Lanterns Rise, We Meet and Part

“As for your resignation, I’ll pretend you never brought it up. I’m giving you a month off.”

With that, he walked out without another word.

I watched his figure disappear through the doorway.

But whether he approved it or not, it wouldn’t change the fact—I was leaving.

When I got home, before I could even insert the key into the lock, I heard laughter and chatter coming from inside.

I opened the door.

Five or six men in suits were inside, chatting and laughing cheerfully.

And Gavin was standing by the entrance, accompanying a young woman.

My gaze involuntarily fell on her.

She was nervously clutching the strap of her bag, her cautious, uneasy demeanor strikingly similar to how I used to be when I first started college.

In that instant, I understood everything.

That girl was Bianca— but more than that, she was a reflection of my former self.

How absurd.

“They’re here for dinner,” Gavin said as he loosened his tie. “Hurry up and cook.”

Before I could even say no, he had already pushed me into the kitchen.

The kitchen door closed behind me, cutting off my view of the living room—but not the sounds coming from it.

I could clearly hear them, blatantly talking about me without any restraint.

“Mr. Hart, your bed partner sure is obedient.”

“Yeah, she looks pretty well-behaved.”

Then Bianca’s voice suddenly chimed in, “Why don’t I go help her? Cooking can be exhausting.”

The kitchen knife in my hand paused mid-chop.

“Your hands are meant for painting—you shouldn’t be doing such rough work,” Gavin said, his tone softer than I had ever heard before.

His friends immediately burst into teasing.

“Mr. Hart, you care about Bianca that much? Be careful—someone might get jealous.”

“Right! You really know how to play—bringing Bianca home straight away.”

Gavin’s voice carried a carefree, mocking tone.

“She likes me. She'll do whatever I say. And it’s just cooking, after all.”

He paused, then lowered his voice—but I still heard him clearly.

“She’d probably even cook in lingerie if I told her to.”

It felt like all the blood in my body surged to my head, then drained away in an instant.

The bowl slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor with a loud clang, shattering into countless pieces.

The kitchen door swung open. Gavin stood in the doorway.

I looked up at him—and for a brief second, panic flickered in his eyes.

Then from behind him, Bianca’s voice rang out. “Gavin, I’m hungry.”

His expression darkened instantly. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me violently toward the living room.

“You can’t even handle something this simple!”

I stumbled as he dragged me, my shoulder slamming hard into the shoe cabinet.

A photo frame toppled off the top and hit the ground and shattered.

It was our first photo together.

A crack ran straight through the glass, cutting across the arm he had wrapped around my waist, splitting it clean in two.

“Apologize to my friends!” he snapped. “And clean up the house. Reflect on yourself properly!”

With that, he turned to look at Bianca and his tone softened instantly. “Bianca, let’s go out to eat.”

“Gavin, can we bring her along too?” she asked sweetly.

Gavin glanced at me, his eyes filled with a condescending sort of pity. “Since Bianca asked, you can come too.”

I shook my head.

“Lana!”

His patience finally snapped.

“What are you throwing a fit for now? It’s just a meal, do you have to be so dramatic? If Bianca hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t even bother taking you! Embarrassing!”

The door slammed shut with a harsh bang.

I slowly crouched down and finally noticed— there were a few fresh scratches on my leg, bleeding lightly.