A Heart No Longer Waiting

The car pulled up in front of the house Mateo had set up for their married life.

As soon as Yara stepped out, she started packing.

She tossed out everything she had ever left in this house, wiping away every trace of herself.

Then, she started preparing to erase her identity—deleting accounts, cutting ties, anything to make sure they'd never find her again."

No choice. She had to go back to the Medici residence.

An hour later, she stood at the entrance.

Her own home, yet she didn't even have a key. Even knocking took effort—because she knew.

She wasn't welcome here.

The housekeeper took her sweet time answering the door. When Yara stepped inside, she spotted her parents, Benjamin and Milada, pacing anxiously in the living room.

The second they saw her, their faces twisted with annoyance.

"You?!"

"You stay away for years, and now you come crawling back? Why can't you be more like Helen? You were born from the same mother, yet the difference between you two is night and day!"

The same old scolding. She'd heard it for over twenty years. Now? She didn't care.

Expression blank, she acted like she hadn't heard a thing.

She headed upstairs, grabbed her documents, and slipped them into her bag before making her way back down.

Her indifference only made Benjamin and Milada angrier. Their words cut deeper.

"So now you just ignore us? Do you even acknowledge your parents anymore? No respect, no gratitude—how did we end up with such a useless daughter?!"

Just as their shouting hit its peak, the front door suddenly swung open.

Mateo stepped inside, Helen cradled in his arms.

The moment he saw Yara standing in the center of the living room, his grip tightened.

She glanced at them—close, familiar—then looked away, utterly indifferent.

Her face was unreadable, but a sudden panic clawed at his chest.

Quickly, he set Helen down and stepped toward her. "Yara, don't misunderstand. Helen twisted her ankle, and I just happened to be nearby, so I brought her back..."

He trailed off, and Yara didn't even bother pointing out the obvious holes in his excuse.

Helen, ever the actress, chimed in with a saccharine smile. "Steven's been away on a business trip, or I wouldn't have troubled Mateo. Yara, don't take it the wrong way."

Benjamin and Milada instantly flocked to Helen, their faces full of concern.

Helen wasn't done. "I've been spoiled since I was little, so even a tiny sprain hurts so much. Thankfully, Mateo got to me in time—he ran through a dozen red lights just to rush me to the hospital, and now he's even brought me home. I feel awful for being such a burden."

She smiled sweetly, eyes flicking to Yara, waiting for her to snap, to break, to show even a flicker of jealousy.

But Yara didn't flinch. Didn't react.

Completely unfazed.