Chapter 3
On the beach in Montrose, Nathan stared at his phone screen.
A red exclamation mark flashed up, with the words "Message failed to send" on display.
He tapped to resend, but it still wouldn't go through.
"She blocked me?" Nathan murmured.
Victoria hooked her arm around his. "She's being dramatic. Just make it up to her tomorrow and she'll be fine."
"Shut up," Nathan snapped, shaking her off. His fingers trembled as he dialed.
He called Sophie, but she didn't pick up.
He tried Madison, but her phone was switched off.
He called Chris. "Mr. Cross, Elena said she doesn't want to see you," Chris said.
Nathan hung up.
For the first time, a real, bone-deep panic gripped him.
The sun had long since set below the horizon, and the sea was pitch black.
Victoria was talking beside him, but he couldn't hear a word.
All he could think about was the moment Elena blocked him.
"I need to head back," Nathan said.
"Nathan." Victoria stopped him. "You promised to watch the sunset with me. The sun has already set, and you still—"
"Enough, Victoria." Nathan pushed her away, his gaze cold. "We're done. Really done. I meant it."
*****
Nathan drove back to the city, speeding all the way and running three red lights.
When he got home, the plants in the garden had been uprooted, and workers were moving furniture out.
He burst inside. It was empty.
The paintings on the walls, the carpets on the floor, and the dishes in the kitchen were all gone.
"What the hell is going on here?" Nathan yelled.
"This place belongs to me now," the new owner replied, stepping out. "I bought it from Ms. Elena Martinez two days ago."
Nathan stumbled back.
He remembered three years ago, when he thought buying a house was being forced into marriage and refused to buy one with Elena.
So the apartment belonged to her.
He couldn't even ask about it.
Under the nightstand that was about to be thrown away, he found a forgotten document.
It read: [Saint Mary's General Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology.
[Patient: Elena Martinez
[Diagnosis: Threatened miscarriage
[Date: September 16th (yesterday)]
Nathan's hands started shaking, and his whole body trembled.
Victoria chased after him. "Nathan, Elena must have found someone new. She doesn't want you anymore. Look at me. I'm the one who truly loves you."
"Get out!" Nathan roared, his eyes red. "It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, she would never have left."
Victoria dropped to the ground, her tailbone stinging from the fall.
But Nathan didn't even glance at her.
He called everyone he knew who knew Elena, but no one would tell him where she was.
"You're on your own now," Madison said coldly. "Elena's really done with you this time."
On the call with Chris, the background was filled with the shrill sound of the company's alarm. "Mr. Cross, come back quickly. The system crashed, and the tech team is quitting."
"I don't care," Nathan said.
"But the clients are pulling out, and the board—"
"Tell them to go to hell."
Nathan hung up the phone.
He drove to all the cafes, galleries, and art museums Elena used to go to. None of them had her.
When he got back to the company, the board was holding an emergency meeting.
"Mr. Cross, your personal problems have affected the company's operations. We suggest you take a leave," one of the board members said.
Nathan looked at the board members, all dressed in their sharp suits.
He had founded this company himself, from a three-person co-working space to a unicorn valued at 300 million dollars.
He had poured his heart and soul into it.
But right now, all he wanted was to find Elena.
"Fine, I'll take the leave," Nathan said.
The room erupted in shock.
*****
I went to Havenbrook City with my mentor, Patricia Perry. She was one of the top brand strategists in the country.
"You've trapped yourself in that small circle in Pinehurst City these past few years," she said, flipping through my portfolio. "Your skills haven't faded, but your spark has been worn down."
I did three projects in Havenbrook City.
The first was a brand repositioning for a struggling family winery. Its stock price rose 40% in three months.
The second was an image makeover for a tech company before its IPO. Its first-day gain set an industry record.
The third was a personal brand build for a Hollywood star, which landed her on the cover of Epoch.
Vestige interviewed me, and Nexus Biz put me on the cover.
"The mysterious strategist Elena Martinez" became a hot topic in the industry.
Patricia wanted to put me in the spotlight, but I refused. "I don't want to be found yet."
Sometimes, Madison would hit me up on WhatsApp:
[Nathan is going crazy. He drinks every day and asks everyone where you are.
[His parents called me, begging me to tell them where you are.
[The company's stock has dropped 40%, and the board kicked him out as CEO.]
I didn't reply.
None of this had anything to do with me anymore.
I got a new phone number and new social media accounts.
No one could contact me, except Sophie.
"Elena, my brother wants to have dinner with you," Sophie said.
"Who?" I asked.
"Alexander. The one from the hospital," Sophie replied.
I later found out that Alexander was a legendary private equity investor, a retired Marine, and now a top private equity investor.
The combined market value of the companies he had invested in exceeded 30 billion dollars.
"Why does he want to have dinner with me?" I asked.
