Chapter 3

Alyssa frowned slightly. "I'm not." Enzo took a few steps closer, carefully studying her evasive gaze. "And you're still saying you're not? You leave early and return late every day, and when you see me, you don't even say hello before walking away. If that's not avoiding me, then what is? "Why? Just because I'm dating Nadine now?" Alyssa quickly shook her head. "No! Mr. Slater, you've found someone you love, and as your junior, I'm truly happy for you. I sincerely wish you both a lifetime of happiness. Don't worry, I've accepted the fact that you will never have feelings for me. I won't love you anymore." Her voice was calm as she simply stated a fact. But Enzo's face darkened. Those words somehow grated on his ears. Alyssa not liking him was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "I rejected you when you confessed. I rejected you when you clung to me. And now you're trying a new trick to get my attention?" As he spoke, he closely observed her reaction. The brief flicker of surprise in her expression only confirmed his suspicions. He slowly advanced toward her. Then his gaze fell on the box in her arms, and his tone grew even colder. "You claim you don't like me anymore, yet you wrote me all these love letters, drew so many sketches of me, and chased after me for years. And now you suddenly say you don't like me anymore? Alyssa, do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?" Alyssa silently looked at the man before her. Of course, she knew how ridiculous she sounded. No one would believe someone who had cried wolf too many times. But these absurd words were the truth. "Mr. Slater, I did like you for a long time. But since you will never love me back, I've truly given up." With that, Alyssa dumped the contents of the box onto the ground right in front of Enzo. Then, one by one, she ripped the letters and sketches to shreds. As the paper fragments fluttered through the air, she noticed that Enzo's expression didn't show the slightest bit of relief. On the contrary, it turned even darker. Just as Alyssa began to doubt whether she was seeing things, she suddenly heard him saying in an icy voice, "Keep putting on a show, Alyssa. Remember this—no matter what tricks you play, Nadine is the only person I love." From that day on, Alyssa and Enzo never spoke again. For Alyssa, there was nothing left to say. For Enzo, he believed she was playing hard to get, so he chose to ignore her. This tense standoff lasted until the Slater family's banquet. In the past, Alyssa had always been the center of attention at such gatherings, as she was beloved by the Slater family's elders. They would fuss over her, and it was always Enzo who had to step in to "rescue" her from their enthusiastic questioning. But now, all of the Slater family's attention was on Nadine. After all, she was the future mistress of the Slater household, whereas Alyssa was just an outsider. They knew who would be more important to them. That morning, Alyssa personally witnessed how much the Slater family valued Nadine. As soon as Nadine arrived, Marie Jacobson, Enzo's mother, slipped the family's heirloom emerald bracelet onto her wrist. Alyssa had never even seen that bracelet in her past life. During the banquet, the Slater family openly discussed the couple's wedding date at the dining table. By the end of the event, the wedding date was set. As Alyssa prepared to leave with Enzo, Marie suddenly called out to her and said that she wanted to have a private conversation with Alyssa. Once they entered the study, Marie got straight to the point. "Liss, you should leave Enzo. You know that he and Nadine are together now. You will only humiliate yourself and trouble him by staying here. What else can you possibly gain from this?" Seeing how Marie made no effort to hide her dislike for her, Alyssa felt an inexplicable pang of bitterness in her heart. Marie used to like her, but that affection had ended the day she confessed to Enzo. Everyone called her ridiculous and condemned her as shameless... Alyssa clenched her fists tightly. "Don't worry, I'll leave." With that, she took out the immigration documents from her bag and handed them to Marie. "I called my father a few days ago and told him I would go abroad to live with him. He has already arranged a fiancé for me. From now on, I'll stay far away from Mr. Slater and never bother him again." Marie carefully examined the immigration documents before her expression finally softened. "You'd better keep your word." Only after Marie left did Alyssa feel less tense. She put the documents back into her bag, ready to leave. But just as she stood up, her gaze met Enzo's at the doorway. "Who are you planning to stay far away from?" Alyssa's mind went blank in an instant. She had no idea how much Enzo had overheard, but her first instinct was to keep her departure a secret from him. So, she shook her head. "No one. You misheard." Without another glance at him, she turned sideways to leave. But just as she took a step, Enzo said, "I know you don't want to go abroad. You don't have to move out even after I marry Nadine. Your father is my friend. I can take care of you for a lifetime." Alyssa's eyes widened in shock at those words. Even Nadine, who had come looking for Enzo, froze in place. It wasn't until Nadine's resentful gaze fell upon her that Alyssa snapped back to reality and hurried away.