“Claire, for the sake of what we once had, let’s part ways peacefully.”
Regaining her composure, she looked at me coldly.
“Ethan, after all these years together, do you really not trust me?”
“You hold hands, hug, caress—doing everything lovers do. Sorry, but I’m not playing this game with you two.”
Her forced composure only deepened the chill in my heart.
Before I could say more, her phone rang, its shrill tone unmistakable—the ringtone she reserved only for Ryan’s emergency calls.
Claire immediately answered.
“What is it, Doctor? Is Ryan unwell again?”
“Ms. Miller, it’s bad. Ryan has disappeared. His phone is off, and he’s removed his tracking bracelet.”
The doctor’s voice trembled with urgency.
Claire’s face blanched with panic.
“Ethan, Ryan’s in trouble—I don’t have time for your tantrums right now.”
Watching her rush out in a frenzy, a wave of helplessness crushed me.
Just like every other time—the moment that ringtone sounded.
Whether it was three in the morning, in the middle of a meeting, or even during our most intimate moments—
Claire would abandon everything to run to Ryan.
Sometimes she even brought him to the office, just to keep an eye on him.