Chapter 4

Halbert didn't even bother to hear me out—he just turned and walked away, leaving me standing there.

That night, I dragged my aching ankle along the deserted mountain road, limping through the darkness for what felt like an eternity.

It wasn't until just before dawn, when Ferris's SUV was driving up the mountain, that he finally spotted me.

So, that night, Halbert didn't care about my safety not because he had no other choice.

He did it deliberately.

If this had happened before, I probably would've gone to Halbert and vented all my frustrations to him.

Strangely enough, I didn't feel even a hint of sadness right now.

Maybe, the moment he chose to leave me behind on purpose, the Halbert who once came to my rescue was gone for good.

As I kept quiet, Halbert's voice softened.

"Don't make a fuss, Virginia. I'm saying this because I care about you," he said.

"Ferris may be my brother, but at the end of the day, he's still a man.

"Be good, just head home first. Holly gets scared sleeping by herself. I'll be back once I've comforted her—"

"No!" I interrupted, my voice unwavering.

I flashed a calm, almost relieved smile. "Halbert, it's over between us."

After I said that, there was a heavy silence on the other end.

Then, Halbert let out a derisive chuckle.

"Alright, so how long is this breakup going to last this time?" he sneered.

"Virginia Barnes, have I spoiled you too much? Is that why you keep making a scene over and over again?

"Fine, let's break up. Just don't come begging me to take you back later!" With that, Halbert hung up, clearly pissed off.

I stood rooted to the spot, clutching my phone so tightly my palm was slick with sweat.

Even though the breakup was official, people were emotional creatures. We all needed a little time to detox from love.

But at least I was not hung up on what was already lost.

All that stubborn devotion I poured in before? Might as well have fed it to the dogs.

I pushed down the hollow feeling inside and turned around.

The next second, I was hit with a scene that nearly knocked the wind out of me.

There was Ferris, stepping out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel slung low around his hips.

His bangs were damp with steam, his upper body bare, and those eight-pack abs were so defined they looked like they were carved from stone—pure, raw strength on display.

I just stood there, totally stunned, and instinctively gulped.

But I snapped out of it pretty fast.

I covered my eyes and blurted out, my words tumbling out in a rush. "Ferris, what's wrong with you? Who takes a shower at this hour?"

Ferris lifted his eyes lazily, a barely-there smirk playing at his eyes.

"I paid for the room, didn't I? Do I really need your say-so to take a shower?" he shot back.

I was momentarily tongue-tied, but I retorted right away, "Could you at least put some clothes on?"

As soon as I finished, Ferris let out a low chuckle.

"Now you want me to put some clothes on? Didn't you look pretty interested just now?" he shot back, a teasing glint in his eyes.

The towel rustled softly as Ferris moved.

For a long moment, neither of us said a word.

When I finally opened my eyes, Ferris had already slipped into a bathrobe and was pouring two glasses of red wine at the bar.

The soft, warm light from the bar bathed him in a gentle glow.

It took the edge off his usual coldness, making his face look softer, almost dangerously attractive, like he was trouble wrapped in silk, impossible to resist.

Ferris raised his glass, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Want some wine? I figured someone might need a drink after a breakup. Don't want you crying your eyes out tonight."

So he heard everything...

I straightened my back, strode over, snatched up the wine glass, and knocked it back in one go.

"Who said I'm heartbroken? I dumped him, not the other way around," I shot back, her tone full of confidence.

Ferris took a small sip of his wine, just smiling and saying nothing.

I knew exactly what he was thinking.

Just like those guys who always made fun of her, he probably figured I'd come running back to Halbert in a few days, asking to get back together.

But this time, I really wasn't going to.

I knocked back another glass of wine.

With her head swimming and the wine giving her a bold edge, I pressed on, "Believe it or not, this time I really mean it. We're done for good."

Seeing Ferris still keeping quiet, I felt my chest tighten with annoyance.

I fired back, sounding dead serious. "I only tried to patch things up with him before because I still liked him.

"But now? I just don't care about him anymore.

"Besides, what's so special about Halbert? He's even smaller than you—in any way."

As soon as I said that, Ferris's hand stopped cold, wine glass still in hand.

Then, the air went dead silent, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.