Chapter 3

By the time Cynthia returned to the Miller family home, it was already ten at night. She went straight to her room and fell asleep. The next morning, as soon as she woke up, she noticed dozens of notifications on her phone from trending topics on Instagram. She clicked on her phone, and a bold headline immediately caught her eye: "Billionaire Patrick Spends $30 Million for Pop Star Luna at Macau Auction!" Patrick's identity had always been shrouded in mystery. He never allowed his name or face to appear in the public eye. But now, the internet was flooded with this headline, and he hadn't done anything to suppress it. It seemed he had allowed it. Cynthia opened Instagram. The first thing she saw was a video taken by someone at the Macau auction. In the video, Patrick and Luna stood side by side, leaning into each other with an unmistakable intimacy. Immediately, a flood of comments from netizens appeared on the screen. "This is the embodiment of a CEO romance novel! I'm so jealous of Luna!" "A billionaire and a superstar! They're perfect for each other!" "Am I the only one noticing how handsome the CEO is? He's stunning!" The more Cynthia scrolled through the comments, the more complicated her feelings became. Even when Patrick had been at his most attentive to her, he had never exposed himself to the public. Yet now, he was flaunting his relationship with Luna so openly. Cynthia sighed softly and turned off her phone. At that moment, Gavin walked into the room. "Cynthia, are you awake? About last night—you need to apologize to Luna." Cynthia looked up at him. "What did I do wrong that I need to apologize for?" Gavin's dark eyes held an unmistakable hint of reproach. "Luna was just being kind by offering you cake. Even if you didn't want it, there was no reason to embarrass her in front of everyone. And then you left the event without telling anyone. Luna was worried about you all night. Cynthia, you're being unreasonable." Listening to Gavin's criticism, Cynthia remained calm as she replied, "Gavin, have you forgotten that I'm allergic to wheat? I can't eat anything made with flour." Gavin froze for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry... Cynthia, I forgot." Cynthia's long lashes trembled slightly as she pressed her lips together. "It's fine. Forgetting happens." Hearing this, Gavin felt a pang of guilt. He wanted to make it up to her. "Cynthia, haven't you always wanted to go on a sea trip? How about I take you this weekend?" Cynthia thought about how long it had been since she and Gavin had spent any time together since Luna's arrival. She nodded in agreement. The weekend arrived quickly. Just before they set off, Gavin informed her, "Patrick will be joining us too." Cynthia's expression remained unchanged. In the past, she would have been delighted at the idea of the three of them spending time together. But now, she couldn't feel any joy. When they drove to the harbor, Patrick was already there. Dressed in a casual outfit, he stood in front of a luxurious yacht, as refined and handsome as ever. And just as Cynthia had expected, Patrick had brought Luna along. The moment Cynthia stepped out of the car, Luna approached her. Her delicate face carried an air of vulnerability and remorse, like a fragile yet resilient flower. "Cynthia, Gavin told me everything. It was my fault last time. I didn't know you were allergic to wheat. I'm really sorry." Cynthia gave her a lukewarm nod. Seeing her indifferent demeanor, Patrick felt inexplicably unsettled. "Cynthia, is something wrong with you lately?" Cynthia met his gaze calmly. "I'm fine." Patrick opened his mouth to say more, but Luna quickly took his arm and led him toward the yacht. "Patrick, look at the ocean. Isn't it beautiful?" "If you like it, I'll bring you here often." The four of them boarded the luxurious yacht and headed out to sea. Along the way, Cynthia watched as both Patrick and Gavin doted on Luna, tending to her every need. She decided to sit alone at the front of the boat, gazing out at the sea. The horizon stretched endlessly, with the deep blue ocean shimmering like a flawless yet opaque sapphire. Cynthia's thoughts drifted as she stared at the vast waters. She didn't notice Luna approaching until she spoke, her tone laced with undisguised smugness. "Cynthia, why don't you just let Patrick and Gavin go? Give them to me." Cynthia frowned at her. "Who they choose to be with is their decision. There's no such thing as giving or not giving." Even if she didn't want to let them go, Luna had already taken the two people closest to her. A sly glint flashed in Luna's eyes. "If you won't let them go willingly, then I'll just take them." Before Cynthia could respond, Luna suddenly grabbed her arm and jumped into the ocean, pulling her along. As they plunged into the water, Luna cried out, "Cynthia, I'm really sorry! Please don't do this!" The sound of their splash into the water drew everyone's attention. Without hesitation, both Patrick and Gavin jumped in to rescue them. As Cynthia struggled to stay afloat, she watched as both men swam toward Luna. In that moment, something inside her shattered. Her heart broke completely. She had made up her mind—she would leave for New York to claim her inheritance. She would never look back at them again.