Sophie grinned mysteriously. "Because he's totally into you. Love at first sight."
"Love at first sight?" I smiled bitterly. "In that pathetic state on the hospital bed?"
"He said you had such a determined look in your eyes then," Sophie said seriously. "Like a warrior."
*****
For our first date, Alexander booked The Grand Table, the hardest-to-get restaurant in Pinehurst City.
He wore a dark suit and sat up straight, as if he were attending a board meeting.
"The weather is nice," he said.
"Yeah," I said.
"Have you been following Art Week?" he asked.
"A little," I replied.
I couldn't help but laugh.
He realized he was too nervous and let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry, I'm not very good at dating."
For our second date, he booked La Mer, another French restaurant. He was still in a suit and still awkward.
When he went to the restroom, I saw his phone screen light up. The memo was titled "Dating Tips".
I sneaked a peek.
It read: [1. Pick dishes Elena can eat without worrying about looking awkward.
[2. Talk more, don't let things get silent or weird.
[3. Conversation starters: weather, art, fashion, current events.
[4. Don't mention her past.
[5. Be specific with compliments.]
Something warm bloomed in my chest.
For the third date, I insisted on treating and chose a steakhouse in Oakwood City. I ordered a tomahawk steak.
Alexander was caught off guard. "I thought you didn't eat this kind of thing."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because it's not very elegant?" he said, sounding unsure.
I smiled and pushed the huge steak toward him. "I love steak. And Alexander, you don't have to treat me like some delicate princess.
"I'm an ordinary person. I cry, I laugh, I get angry, and I get hungry."
Alexander gazed at me with tenderness in his eyes. "To me, you're anything but ordinary."
Just then, the restaurant door was slammed open.
Nathan rushed in.
Nathan looked terrible. He had a scruffy beard and bloodshot eyes, and his Aurelio suit was wrinkled, his tie askew.
He rushed to our table and threw a punch at Alexander.
Alexander easily dodged to the side and grabbed Nathan's wrist behind his back.
"Elena, who is he?" Nathan demanded, his voice hoarse. "Why are you with him? Did you leave me for him?"
I put down my fork and looked at him calmly.
I hadn't seen him in months. He had lost at least twenty pounds. His carefully maintained muscles were gone, and his eyes were cloudy.
"Nathan, we broke up. Who I eat dinner with is none of your business," I said.
Nathan shook his head, stubborn like a child refusing to let go. "I didn't agree to break up. You blocked me on your own. I never said I wanted to break up."
Alexander stood up and stepped in front of me to protect me. He was at least three inches taller than Nathan and had a powerful presence.
"Sir, you are harassing my date," Alexander said.
"Your date?" Nathan sneered. "She's my fiancée. We've been together for seven years."
"I'm not," I said, stepping forward and looking Nathan straight in the eye. "I never was.
"I never was. Not in Eldoria, not on our anniversary. And especially not when you turned the aurora logo I designed into a bracelet for Victoria."
Nathan's face turned white as a sheet.
He pulled a Tiffany necklace box from his pocket, his hand trembling. "This one is for you. I was confused about the other one. I had two made. This one is better."
I looked at that mass-produced diamond necklace and laughed.
I said, "Do you even remember how you said you'd propose? You said you'd get down on one knee under the aurora lights and give me a one-of-a-kind necklace.
"But you gave that unique one to someone else. And now you hand me a mass-produced necklace and expect me to be okay with it?"
The other diners started whispering.
Someone said, "Man, she's been played for years and still doesn't get it?"
Another echoed, "She probably tried to lock him down with a pregnancy, but he's not falling for it."
My face flushed red, not with shame, but with anger.
Bang! Alexander punched Nathan to the ground, knocking over tables and chairs.
"Watch your mouth," Alexander said, his voice icy. The whole place went dead silent. "She waited seven years for you, and you never even proposed.
"Now you're suddenly pretending to be the lovesick hero? Besides, you're the one who cheated, aren't you?"
"Who the hell do you think you are, hitting him?" Victoria came out of nowhere, shoving Alexander.
The aurora bracelet on her wrist sparkled, and everyone in the room saw it.
Nathan suddenly grabbed Victoria's wrist and tried to yank the bracelet off.
"Nathan, what are you doing?" Victoria screamed.
The bracelet was torn off, leaving a red mark on Victoria's wrist.
Nathan stuffed the bracelet into my hand. "Elena, I engraved the date on the clasp. It was only for a month. I didn't propose to her. It was just a souvenir. You're the one I want to marry."
I took the bracelet.
In his expectant gaze, I walked to the trash can and dropped it.
It landed with a soft clink.
"Move on, Nathan. I'm not waiting around anymore. You made the rules of the game. Now you have to accept the outcome," I said.
I took Alexander's hand and walked out of the restaurant.
Outside, the night in Pinehurst City was beautiful, with neon lights flashing.