix made his way back to his bedroom. He had always preferred using film cameras, and his negatives were stored safely in a locked drawer.

As he reached for the key, he noticed the entire cabinet was damp.

"I'm sorry, Hendrix," Rowan's voice echoed. "I accidentally spilled some coffee earlier and didn't want it to stain your cabinet, so I washed it down with water."

Hendrix's heart sank. Ignoring Rowan, he hurried to unlock the drawer.

The moment he opened it, his worst fears were confirmed.

Rows of negatives were all soaked in water. Some had already unraveled, others had changed color, and many were tangled up in a mess. The water was now a brownish hue.

These were the negatives of all his photography work from over three years. They were completely ruined!

Hendrix's body trembled with rage. He could barely speak.

Sabrina, having entered the room, saw the damage and shrugged nonchalantly. "You should tally up the cost of these negatives. I'll cover it for Rowan."

Hendrix snapped. "Can you even afford this? He doesn't understand what these negatives mean to me, but don't you?"

Sabrina frowned. "But they're ruined now. Getting upset won't change anything. Rowan was just trying to help by tidying up my clothes. The coffee spill was an accident."

"An accident? Does that mean everything can just be brushed off as an accident? If someone accidentally crashes a car and kills someone, is 'sorry' enough to make it okay?"

"Hendrix Gorman!" Sabrina's voice hardened. "Stop being unreasonable. A ruined photo is not the same as a lost life. You can always take new pictures. Why are you making this so dramatic?"

On the other end of the phone, Jefferson's voice held a note of concern. "Are you okay, Hendrix? Is everything alright?"

Hendrix sighed heavily and replied, "Mr. Scott, I'm afraid I can't provide the negatives right now. I'll try to re-shoot the series and send them to you as soon as possible."

"Alright. Take your time," Jefferson replied. "The visa process will take at least half a month anyway."

"Okay."

Sabrina caught the key word. "Visa? You're going abroad?"

Hendrix hung up the phone. He took a deep breath and began quietly cleaning up the mess on the floor.

"Mr. Scott's visa expired. He's too old to be traveling back and forth, so he asked me to help sort it out."

Sabrina looked at him suspiciously. "But isn't his daughter in the country? Why doesn't he have her handle it?"

Hendrix snapped, "Why don't you call him and ask?"

"I'm not that free."

"Then stop asking so many questions."

Hendrix spent the entire night cleaning up his bedroom.

The clothes and shoes Rowan had left in a mess weren't worth packing, so he piled them in the corner of the closet.

He did manage to salvage a few rolls of negatives. But having been soaked in water, they were ruined beyond repair.

Rowan sent him a message. "Today is just a warning."

It stayed on the screen for two minutes before it was deleted.

That way, Hendrix would see it, but there would be no proof left behind.

But after what happened last time, Hendrix was prepared. As soon as he saw the message, he took a screenshot.

He smirked as he sent the screenshot to Rowan.

This time, Rowan didn't respond for a long while.

Hendrix couldn't help but laugh. Did Rowan really think his tricks could work over and over again, with no caution on his part?

That was an insult to his intelligence.

About ten minutes later, Rowan finally replied, "What's your point?"

"No point. Just a warning. If you keep acting like this, I'll send the screenshot to Sabrina."

After sending the message, Hendrix turned off his phone.

Rowan could delete the message if he wanted to. Hendrix didn't care what Sabrina would think if she saw it.

Since the day he had decided to leave, he had stopped expecting anything from her.

At breakfast the next morning, Carley noticed his pale complexion and asked with concern, "Hendrix, did you not sleep last night? You look awful."

Hendrix muttered, "Yeah, but it's fine. A couple of days of rest, and I'll be good."

Carley nodded. "Right, you need to rest. You've got a lot to do for Bri's wedding. She's practically grown up in our house, and I treat her like my own daughter. It's such a big deal that she's finally found someone she loves. We've got to make sure her wedding goes off perfectly."

Hendrix looked up. "They've set a date?"

"Yeah, it's next weekend. Bri didn't tell you? She used to run to you with every little thing, but now she didn't even tell you her wedding date?"

Next weekend?

Hendrix checked the calendar. It was the day he planned to leave.

At that moment, Sabrina and Rowan came out of the bedroom.

Rowan greeted Hendrix with a big grin as if nothing had happened. "Hendrix, I've talked to Bri. We've decided you're going to be the photographer for our wedding. You've got to make sure we look amazing."

Hendrix flatly refused. "I've got plans that day. I won't be able to make it."

Rowan pouted. "Are you still mad about what happened yesterday? I'm sorry, really. If you're still angry, I-I'll apologize on my knees."

He bent slightly, as if he were about to kneel.

Sabrina quickly pulled him back. "He's not worth you kneeling to."

Carley stepped in to smooth things over. "No need for that, Rowan. Hendrix is just upset about the negatives. I'm sure he's angry, but you don't need to get on your knees."

Rowan whimpered, "I just feel like I can't do anything right. I'm really sorry, Hendrix."

Sabrina reassured him, "It's fine. Just be more careful next time. Let's eat. Didn't you say you were hungry earlier?"

Rowan winked at her playfully. "Well, that's because of you. If you hadn't made such a fuss this morning... I wouldn't be so tired and hungry."

"Alright, it's all my fault. Now sit down and eat."

She spread jam on her toast and continued, "Hendrix, my wedding is next weekend. No matter what happens, I want you to push everything aside and be our wedding photographer. It's a way to honor the bond we've shared for over 20 years."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

A maid went to answer it, only to see a person she didn't recognize standing outside. "May I ask who you are here for?"

