Kiera Case POV:

Chloe's phone shook in her hand, giving me an even closer, more sickening view of the Parisian cafe scene. Felix, his impossibly charming smile plastered across his face, leaned in to whisper something to Bella. She giggled, a sound that grated on my raw nerves, and then, completely unselfconsciously, she stretched up and kissed him. A full, lingering kiss, right there in the open, for anyone to see. For me to see.

My breath caught in my throat. Just last night, Felix had insisted he wasn't "one for public displays," especially not with me. He'd always preferred the quiet intimacy of closed doors, the stolen glances, the private whispers. He'd said it was "special," "ours." The hypocrisy was a fresh, burning brand on my soul. My vision tunneled, the edges of the screen blurring. The cafe, the passersby, Chloe's worried face – it all faded, replaced by the vivid image of Felix, his lips on hers. His words, "Elle était juste une pratique," screamed in my head, a vicious, mocking refrain.

He hadn't been afraid of public displays; he'd been afraid of exhibiting me in public. Because I was just the warm bed, the safety net, the practice. Bella Ramsey, the high-profile model, was the prize. She was the one worthy of public affection, of being paraded around like a trophy. And he hadn't wasted a single second. Just hours. It had been mere hours since he' d woken up next to me, since he' d called me "my love," since he' d promised me a shared future. He was ruthless, utterly and completely devoid of any real feeling for me. He was a predator, and I had been his unwitting prey.

A choked sob escaped me, tearing at my throat. My hands flew to my face, hot tears streaming past my fingers. The betrayal was so sharp, so complete, it felt like someone had scooped out my insides and left me hollow. My body began to shake uncontrollably, a deep, rattling tremor that started in my chest and spread through every limb. I couldn't breathe. I was choking on the pain, on the suffocating realization that the man I had loved, devoted myself to, had seen me as nothing more than an expendable prop in his grand play.

"Kiera? Oh my god, Kiera, are you okay? What' s wrong?" Chloe' s voice, now full of alarm, jolted me slightly. She' d turned the camera back to her face, her eyes wide with concern. "What happened? Why are you crying like that?"

I couldn' t speak, couldn't form words around the ragged sobs tearing through me. I just shook my head, pressing my palms harder against my eyes, trying to physically blot out the images, the words, the crushing reality.

"Kiera, please, talk to me," Chloe pleaded, her voice softer now, tinged with empathy. "Did Felix do something? Is it about Bella? I knew that girl was trouble. She' s all over his social media now, it' s disgusting the way he' s parading her around after… after everything."

After everything. Chloe didn' t even know the half of it. She didn't know about the French, about the "practice," about the "safety net." She just knew the public version of Felix's callousness, which was already more than enough.

Finally, I managed to choke out a single, raw word. "Everything."

"Everything what?" Chloe pressed gently. "Just tell me. I' m here. Whatever it is, we' ll get through it."

I took a shuddering breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. "He… he called me 'practice,' Chloe," I whispered, the words barely audible. "He called me a 'safety net.' He said he was just keeping his bed warm for Bella. In French. Right after… right after last night."

Silence. On Chloe' s end, her eyes, usually so bright and full of life, widened in horror. Her mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. Her expression hardened, a fierce protectiveness flashing in her gaze. "He what?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "The absolute nerve of that entitled, arrogant prick! He speaks French to exclude people, Kiera. He thinks you' re too 'simple' to understand him, doesn' t he?"

I nodded, fresh tears welling up. "He always did. I learned French years ago, for his grandmother, Madame Decker. He never knew."

Chloe let out a string of curses, colorful and indignant. "Oh, Kiera. My poor Kiera. He is a truly despicable human being. And you know what? He' s always been like this. Always taking you for granted. Always knowing you' d be there to pick up his pieces, to cheer him on, to make him look good. You were always the one picking out his ties, reminding him of his mother' s birthday, making sure he had coffee before his exams. You basically ran his life for him, darling, and he just… absorbed it. He expected it."

Her words, though harsh, were a cold splash of truth. She was right. I had spent years, my entire young adulthood, shaping myself into the perfect partner for Felix. I' d adjusted my dreams, chosen Columbia simply because it was his dream school, planning to study architecture there so I could be near him, supporting him while he took over his family' s real estate empire. I' d seen it as devotion, as love. He' d seen it as an entitlement, a given. He' d used my love as a cushion, a convenient, always-present comfort. My pain twisted into a bitter knot of indignation.

"I can' t do this anymore, Chloe," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "I can' t. I won' t." A strange resolve began to solidify within me, a hard, cold core replacing the shattered pieces. My tears dried, leaving my cheeks feeling stiff and raw.

