The Heart I Gave You

Maybe she still hadn't been able to forget.

So she wanted to tear down this building. Tear down every memory tied to me.

But none of that mattered anymore.

An artificial heart only lasts seven years.

Whether Serena forgives me or not. However the world sees me. My life entered its countdown the moment I made that choice seven years ago.

Life is too short—no time left for sighing.

Before death comes, there's only one way to live: fight with everything I have.

I tidied up the room and waited for the evening's regulars.

But that night, it wasn't regulars who showed up.

It was a pack of vicious punks.

The rickety door caved in with one kick. They shoved me around while trashing the place.

The lackey up front bowed and scraped to the man standing off to the side.

I recognized him—Ethan Pruitt. Serena's fiancé. The one she'd thrown obscene amounts of money at to chase down.

Ethan was handsome, but his temper ran hot.

The moment our eyes met, he backhanded me across the face.

His nails raked my cheek. He grabbed my chin and sneered. "So this is Serena's first love? Doesn't look like much. How'd you manage to stay in her head all these years?"

The lackey forced an awkward laugh, still groveling. "How could he compare to you, brother-in-law? He's just a shameless streetwalker—not even fit to carry your shoes. If he hadn't pulled tricks to show up in front of Serena today, I'd never have let him dirty your eyes!"

Ethan's gaze turned even more contemptuous. He covered his mouth in exaggerated disgust and handed over the video camera.

"Since he's Serena's first love, we should take extra good care of him." He gestured at my empty room. "Business looks dead. I brought some friends to liven things up. Serve them well—I'll send more customers later."

At his signal, a group of men with brutal faces closed in.

I shook my head, panic clawing up my throat. "No—you've got it wrong, I'm not—"

Before I could finish, a hand grabbed my hair and hurled me sideways.

My body slammed into the wardrobe.

A loud crash—and that long-sealed photo tumbled into view.

I lunged to cover it.

The next second, a custom leather shoe came down without hesitation.

Glass shards bit into my palm. Blood seeped out, staining the photo beneath.

Fighting through the bone-deep pain, I lifted my head.

Serena stood there. Face cold. Indifferent.

Her gaze swept past me and landed on Ethan. "What are you doing?"

He wasn't afraid at all. Smiling, he hooked her arm. "Nothing. Just helping you vent. That bastard treated you like trash back then—I'm not letting him off easy."

Something flickered across that frozen face. A trace of a smile.

Serena reached up and ruffled Ethan's hair, chuckling softly. "Leave these things to the people under you. Why dirty your own eyes over him?"

That careful tenderness—it was like looking through time at who I used to be.

Back then, I stood by Serena's side with that same look of happiness. Dreaming of the sweetness our future would hold.

But now, the heart beating in her chest is my heart.

And the way she looks at me holds nothing but ice.