In the past, whenever their arguments stretched into cold silence, it was always Nathanie who yielded first.

After a few days of ignoring each other, he would eventually soften, writing a brief apology note just to bring things back to normal. Back then, Adriana had taken those gestures to heart. She had believed the effort meant he cared.

Now, she understood something else.

If a signed apology could once mend their relationship, perhaps a signature could also end it.

“I don’t need you arranging my future,” she said lightly, a hint of challenge in her voice. “If I’m going to move up in rank, I’ll do it with my own abilities.”

Nathanie let out a low laugh, clearly amused. To him, she sounded like a stubborn pup trying to prove herself.

“Suit yourself,” he replied lazily as he reclined against the headboard. “Saves me the trouble. Just don’t come whining to me when no one notices your so-called talent. You might regret being so proud.”

His tone was teasing, but beneath it lay something colder.

Adriana heard it clearly.

She held his gaze. “I won’t come to you. In fact, there’s something I want you to sign.”

His brow lifted. “Sign what?”

Without answering immediately, she stood and walked to the desk. Her movements were steady, though her palms were damp.

She took out a blank sheet and began writing carefully:

From this moment forward, Adriana Whitmore and Nathanie Reed shall maintain clear boundaries. Adriana assumes full responsibility for all her decisions and actions. Under no circumstances will her affairs involve or implicate any individual or authority. All consequences shall be borne solely by Adriana Whitmore.

Signed: Nathanie Reed.

When she finished, she brought the paper to him along with a pen.

Her hands trembled slightly as she placed them on the bedside table.

“Sign it.”

Nathanie didn’t reach for it immediately. His eyes narrowed as he studied her.

There was something different about her tonight—something he couldn’t quite define.

“Why?” he asked evenly.

She met his gaze without flinching.

“What? Are you backing out already? Or are you afraid you’ll end up interfering behind my back?”

She knew exactly where to press.

Nathanie had always been sensitive about his pride.

As expected, his expression darkened.

“Have you forgotten who brought you into this territory’s infirmary?” he said sharply. “Without me, you’d still be in some remote settlement treating injured farmers and rogues. Don’t overestimate yourself.”

The words cut deep.

For a brief moment, it felt like something lodged in her throat.

But she forced herself to remain calm.

“Then prove it,” she replied coolly. “Sign. Let’s see whether I ever need you.”

Her defiance seemed to dissolve his lingering doubts.

With a faint scoff, he grabbed the pen.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll watch how long this independence lasts.”

He signed his name in one swift stroke.

The sound of pen against paper felt louder than it should have.

Adriana watched the ink settle.

A quiet sense of relief spread through her chest.

Carefully, she folded the document and slipped it into her pocket as though it were something precious.

She didn’t say the words aloud, but they echoed in her mind.

This is the last thing I’ll ever ask of you.

That signature wasn’t an apology.

It was her release.

---

The next morning, Adriana rose before dawn.

The letter was still in her coat pocket, and for the first time in weeks, she felt something close to lightness.

She dressed quietly and stepped outside toward Nathanie’s car, intending to take her usual place in the passenger seat.

The window rolled down.

Olivia’s face appeared instead, bright and smiling.

“Adriana, sorry,” Olivia said sweetly. “I get motion sickness if I sit in the back. I have to take the front seat.”

Her tone was innocent. Almost playful.

Adriana paused.

She knew for a fact Olivia had never had issues riding in the back. They had traveled together many times before.

If anyone had struggled with motion sickness, it had always been Adriana.

That was why she typically sat in front.

But today, Olivia occupied that seat effortlessly, as though it had always belonged to her.

As though she had every right to claim it.

Ever since Olivia began riding with them, the front passenger seat had quietly changed owners.

It was no longer Adriana’s.

She stood beside the car door, fingers still resting on the handle, when Nathanie’s voice cut through the still morning air.

“Are you getting in or not?” he said impatiently. “If you’re not coming, then take a cab. Don’t waste time.”

The words were blunt, stripped of any warmth.

Adriana slowly released the handle.

She stepped back from the car.

“You two go ahead,” she said evenly. “I just remembered I left something inside.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the manor, her movements steady despite the tightness in her chest.

Only when the engine of the Audi A8 roared to life and faded into the distance did she stop.

The parking courtyard was empty now. Dust hung faintly in the air.

Two tears slipped down her face before she could stop them.

This was the first time since joining the territory infirmary that she would be late.

---

When she finally arrived at work, several colleagues looked up in surprise.

“Adriana, how’s your ankle? Why are you here already?”

“Did Alpha Reed make you come back so soon? He could’ve let you rest.”

Their concern was sincere.

She forced a small smile. “It’s much better. I didn’t want to fall behind.”

She answered them gently, but her thoughts were far away.

Nathanie had already driven off with Olivia. Whatever she did next had nothing to do with him.

In that moment, an overwhelming clarity washed over her.

She didn’t just want distance.

She wanted out.

Without hesitation, she turned and headed straight for the director’s office.

When she placed the signed consent letter on the desk and presented her application for the overseas relief mission, the director scanned it briefly.

With Nathanie’s signature there, there was nothing more to discuss.

He signed the approval immediately.

“Dr. Whitmore,” he said sincerely, “congratulations in advance. I hope you return safely.”

Adriana nodded.

For the first time in a long while, something inside her felt lighter.

---

After leaving the hospital, she went straight to purchase a plane ticket.

Then she returned home to pack.

Three years with Nathanie had left surprisingly little behind.

Most of what filled the manor belonged to him—or to memories she no longer wished to carry.

Her suitcase was small. It barely filled halfway. A few simple garments. Essentials.

Nothing more.

As she set the suitcase by the door, she heard voices outside.

The door opened.

Nathanie walked in, Olivia at his side. Olivia’s arms were full of shopping bags—clearly new purchases.

Adriana didn’t need to ask who had paid.

“Adriana?” Olivia said brightly. “I didn’t expect you to be home so early. I would’ve brought you something too.”

Nathanie cleared his throat awkwardly.

“The season’s changing,” he said. “We’ll go out tomorrow and buy you some clothes.”

Tomorrow.

Adriana almost smiled at the irony.

“I won’t need them,” she replied calmly. “As long as you’re both satisfied, that’s enough.”

Her indifference seemed to irritate him.

He frowned slightly, a faint scoff escaping his lips.

Fine, his expression seemed to say.

If she wanted to play cold, he could ignore her too.

He decided then that he wouldn’t speak to her unless she came to him first.

He didn’t realize that silence was exactly what she needed.

---

The next day, Adriana did not show up at the infirmary.

By afternoon, Dr. Donovan approached Nathanie.

“Alpha Reed, have you heard from Adriana?” he asked. “She hasn’t reported in today.”

Nathanie had been in the middle of a call with Olivia. The interruption clearly annoyed him.

He waved dismissively.

“She’s capable of handling herself,” he said coolly. “If she wants space, that’s her decision. She doesn’t appreciate me interfering.”

Whenever he spoke of her lately, there was a sharpness to his tone.

He clenched his jaw slightly, irritation simmering beneath the surface.

Last night, she hadn’t spoken to him at all.

Not one word.

“Still,” Dr. Donovan ventured carefully, “shouldn’t you at least try contacting her? Just to make sure she’s alright?”