"Good," Chloe said, her voice firm, supportive. "It' s about damn time, Kiera. You deserve so much more than to be someone' s 'safety net.' You are brilliant, kind, beautiful, and you have dreams of your own, remember? What about Stanford? You got into Stanford' s architecture program, the best in the country, with a full scholarship! You told me you turned it down because you wanted to be with Felix at Columbia! What if… what if you didn' t?"

My head snapped up. Stanford. I had almost forgotten. It was a distant, painful memory, a road not taken for a man who didn't deserve a single step of my journey. The idea, whispered by Chloe, settled into the hollow space in my chest, not as a pang of regret, but as a spark of defiant hope.

"I' m withdrawing my acceptance from Columbia," I stated, the words coming out surprisingly steady. "And I' m accepting Stanford' s offer."

Chloe gasped, a delighted sound. "Kiera! Are you serious? Oh my god, this is amazing! This is… this is you, Kiera! This is what you should have done all along!"

A small, genuine smile touched my lips, the first in what felt like an eternity. "I' m serious. I' m going to Stanford. I' m going to build my own life, my own dreams. Far away from him." Felix' s dismissive words about me being a "safety net" had sealed my fate, but not in the way he intended. He had pushed me out of his shadow, right into my own light.

"That' s my girl!" Chloe cheered, her face beaming. "When do you call them? Now? Call them now!"

I laughed, a fragile, shaky sound, but a laugh nonetheless. "I will. First thing in the morning." I thought of all the times Felix had casually dismissed my architectural sketches, his eyes glazing over as I spoke passionately about designing sustainable cities, sleek skyscrapers, and innovative public spaces. He' d barely listened, his focus always on his own next big deal, his next conquest. I' d always swallowed my disappointment, telling myself he was just busy, that he' d appreciate it eventually. But he wouldn' t. He never would. My passion was irrelevant to him; it didn't serve his narrative.

No more. I would build my own narrative. I would build towering structures that reached for the sky, and he, the man who thought I belonged in his shadow, would simply be a tiny man on the ground, looking up. The thought, sharp and sweet, filled me with a quiet, fierce determination.

"He won't even know what hit him," Chloe murmured, a triumphant glint in her eyes. "He'll be too busy preening with his 'prize.' And when he finally looks around for his loyal little shadow, you'll be gone. Light years away, shining brighter than he ever could."

"He will never find his 'safety net' again," I vowed, my voice firm, resolute. "Because there's nothing left to catch."

Kiera Case POV:

I ended the call with Chloe, her enthusiastic cheers still echoing in my ears, a stark contrast to the hollow ache in my chest. The burst of defiant resolve had been exhilarating, but now, alone in the quiet of my room, the weight of everything settled back in. My bed, still warm from Felix' s fleeting presence, felt like a trap. The scent of him, that musk and cologne, was everywhere, clinging to the sheets, to my hair, a ghost of intimacy that now felt like a violation.

I pressed my hands against my temples, trying to push away the images: Felix laughing with Bella, his dismissive words in French, the decade of my life I' d poured into him. It was too much, a cacophony of pain and regret. Stop it, Kiera. Stop thinking. I squeezed my eyes shut, rocking myself gently, desperate for the oblivion of sleep. It was still dark outside, the city lights a distant, shimmering glow against the inky sky.

Sleep, when it finally came, was fitful and shallow, plagued by nightmares of Felix's laughter and Bella' s triumphant smile. I thrashed, mumbling incoherent protests, until a sharp jolt woke me. My eyes flew open, heart pounding. The room was still dark, but a sliver of dawn was just beginning to paint the sky outside my window.

He wasn't there. Of course, he wasn' t.

A chilling wave of understanding washed over me. For years, every argument, every slight disagreement, every misunderstanding, had ended with Felix sending me a "goodnight" text, usually with a heart emoji, a silent peace offering. It was his way of ensuring I wouldn't stay mad, that I'd be waiting for him, ready to forgive, the next morning. It was a habit, a ritual, a tether. And now, it was broken. Not a single text, not a single call. Not even a casual, dismissive "Are you okay?" text. Nothing. The silence was louder than any argument. It confirmed everything. I truly was nothing to him.

A part of me, the old, needy Kiera, wanted to scream, to call him, to demand an explanation, to force him to acknowledge the years, the love, the betrayal. But a new Kiera, a fragile but growing sapling of self-respect, held me back. What would I say? "I know you think I'm just practice"? What would he say? Deny it? Laugh it off? It would only give him more power, more control. He would twist it, make me out to be the jealous, crazy ex. I knew his game, and I refuse to play. Not anymore.

