Chapter 5

"There's nothing to talk about."

I hung up the phone without a second thought, then quickly deleted the last photo of me and Lucas. He never cared to take photos with me. The only reason we had that picture was because I practically begged him for it, asking for something, anything, to prove we'd had seven years together. He even warned me not to post it online, worried it would upset Skye. And now, it was all just... over.

The plane soared through the night, and as the quiet sky stretched out before me, a strange calm settled in. I wasn't as broken as I'd been before.

When I arrived at the company-arranged apartment, I immediately started making it my own. I hated green, Lucas knew that, but when we lived together, he'd painted the whole place a shade of it, just because Skye liked it. Now, I could do whatever I wanted.

I was in the middle of arranging some candles on the table when my phone buzzed. It was my manager.

"Miss Cooper, Mr. Madron's been here several times. He's insisting on seeing you."

Of course. I knew Lucas well enough to know how persistent he could be. The manager probably had to field his calls for hours.

"I understand," I said, not bothering to hide my irritation. "But I don't have anything to do with him anymore. Please respect my privacy."

I hung up, a bitter laugh escaping me. Once, Lucas had treated me like I didn't matter, detached, indifferent. But now? Now, it seemed like he couldn't stand to see me move on. Too bad for him. I wasn't interested in hearing any more of his excuses.

An hour later, there was a knock at the door. I didn't need to guess who it was. Lucas. I couldn't hide, so I forced myself to open it.

There he stood, tired, disheveled, his eyes red from lack of sleep. He looked like he hadn't rested in days. He held a small gift box in his hands, like he was afraid I'd slam the door in his face.

"Nadia..." he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I know. I know I was wrong. I can't live without you..."

It was the first time I'd ever seen him like this, vulnerable, broken. If this had been a year ago, maybe I would have felt something. But now? All I felt was frustration.

"So what?" I shot back coldly, already turning to close the door. "What does that have to do with me?"

He stepped forward, panic in his eyes. "Nadia, don't. I know you still love me. You're just upset, right? Please, don't be mad. I got you something. I want to make things right."

He opened the box, revealing an exquisite diamond necklace. My stomach churned. I hated necklaces. Skye was obsessed with them, and Lucas had spent a small fortune buying her every luxury necklace in town. He wouldn't even let me wear one.

"Do you think this is enough to fix what you've done?" I asked, my voice cold and sharp. "Do you think I'm just like Skye, that I care about material things? Seven years of my life... wasted, and you think this will make up for it?"

His expression faltered. He set the necklace down, his hands trembling.

"Nadia, I... I know I've hurt you. I'll never let you suffer again, I swear. Please, just give me a chance. Let's start over."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Start over? You're seriously that delusional? Do you think I'll just drop everything and run back to you when you snap your fingers?"

"Have you ever thought, just for a second, that I'm human too?" I continued, my voice rising. "I gave you everything, Lucas. And you never once respected me. Not once."

He looked like he was about to say something, but I didn't let him. I took a step back, making sure he couldn't touch me. His hands, the same hands that had gently touched Skye's face, those hands were the last thing I wanted near me.

"Nadia, you don't understand, Skye and I, we're just friends. It's not what you think, "

"Yeah, because I'm supposed to believe that, right?" I cut him off. "You never thought I'd get tired? That I'd hurt too? Lucas, I'm not some toy you can use whenever you feel like it. I have my own life, my own dignity."

His face drained of color, his fingers shaking. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come.

"Lucas," I said, my voice firm, cold as ice. "Leave. I'm done. There's no going back. No amount of apologies or gifts can bring back the time I wasted on you. We're finished."

Before he could react, I slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

"Nadia, please!" His voice was frantic from the other side of the door. "Listen to me! It's all a misunderstanding! I'll fix it, I'll fix everything! Just tell me what you want, and I'll do it!"

I didn't respond. I just stood there, my hand gripping the doorknob, waiting for the inevitable. After what felt like forever, I finally heard his footsteps retreating down the hall.

He was gone.

And for the first time in years, I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders.