She looked up at the warm yellow light shining from the villa, which had once been her home, her whole world. But now, all that remained was a facade of tenderness and a chilling indifference.
Clara took a deep breath, the last trace of lingering affection in her eyes completely extinguished. She vowed in her heart: she wanted neither this cold-hearted man nor this ungrateful child. From this day forward, she would live only for herself, for the Clara who had once shone brightly on the stage .
The pain in her back continued, but her eyes grew increasingly resolute. She slowly pushed herself up and walked step by step toward the outside of the manor—there lay her suitcase, her plane ticket to Germany, and her new beginning.