My phone buzzed again. This time it was an alarm, reminding me of my Columbia orientation. I scoffed, a bitter, humorless sound. Columbia. My "shared dream." No, my future was now in California, a clean break, a fresh start.

Before I could even swing my legs out of bed, the door burst open. Not a gentle knock, not a polite entrance. It burst. My heart leaped into my throat, a scream catching there. Felix stood in the doorway, already dressed in crisp chinos and a designer polo shirt, a confident, slightly smug smirk on his face.

"Morning, sunshine," he chirped, striding in as if he owned the place, which, in a way, he did. This was the Decker guest house, after all, my childhood home next door. He' d always had a key, an unspoken right of passage. He still did. He didn't even bother to close the door behind him. He just sauntered over to my bed, his eyes raking over me in my sleep-rumpled t-shirt and shorts. A shiver of revulsion ran down my spine.

He flopped down beside me, leaning over, his face too close. "Rough night? You look a little… pouty." He reached out, his finger tracing my jawline, then pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear. The gesture, once intimate, now felt invasive, violating.

I flinched, pulling back abruptly. "Don' t," I said, my voice flat, devoid of emotion.

His brow furrowed slightly. "Don' t what? Don' t touch my girl?" He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that used to send shivers of delight through me. Now it just made my stomach clench. He reached for me again, his hand falling to my bare thigh, his thumb rubbing slow circles. "Or are you just playing hard to get? You know I love it when you do that, Kiera." His eyes held a predatory glint, a familiar challenge.

I pushed his hand away, harder this time. "Felix. Stop." My voice was still flat, but there was an edge to it, a warning.

He pulled back, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "Whoa. What' s up with you? Cranky this morning? Didn' t I give you enough last night?" He winked, a crude, dismissive gesture that made my blood run cold.

I stared at him, my gaze unwavering, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. My silence seemed to irritate him more than any outburst. His smirk faded, replaced by impatience.

"Come on, Kiera. Don' t be like this. I told you I had to go to the office early. It' s important. We' re talking about the Ramsey deal, after all." He said "Ramsey" with an almost exaggerated causalness, as if testing the waters.

I remained silent, my eyes fixed on a point just past his shoulder.

He scoffed. "Are you upset about her? Seriously? You know Bella' s just for show. Public relations. You' re… you' re Kiera. That' s different. That' s real." His voice was tinged with a patronizing tone, as if I were a child he needed to placate with empty words. A wave of bitterness washed over me. He really thought I was that naive, that stupid?

My lips almost formed a thin, bitter smile. Real. He called me "real" while his words in French echoed in my head, branding me as "practice." The sheer arrogance, the audacity of it, was breathtaking. I pushed myself up from the bed, avoiding his gaze, and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" he demanded, his voice sharper now, accustomed to my instant obedience.

I didn' t answer. I just kept walking, out of the room, down the stairs. The house felt huge, empty, echoing with the silence of my shattered illusions. He followed, his footsteps heavy on the polished wood. I noticed, with a detached sort of observation, that his patience for my moods seemed to have worn thin. Usually, he'd charm me out of it, or wait for me to come around. Now, he was just annoyed.

In the kitchen, I went straight for the fridge. "I had the caterers stock up on all your favorites for breakfast," he said, his voice attempting a conciliatory tone, but still edged with impatience. "Pancakes, bacon, those little fruit tarts you love. Come on, let' s eat."

I ignored the spread, pulling out a plain yogurt and some granola. My appetite had vanished somewhere between pratique and Bella.

He watched me, his face darkening. "Yogurt? Seriously? I went to all that trouble, Kiera."

I poured the granola into the yogurt, carefully avoiding his gaze. "I' m not hungry for pastries, Felix."

His hand slammed down on the counter, making me jump. The glass of orange juice next to it toppled, spilling a bright, sticky mess across the pristine white marble. "What is your problem, Kiera? Is it Bella? Are you jealous?" His voice was a low snarl, his eyes blazing.

I sighed, a long, weary sound that came from the depths of my soul. "Jealous of what, Felix?" I countered, finally meeting his furious gaze. My voice was calm, almost detached. "Of being a 'safety net' ?"

His eyes widened fractionally, a flicker of surprise, then suspicion. "What are you talking about? What 'safety net' ?" He scoffed, looking away, then back at me. "Don' t be ridiculous. You' re my best friend, Kiera. You' re like… family." The word "family" was laced with a chilling dismissal. He'd never used that word when describing our intimacy.

Family. My best friend. Just a few hours ago, I'd been his lover. Now I was "family," a term he used to conveniently distance himself, to deny the intimacy we'd shared, to invalidate my feelings. The casual cruelty of it made my body tremble, not with fear, but with a cold, righteous anger.

Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring his enraged face. A single tear escaped, tracing a path down my cheek. I hadn' t meant to cry, not in front of him, not now, when I needed to be strong.

He stared at me, his anger momentarily replaced by a flicker of bewilderment. "Kiera? What the hell? Why are you crying?" He sounded genuinely surprised, almost confused. He took a step towards me, reaching out a hesitant hand. "Hey, come on. Don' t cry. You know I hate it when you cry." He tried to pull me into a hug, a clumsy, forced gesture.

Just then, his phone buzzed. A vibrant, upbeat pop song blared from his pocket. He glanced down, his eyes widening slightly. He muttered a quick apology, pulling out his phone. His face immediately softened, a smile replacing his confused frown. "Hey, baby," he purred into the phone, his voice suddenly full of warmth and affection, a stark contrast to the anger he' d just directed at me. "Yeah, I just woke up. Just grabbing… um… coffee. Be there in twenty." He shot me a quick, dismissive glance, his eyes cold again. "Gotta go, Kiera. You know… work. Get over it."

Then he was gone, striding out of the kitchen, his voice already fading as he continued his sweet nothings to Bella. The heavy front door clicked shut, leaving me standing alone in the silent, messy kitchen, the spilled orange juice a bright, sticky stain on the marble.

My tears, which had paused, now started again, hot and heavy.

Kiera Case POV:

The silence in the kitchen was deafening after Felix left, broken only by my ragged breathing. I stood there, rooted to the spot, the dampness of tears still clinging to my cheeks. My phone lay where it had fallen, unnoticed until a notification flashed across the screen. It was Chloe again, but this time, it wasn't a call. It was a screenshot. A social media post. From Bella Ramsey.

My stomach seized. The photo was a selfie, Bella pouting playfully, her hair perfectly tousled. But it was the caption that twisted the knife. "First morning coffee in Paris with my amazing Felix! So glad he arranged this little getaway for us. He even remembered my favorite French press! So thoughtful. #ParisianNights #FelixAndBella #Blessed"

My eyes zeroed in on two details: the French press, a sleek chrome and glass device that had been my gift to Felix for his birthday last year, because he'd mentioned wanting to learn to make "proper coffee." And the "little getaway," which was obviously a lie, given he' d only just arrived and was supposed to be working on the "Ramsey Tower acquisition." A cruel irony that he was now acquiring Ramsey herself.

He'd brought my gift, a symbol of my thoughtful gesture, to impress her. He'd given her the credit for my effort. The sheer audacity, the effortless cruelty of it, stole my breath. I squeezed my eyes shut, a fresh wave of tears blurring the screen. I closed my phone, the small black rectangle suddenly too heavy, too painful to hold. It clattered to the counter, echoing the shattered fragments of my heart.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Henderson, the Decker' s housekeeper, bustled into the kitchen, a quiet, efficient woman who had seen me grow up. Her eyes, usually warm, widened slightly at the sight of the spilled juice and my tear-streaked face. She didn' t say anything, just started methodically cleaning the counter, her movements a quiet testament to the chaos Felix had left behind.

"Mrs. Henderson," I managed, my voice hoarse. "Can you… can you get rid of that French press? And anything else he might have left here?" My gaze swept over the kitchen, suddenly seeing all the small tokens of Felix' s presence, gifts he' d given me, things he' d left behind. Each one now felt tainted.

She paused, looking at me with a knowing sadness in her eyes. "Of course, dear. Consider it done." Her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, a silent offer of comfort, before she returned to her task.

I spent the rest of the morning in a haze, systematically going through my own room, gathering every single item Felix had ever given me. A delicate silver bracelet, a ridiculously fluffy bathrobe, a collection of first-edition architecture books he' d bought for my birthday. Each item held a memory, a whisper of a promise, now brutally broken. I boxed them all up, methodically, dispassionately. The act of purging felt like cauterizing a wound, painful but necessary.

Days blurred into a week. Felix didn' t call. He didn't text. Not from his blocked number, not from any new number. And I didn't reach out. Not once. The Kiera of old would have been frantic, would have convinced herself it was her fault, would have found a way to bridge the silence, to apologize for a crime she didn' t commit. But that Kiera was gone. She had died in that kitchen, listening to Felix' s cruel French words.

I blocked every new number that vaguely resembled his. I unfriended him on all social media platforms. I even changed the access code to the guest house, a symbolic gesture of reclaiming my space, my privacy. No more unexpected entrances. No more casual violations.

Then came Chloe' s call. "Kiera! Pack your bags! My parents are letting me take their private jet to our villa in Tuscany. You' re coming with me. No arguments. We leave tomorrow morning."

