Chapter 5

Gianna's phone rang. It was a notification for a social media post by Maya. "Thank you all for your concern. I'm fine now. And thank you, Ezra, for always being there for me when I need you. I will spend the rest of my life repaying you." The attached photo showed Maya lying in a hospital bed, her fingers intertwined with Ezra's as he sat beside her. They looked like the perfect couple. Gianna only gave the post a brief glance before locking her phone and tossing it aside. After all, she and Ezra were over. Whether Maya was flaunting or trying to provoke her, it didn't matter. She felt nothing about this. There was neither joy nor sorrow. Gianna then cooked herself a warm meal for dinner and then went to bed. With the house completely empty, she slept soundly for the first time in years. The next morning, Gianna brewed a cup of hand-ground coffee and settled into a wicker chair in the courtyard. She stretched while listening to the morning radio. After years of being weighed down by family burdens, she was finally enjoying life—perhaps for the first time. She should have lived for herself long ago. After breakfast, she returned to her room, intending to gather the gifts Ezra had given her and return them. But she realized something as she sorted through her things. In all the years they had been together, Ezra had barely given her anything. The few gifts he had given were nothing but cheap trinkets. Even so, she had once cherished each one, locking them away in a drawer as if they were treasures. Now, as she took them out, she saw that time had worn them down. The edges had yellowed, and mold had crept in. It was just like Ezra's feelings for her—decayed beyond repair. Gianna shook her head. Ezra had always been a clean freak. He wouldn't take these things back even if she returned them. She tossed everything into a metal bin without hesitation, along with every photo they had ever taken together. She then lit a match. Flames quickly roared to life, devouring every trace of the past. When it was over, she left to complete her leave-of-absence paperwork at school. She planned to travel for the next few days to clear her mind. As she scrolled through travel guides, a familiar figure arrived. It was Ezra. Unlike Gianna, who was relaxed and carefree, he looked anything but. After hearing from Gabriel that Gianna had shown no expression upon receiving the returned gift, Ezra hadn't been able to sleep all night. No one knew how much Gianna had once loved him better than him. He couldn't believe that was her reaction. But the moment he saw the charred remains of gifts and photographs in the metal bin in the courtyard, his world seemed to collapse. Did she just discard the things she had once treasured like trash? "Why did you burn the gifts I gave you… and our photos?" His voice trembled slightly. Gianna lifted her gaze, meeting his pale face. "They were moldy from being kept too long, so I burned them." Ezra was stunned at first. Then, as if coming to a sudden realization, his expression darkened. "You knew I would come, didn't you? That's why you put on this act—to play hard to get and make me come back to you. "Gianna, why are you always so unreasonable?" He wanted to turn and leave, but something caught his eye. It was the leave-of-absence paperwork sitting on the coffee table. His mind immediately went blank. "You're taking a leave from school? Just because we asked you to give the patent to Maya? Say something. Where are you going?" A sudden wave of unease crashed over him. He gripped her arm tightly, demanding an answer. Gianna was right there in front of him. He could still see her, and he could touch her. Yet for some reason, a suffocating fear gripped his chest. It was as if at any moment, she might disappear forever.