The person at the door was a modest-looking middle-aged woman. Smiling, she said, "Hi, may I speak with Mr. Hendrix Gorman? I'm from a charity organization.

"He contacted me about a batch of clothes he wishes to donate to the impoverished communities in the mountains. We had arranged to pick them up today."

Hendrix stood up immediately. "I'm Hendrix. The clothes are all packed. I'll go get them."

He went upstairs and brought down several large bags full of clothes before handing them to the woman.

The woman thanked him warmly. "Thank you so much for your generosity, Mr. Gorman. The weather's getting colder, and many people in the mountains don't have enough clothes for the winter. These will really help."

"No problem. Please make sure the clothes get to them soon."

"Don't worry. We will—"

"Wait." Sabrina walked over with a puzzled look. As she glanced down at the large bags of clothes on the floor, she frowned. "You donated all your clothes?"

Carley was surprised as well. "Hendrix, I get that you want to help out, but we could just donate money. Why donate all your clothes? It's getting cold. What are you going to wear?"

Hendrix looked at Sabrina and chuckled lightly. "You said you'd help Rowan compensate me, right? These clothes are old, and I don't need them anymore. I'll use the money to buy new ones. Is there a problem with that?"

Sabrina stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Fine, how much do you need? I can transfer it now."

Hendrix raised one finger.

"A million dollars? Okay," Sabrina agreed.

"No," Hendrix replied.

"Ten million?"

Rowan immediately panicked. "How are a few clothes worth ten million dollars?"

Hendrix gave him a cold look and then turned to Sabrina. "One dollar."

The clothes were all gifts from Sabrina. Now that he was leaving, he didn't want to take her things or her money.

Just like she said, he was an outsider.

One dollar was a fair exchange. Over 20 years of feelings would be wiped clean.

Sabrina frowned slightly. "What exactly are you trying to do, Hendrix?"

"Are you giving it or not? Transfer the money now or forget it."

After a moment's pause, Sabrina finally made the transfer. "I've kept my promise. The damages Rowan caused have been compensated. Don't take your frustration out on him anymore."

Hendrix glanced at the dollar in his bank account and smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I won't."

"And one more thing. You're going to be the photographer at our wedding. It's Rowan's wish. You have to come."

Hendrix thought for a moment. His flight was in the evening, and it would be their wedding night.

He nodded. "Alright."

In the days that followed, Hendrix barely returned to Gorman Manor.

He took a trip to the countryside and spent some time photographing birds. He sent the new shots to Jefferson.

Jefferson was ecstatic when he saw them and immediately video-called Hendrix. "Hendrix, your composition and color work have improved so much! Several magazines are eager to work with you. When you get here, we'll meet with them and pick the best one!"

Hendrix was genuinely happy with the praise. "Thanks, Mr. Scott."

"By the way, did you talk to Sabrina? Did she agree to let you develop your career in Euressa?"

Hendrix laughed. "She probably can't wait for me to go now."

"That's great! No more worries. Honestly, I thought convincing her would be a hassle," Jefferson said.

Hendrix asked Jefferson for his address and sent his equipment ahead. Jefferson would keep it for him until he arrived.

On the day of Sabrina and Rowan's wedding, Hendrix picked up the camera from the wedding planner.

Since Rowan got what he wanted, his face showed an undeniable smugness. When Hendrix was taking photos, he struck a pose like a victorious winner.

While Sabrina was chatting with the guests, Rowan insisted on pulling her away and urging her to take photos with him.

Feeling sorry for Hendrix, Carley stepped in to intervene. "Rowan, you've had plenty of photos already. Let Hendrix take a break."

Rowan replied, "Hendrix is so talented. A few photos won't tire him out. Right, Hendrix?"

Carley wasn't having it and snapped, "I'll have the photographer from the wedding planner's side take your photos. Hendrix needs a rest."

"But no photographer compares to Hendrix. Today is a once-in-a-lifetime day for Bri and me. We must have Hendrix capture our happiest moment."

Hendrix said nothing. After taking the last shot, he handed the camera back to the wedding planner.

With that, he turned and walked away.

Carley hurried after him. "Where are you going, Hendrix?"

Hendrix smiled. "Mom, Bri will have Rowan to take care of her. You should take better care of yourself."

"Why are you talking like that? Even though Bri's married, I still have you."

Smiling, Hendrix took her hand. "Yes, I'll always be your son."

Carley sighed. "Hendrix, I really thought… Bri would end up with you. I thought she'd become my daughter-in-law. But she suddenly—"

"Let's not talk about this, Mom."

"Alright."

Just then, Hendrix's phone rang. It was Jefferson.

"Hendrix, have you reached the airport? What time do you land? My wife and I will pick you up."

"I'm heading there now," Hendrix replied.

"Great, we'll see you in eight hours."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Hendrix checked the time. It was almost time to leave for the airport. He didn't even go back to Gorman Manor. He grabbed a cab straight to the airport.

While he waited in line to board, Rowan sent him a message.

"Thanks for photographing Bri and me. We both love the pictures. I'll be like a big brother to you from now on. Let's get along well." He ended the text with a victory hand emoji.

Hendrix snorted and took a screenshot.

This time, he sent the screenshot directly to Sabrina. "Sabrina, congratulations on your wedding. We'll never meet again."

After sending it, he blocked both Sabrina and Rowan. From now on, they would be completely erased from his life.

The flight attendant greeted him with a smile. "Have a pleasant flight, sir."

Hendrix returned the smile politely. "Thank you. I'm looking forward to it."

Then, he boarded the plane without a second glance.