Odessa's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to bring the entire lobby to a standstill.

One by one, curious faces emerged, all eyes drawn to the tense moment unfolding. Every gaze settled firmly on Odessa.

She tightened her grip on the divorce papers, but her eyes remained unwavering and determined.

Ansel's expression hardened. His fists clenched tightly as he spat, "Odessa, must you really do this?"

She held his stare, wiping away a tear. "No matter how many times you ask, my answer won't change. Just sign the papers. Let's finally be done with each other."

Ansel said nothing. His cold eyes bore into her, the air around him thickening with tension.

From the sidelines, Sydney's heart soared, bursting like fireworks lighting up the night sky.

She didn't hesitate to stoke the fire. Gripping Ansel's collar, she looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Ansel, please… put me down. This is all my fault. Don't fight with Odessa because of me."

Sydney's sobs scraped at Odessa's patience, but she met them with a cold, unwavering smile. "Come on, Mr. Halberg, just sign it. Your little princess needs you."

Hearing her say "Mr. Halberg" pushed Ansel over the edge. His face darkened, and a bitter laugh slipped out. "Fine, Odessa. So you want a divorce that badly, huh? Don't expect me to take it back when you come running!"

Odessa closed her eyes. "I won't regret this," she declared firmly.

"Great. Then let's get divorced!" Ansel snapped.

Without hesitation, he set Sydney down and yanked the papers from Odessa's hands, his fists clenched tight with tension.

His cold voice cut through Odessa like a blade. Tears brimmed at the edge of her eyes, but she swallowed them down.

She gave the receptionist a strained smile and said, "Could I borrow a pen, please? Thank you."

"Sure… no problem."

As the receptionist handed Odessa the pen, Ansel's eyes shifted to her.

He said nothing, but the fire simmering in his bloodshot eyes was unmistakable. Startled, the receptionist quickly withdrew her hand, her voice trembling. "Sorry… I don't have a pen."

Just as Odessa moved to find one herself, a fountain pen slipped from Sydney's purse and clattered onto the floor.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! It just slipped right out!" Sydney exclaimed, her cheeks flushing with panic.

But despite her unease, she remained rooted in place, not reaching down to pick it up.

Odessa didn't hesitate. She grabbed the pen and pressed it into Ansel's hands, her voice cold and relentless. "Sign it."

Every eye was fixed on him. It was painfully clear to everyone that he didn't want a divorce. His earlier outburst was simply his wounded pride lashing out in desperation.

But that no longer mattered. The line had been crossed.

Ansel's gaze darkened as he stared at the pen, fury twisting his features. In a swift motion, he snatched it from Odessa's hand and tossed it into the trash. He turned to Sydney and shouted, "Who told you to bring that pen out?"

Tears welled in Sydney's eyes. "You said you had an important meeting today… I just thought you might need it."

For a brief moment, Ansel's heart softened. He took a deep breath and turned back to Odessa, his face shadowed like storm clouds. Without a word, he tore the divorce agreement to shreds.

"Alright. We can proceed with the divorce, but this agreement is riddled with problems. I'll have my lawyer draw up a proper version and inform you when it's ready."

Odessa saw straight through his excuse. She shook her head, her voice sharp and unwavering. "Then have your lawyer come now. I don't want a single cent from you. I'll walk away with nothing. I just want to end our marriage as soon as possible."

Ansel seized her wrist, dragging her close. His bloodshot eyes burned with desperation as he hissed, "Odessa, do you even realize what you're saying? How do you expect to survive without me? Have you ever stopped to think about that?"

Tears welled in Odessa's eyes, dampening her long lashes. The sorrow in her gaze surged like a rising tide, threatening to drown everything.

She leaned in, voice barely above a whisper. "I told you… I've already died. I only have five days left."

Odessa's words hung heavily in the air. A moment later, the silence shattered, like ice cracking under sudden pressure.

Ansel shoved her hard, rage bursting forth. "How many times are you going to make up lies like this?"

Odessa stumbled, nearly losing her balance. She lowered her gaze and offered a bitter smile. "You never believe me. But I guess that's fair… the trust between us disappeared long ago."

Ansel glared at her, his whole body trembling with rage, yet he remained silent.

In the blink of an eye, he regained control, a mocking smile curling on his lips. "Fine. If that's what you want… I'll divorce you on the sixth day."

Without looking back, he grabbed Sydney's hand and started to walk away.

"Ansel, please! You have to believe me!"

Odessa rushed after them but was stopped by the gate as it swung shut.

Without warning, she tumbled to the ground. Her heel snapped loudly, a sharp pain shooting through her ankle.

She let out a muffled cry, refusing to look at her injury. Instead, she turned to the receptionist and pleaded, "Please… could you open the gate for me?"

Before the receptionist could reply, Ansel's sharp, commanding voice pierced the silence. "Don't let her in!"

Yet, when his eyes landed on Odessa's disheveled appearance, a flicker of tenderness softened the hardness in his gaze.

Sydney noticed immediately. Without missing a beat, she leaned into her act. "Ansel, my face still hurts. Can you check if it's swollen?"

Ansel's attention shifted. He knelt down, gently blowing on her cheek. "Come on, let's go back to the office. I'll get some ice for it."

She bit her lip, tears glistening in her eyes. "But what about Odessa…"

Caught in Sydney's pleading look, Ansel steeled himself and said firmly, "From now on, no one lets Odessa into the building without my approval."