The idea of escaping, of putting an ocean between myself and Felix' s ghost, was intoxicating. "Yes," I said, without hesitation. "Yes, I' m coming."

I told my parents about the trip. They were concerned, of course, about my sudden change of plans, about me canceling Columbia. But they also saw the haunted look in my eyes, the quiet devastation I was trying to hide. They knew something was deeply wrong, even if I hadn't explicitly told them about Felix' s betrayal.

"I' m not coming back here before university starts," I told them, my voice firm. "I' ll fly directly from Tuscany to Stanford." The words felt powerful, a declaration of independence.

The next morning, as I walked out of the guest house, my suitcase in hand, I saw Mrs. Decker, Felix' s mother, tending to her rose garden. She looked up, her smile warm. "Kiera, dear! Such a surprise! Felix told me you were going on a trip with Chloe. How wonderful! Some time away will do you good before Columbia."

My heart did a strange, painful flutter. Felix told her? He had lied to his own mother, making it seem like my trip was a joint decision, not a desperate escape. He' d spun a narrative where I was still his, still going to his university. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I forced a polite smile. "Yes, Mrs. Decker. It will be lovely." I couldn't bring myself to correct her about Columbia. Not yet.

At the airport, the sleek, private jet sat waiting on the tarmac. Chloe was already there, bouncing with excitement. As we walked towards the gate, a sudden flash of movement caught my eye. My breath hitched. There, in the main terminal, was Felix. And beside him, impossibly beautiful, was Bella Ramsey.

They were engrossed in each other, Felix laughing, pulling Bella closer, his hand resting on the small of her back. She was pouting, then smiling, then playfully slapping his arm. He was carrying her carry-on, a small, pink designer bag.

A sharp, almost physical pain lanced through me. He was carrying her bag. He had never carried mine. Not once in ten years. He' d always said, "You' re perfectly capable, Kiera. Independence, right?" He'd called it fostering my independence. Now I saw it for what it was: a lack of care, a blatant disregard. He only extended courtesy, thoughtfulness, real affection, to those he truly wanted to impress, to those he valued. And I had never been one of them.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing the air into my lungs. This was it. The final, undeniable proof. He wasn' t just dismissive; he was indifferent. And that indifference was a thousand times more painful than any anger.

"Kiera? Are you okay?" Chloe whispered, pulling me along. Her eyes followed my gaze, and she stiffened, her jaw clenching. "Oh, for crying out loud. He' s everywhere."

I didn' t answer. I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, steering clear of them. Felix, for his part, was deeply engrossed. He was checking his phone every few seconds, his brow furrowed, then he' d turn back to Bella with a forced smile. He seemed… distracted. Bella, however, seemed to have his full attention, her voice a little too loud, her laughter a little too bright.

We finally reached our gate, out of sight of Felix and Bella. Relief washed over me, a fragile wave. Just as I was about to board, my phone rang. A blocked number. My heart leaped, a flicker of that old, toxic hope. No. I knew better.

I answered, my voice tight. "Hello?"

"Kiera," Felix' s voice, raw and low, ripped through the line. "Where the hell are you? Why aren' t you answering my calls? Why did you block me?" His voice grew louder, laced with an unnerving mixture of anger and panic. "I saw you! You were right there! Why did you ignore me?"

My blood ran cold. He had seen me. And he was furious. "I' m going on a trip, Felix," I said, my voice deliberately calm, even though my hands were trembling.

"A trip? With who? To where?" he demanded, his voice escalating. "What about Columbia? What about our plans? You' re supposed to be planning our life together, Kiera! Don' t tell me you' re going to run off with some… some random guy from your architecture class. Don't think for a second you can just ghost me and expect no consequences. You'll be all alone there, Kiera. No one will help you. You'll regret it."

He still had no idea. The thought was a small, bitter victory. "My plans are my own, Felix," I stated, finding a surprising strength in my voice. "And they don' t involve you anymore."

"Don' t be childish, Kiera!" he snapped. "Unblock me! Now! I' m going to be gone for a few days for the Ramsey deal. When I get back, I expect to hear from you. Understand?"

He hung up before I could respond. My hand, still trembling, hovered over the screen. Then, with a decisive tap, I blocked the new number.

I glanced back, over my shoulder. Felix was standing at the boarding gate, his phone still in his hand, his face a mask of furious disbelief. Our eyes met across the terminal. His were blazing, a mixture of anger, confusion, and something else – a raw, wounded surprise.

"Let' s go, Kiera," Chloe said softly, taking my hand and pulling me toward the private jet. I didn' t look back. I wouldn' t.