Chapter 2

Elara's POV

The next morning, Dominic's secretary sent me the flight information.

"Ms. Hayes, Mr. Julian specifically asked me to book you the earliest first-class flight. He said he was worried you might miss the notarization appointment there."

I looked at the flight information on my screen, a mocking smile playing on my lips.

Worried I'd miss the notarization? That was a lie. He was worried I'd mess up his anniversary with his mistress.

"Thank you for your trouble," I replied. "By the way, I'm not sure how long this trip will take. To make changes easier, please only book the outbound flight."

The secretary replied instantly. "Of course, Mrs. Hayes. Mr. Julian said the same thing-that you should enjoy yourself there and come back when you're ready. A return ticket can be booked anytime."

I closed my phone, looking at the e-ticket, feeling eerily calm.

Dominic thought this was just a one-way ticket for easy changes.

But he didn't know it was truly a one-way ticket. No return.

Fifteen days left until departure.

Fifteen days was all I needed. It was enough.

After Dominic left for the office, I called in two people who dealt in second-hand luxury goods.

In my walk-in closet, the Hermès bags and limited-edition jewelry Dominic had given me were piled high on the floor.

"Ms. Hayes, do you really want to get rid of all of these?" The recycling store owner's eyes gleamed at the sight of all the genuine articles. In this circle, wealthy women usually only bought, rarely cleared out their entire collection like this.

"Yes, sell them all." I casually picked up a limited-edition diamond necklace. Dominic had bought it at an auction last year, specifically to appease me and cover up a hickey on his neck. "I'm going abroad, these things are too much of a burden. Out with the old, in with the new."

The owner had his staff pack and appraise the items, while he chuckled, "Of course, Mr. Julian dotes on you so much, there'll definitely be even better things waiting for you when you return."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked casually, "Oh, by the way, Ms. Hayes, aren't you selling that sapphire necklace today? The one bought at the auction with this bag?"

My hand, as I was tidying clothes, paused.

That was Dominic's birthday gift to me during our first year of marriage.

A few days ago, I wanted to wear it, but he said the clasp was loose and he'd sent it for maintenance.

Seeing my silence, the owner thought he'd spoken out of turn and quickly tried to mend it. "I just asked casually. Because a few days ago, I saw an influencer on Ins showing off a picture, and it looked like she was wearing that exact necklace. I thought maybe you'd lent it to a friend."

An influencer on Ins?

I understood immediately, but my face remained impassive, maintaining a polite smile. "Oh, that one. It's still being serviced. You must have seen wrong; that necklace is a one-of-a-kind piece. I don't lend it to anyone."

The owner gave an awkward laugh and didn't press further, swiftly getting his staff to clear out the items. "Don't transfer the money to my card; just give me euros in cash," I instructed the owner.

Once the house was quiet again, I took out my phone and downloaded the app the owner had mentioned.

Using the app's location filter and a few keywords, I quickly found the account.

The latest post was a selfie in the rearview mirror of a luxury car.

The young woman in the picture was wearing my sapphire necklace.

The caption read: "Even though it's an old design, as long as he gave it to me, I love it. Can't wait for next week's surprise."

I wasn't angry. I didn't even bother to screenshot it.

If I was leaving, I was leaving cleanly. I wouldn't take a single thing that belonged to Dominic.