When she saw them so close, Odessa's heart broke, bleeding with each agonizing beat. Through choked sobs, she pleaded, "For God's sake, Ansel! Can't you trust me just this once? I only have five days left!"

Ansel didn't look back. Without a word, he stepped into the elevator.

Suddenly, the room grew still. Every pair of eyes felt like sharp needles piercing Odessa's skin. Yet, rather than pain, a deep, hollow void began to spread inside her chest.

After what felt like an eternity, she forced herself up and staggered out of the building.

Outside, thick clouds hung heavy in the sky. Two young women stood at the bus stop. Their eyes were locked on Halberg Group's building, confusion etched across their faces.

"Wasn't that screen showing the CEO's proposal video before? Why did it suddenly switch to an ad?"

"That spokesperson isn't particularly pretty, but she has a fresh, innocent look. I have no idea who she is, though."

Odessa paused, looking up. The giant LED screen now featured a commercial with Sydney, promoting Halberg Group's latest "True Love" jewelry collection.

At the heart of the ad was a dazzling ring. It was a limited-edition piece from the company's 100-Year Anniversary Collection.

As Odessa stared at the screen, her mind wandered back to when the jewelry designs were nothing more than rough sketches. She recalled Ansel laying them before her, eager to hear her thoughts.

"Odessa, which one speaks to you the most?" he asked.

She pointed to a ring shaped like a maple leaf. "This one. It's beautiful."

Ansel smiled, leaning in to kiss her. "I love that one too. Maple leaves shine their brightest in autumn. It reminds me of the first time I saw you at school.

"I'll make it the centerpiece of our 100-Year Anniversary Collection. But it won't be for sale. It will belong to you alone."

Odessa wrapped her arms around him, looking up with a teasing pout. "You'd better mean it. If you don't, I'll leave you forever."

"I swear on my life!"

Ansel's promise still lingered in Odessa's ears, as if spoken just yesterday. And yet, the ring that once held the weight of their love now graced Sydney's finger.

Odessa stared blankly at the screen, tears streaming down her face without her even realizing it.

"Miss, are you alright?"

The two women looked at her in surprise and quickly handed her a tissue. But when they took a closer look, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Aren't you… the wife of Halberg Group's CEO?"

Odessa accepted the tissue with a word of thanks. At their question, she offered a bitter smile and shook her head.

"Not anymore. There's no such thing as eternal love. Maybe the journey is beautiful… but the ending is always the same."

With that, she turned and walked away, her steps faltering.

The two women exchanged uneasy glances as they watched her silhouette disappear into the distance.

By the time Odessa returned home, a fever had already set in.

She sank onto the couch, her body weighed down by exhaustion. As her eyes closed, sleep enveloped her quickly.

In her dream, she was carried back to a crisp autumn day when she was just 17.

The campus was alive with the vibrant hues of maple leaves, and for the first time, she found herself running late. By chance, she came face-to-face with Ansel, who stood guard at the school gate.

Back then, he was a slender, neatly dressed teenager. Odessa could still picture his face as she wrote her name in his notebook, a brief smile softening his typically serious expression.

"Odessa… What a beautiful name."

After meeting his clear, steady gaze, Odessa felt her cheeks flush.

That night, her fever surged. She floated in and out of sleep, caught in a blur where dreams dissolved into reality.

In the midst of it all, she felt someone lifting her gently, a cool, damp cloth soothing her burning skin.

"Ansel?" she murmured instinctively.

"I'm here."

The voice was gentle, carrying the unmistakable timbre of youth. It was the voice of a 17-year-old Ansel.

Suddenly, Odessa's eyes snapped open. Darkness and silence engulfed the living room. She was completely alone.

She gazed into the shadows for a long moment before closing her eyes, tears silently soaking into the cushion beneath her.

For the next three days, Ansel didn't appear once.

He had clearly decided to cut her off completely. Not only had he ignored her messages and calls, but he had even gone so far as to freeze her credit cards.

With only two days remaining, Odessa had no choice but to reach out to Ansel's assistant, Gregory McMann. But instead of his usual courteous tone, Gregory's voice was cold and firm, edged with unmistakable impatience.

"Ms. Montclair, if you want to reach Mr. Halberg, you'll need to speak with Ms. Wainwright. He's been with her constantly for the past two days."

Without another word, he ended the call.

Odessa gripped her phone tightly, a wave of humiliation rising in her chest.

Gregory's cold attitude was nothing more than a reflection of Ansel's.

Just then, a message from Sydney lit up her screen, dripping with contempt. "Mr. McMann told me everything. How pathetic! You can't even catch a glimpse of Ansel now!"

Moments later, a stream of photos appeared, each one revealing intimate glimpses of Sydney and Ansel together.

Odessa immediately recognized the background. It was a place all too familiar.

"Actually, Ansel flew me all the way to Yandoria. He's going to propose tomorrow, just like he always said he would.

"Do you want to be there when it happens? Oh, that's right… you're broke now, aren't you? But since you helped me through college, I'll be kind enough to send you money for a plane ticket. You wouldn't want to miss the big moment!"

Shortly after, a transfer of ten thousand dollars appeared in Odessa's account.

The young woman who had once struggled to afford even a meal was now shamelessly showing off Ansel's money, all to spite and humiliate her.

Odessa let out a bitter laugh.

Without a second thought, she booked a plane ticket to Yandoria.

The journey was grueling, stretching well over an entire day. By the time she finally arrived at the castle, the afternoon was slipping away quickly.

In just a few hours, she would leave this world behind forever.