Chapter 2

When Patricia returned, she came back carrying a cake, her tone cheerful.

"Happy birthday, honey!"

After lighting the candles, she urged me warmly.

"Make a wish, dear."

I smiled, reaching to touch her face.

"It's been so long... How about tonight?"

Her expression shifted, and she instinctively stepped back.

"Stop it. I'm not in the mood today."

A smile froze on my face, and my expression darkened.

Sensing my change, Patricia grabbed my arm.

"Don't overthink it. I'm still mourning my grandmother's death. You know how close I was to her. She practically raised me while my parents were away. I promised to mourn her for two years."

I sneered, "From what I know, there's no custom in your hometown about avoiding intimacy during mourning, is there?"

"It's my fault, Leopold. Can you give me a little more time, please?" she said.

When she saw my gaze fall on the open package, a flicker of panic crossed her face.

She explained, "Honey, don't misunderstand. This is something Barbara DeLeon bought and sent here. She's new to dating and shy. I was planning to give it to her tomorrow."

Recalling the messages I had just seen, I clenched my fists quietly.

I already knew she'd refuse me, but it still stung.

She pulled a box out of her bag and handed it to me.

"Here, a birthday gift for you."

It was a pair of ordinary running shoes.

When I thought of that drone worth tens of thousands of dollars, bitterness rose in my chest.

"Oh, by the way, how long are you staying this time?" she asked.

I sneered, "How long do you want me to stay?"

She froze for a moment and then smiled, "Of course, I wish you could stay with me forever. But you know, the company's project is just getting started, and I really can't take much time off."

She added, "I'm afraid you'll get bored by yourself. How about this? I'll take a break tomorrow and show you around Ganlria. That way, you can get back to work sooner, too."

Hearing the distance in her words, I pretended to be considerate and nodded.

The next day, she took a cab to work.

I installed two cameras, one in her apartment and another in her car.

I knew the priority now was to gather evidence.

She took a half-day off and spent the afternoon showing me around Golden Park.

The whole time, she was busy replying to messages, occasionally laughing softly.

When I looked over, she explained it was work-related.

At dinner, she meticulously picked the spices out of my food, just as she always did.

For a moment, I felt like she was still the woman I once knew.

Then her phone rang.

She instinctively rejected it.

She gave me an apologetic look. "Honey, there's an emergency at the office I need to handle.

"Take your time. I might be back late tonight."

She kissed my cheek before leaving. I swallowed the wave of disgust that rose in me.

Not long after, I heard her car start.

I hurried to pay the bill and then flagged a cab. The driver asked, "Where to?"

"Follow that red BMW," I said.