?


    The moment their gazes met, Be''s heart trembled. Her thoughts were tangled like a ball of yarn toyed with by a kitten, hopelessly knotted. ''How long has Justin been here? Had he


    waited all night?''


    Be stared at those beautiful, bloodshot eyes without blinking. A sourness surged up from her nose, and her heart thudded painfully. But then she remembered the scene from yesterday at the orphanage him standing beneath a tree with rice, protectively shielding another woman.


    Her frail body trembled slightly as she shifted her gaze away from Justin, her throat tight, struggling with a lump that refused to go down.


    She had endured storms of blood and violence and survived the harshest conditions when she was working with Doctors Without Borders, facing hunger and cold, even going without a proper bath for weeks. Yet none of that had ever made her feel this way.


    Just as she was about to shut the door, Justin sprang up and strode forward. His strong hand grabbed the edge of the door, almost catching his fingers in the frame.


    "What do you want?" Be kept her eyes lowered, refusing to look at him, but she could still feel the intense and heavy gaze bearing down on her.


    Justin bent his head, his chest rising and falling, his warm breath brushing against her reddened nose. "I''ve been waiting for you."


    "Mr. Salvador, what could you possibly be waiting for? Besides, I already told my assistant to inform you that I won''t see you." Be turned her pale face away, her voice trembling faintly. "Just go. I''m tired. I need to go back to sleep..."


    "Tired, and yet you''re up this early?" Justin gazed at her delicate face, soft as jade. His voice was low and deep. "I remember you never had the habit of sleeping in. You were always full of energy, waking up early to go rowing or work out."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''m not always full of energy. Even I havezy days." Be''s thin shoulders shrugged slightly. The corners of her pale lips curled into a faint, forced smile. "There was a time when I did sleep in, but it doesn''t matter anymore. Who would care about something so trivial? It''s all in the past now. I don''t care anymore."


    Justin''s dark eyes narrowed sharply.


    He recalled the time they had lived together. They were inseparable.


    Every morning after their nights of passion, she would be like a sleepy kitten, never getting enough rest.


    He had been insatiable, always craving more of her, never satisfied with just one round. Every time, he would drain himselfpletely, filling her with everything he had and exhausting her. It wasn''t until she cried and begged for mercy, scratching his back until it


    was a mess, that he would finally stop.


    "Does your leg still hurt?" Justin''s voice was low and hoarse, his eyes dark and unreadable. "It''s none of your business. From now on, nothing about me concerns you."


    Be knew most men couldn''t resist a vulnerable woman, but what she saw yesterday hurt her too deeply. Her heart was shattered, and at that moment, she had no desire to face him. So she tried to shut the door with all her strength.


    "Since you already have someone new, Mr. Salvador, please don''t interfere in my life anymore. Leave. I won''t see you out."


    However, his strength was overwhelming, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not close the door.


    "If I don''t have someone new, does that mean I don''t have to leave?" Justin''s eyes were fixed on her, his gaze straightforward and unwavering.


    He had always been calm, like still water without a ripple, but now his voice carried an unexpected trace of urgency.


    Be did not believe a word he said. She only trusted her own eyes.


    What happened yesterday had been the breaking point after days of umted pain, causing her topletely snap. She had given up and resigned herself to the idea of ending things.


    Was fate really fair?


    In the beginning, her rtionship with Justin had been something she schemed for, using every means at her disposal. She thought that after everything they had been through, their love would be unshakable and that this man belonged to her.


    But fate had taken him away anyway, separating them, no matter how much it hurt her.


    As expected, what was not hers would always be lost.


    "Justin... It''s over between us." Be finally looked into his starry eyes, taking a deep breath to suppress the grievances that surged in her chest, almost choking her. "Youe here, ignoring my feelings, sitting outside my door all night. I told you to leave, but you won''t... What do you even want? Don''t you realize how much this bothers me?!"


    Justin''s fingers tightened around the edge of the door, ignoring her usations. His voice remained calm and low. "I just wanted to see you."


    "In what capacity?" Be asked back.