Chapter 4

In an instant, all color drained from my face, leaving me ghost-white in the plush seat of the auction house.

"Sold! Congratulations to Mr. Astor for securing this precious antique locket for the beautiful lady at his side!"

The auctioneer's gavel fell with a crisp, final thud. Victoria leaned in as Julian fastened the gold locket around her neck. She looked up at him with a faint, triumphant smile. The sight was a physical sting to my eyes.

Around me, the whispers of the elite crowd pierced my ears like needles.

"How did Lina, a plaything, ever think she could compete with a Sterling heiress?"

"She looked so smug usually, but now that the real mistress of the house is back, she has to step aside."

I forced a self-deprecating smile and stood up. I walked out of the auction hall without looking back. Whether it was my mother's locket or Julian himself, I could never win against Victoria.

The Los Angeles night sky was a heavy, suffocating shade of leaden gray. I stood on the sidewalk, struggling to catch my breath, when my phone vibrated. It was the Director of the NIH project.

"Miss Randolph, we have received your final confirmation documents and personal files. It is an honor to have you join us."

"Can you report to the research base in Maryland by 9:00 AM on June 20th?" the Director asked. His voice was brisk, filled with the professional enthusiasm one reserved for top-tier recruits.

"I can," I replied firmly.

"Welcome to the team. Because of the classified nature of the base, we will send someone to pick you up from the airport as soon as you land."

I hung up and felt the ghost of a smile touch my lips. I decided then that this hollow, transactional relationship with Julian would end the very day I left.

I returned to my Caltech dorm and fell into a weary, dreamless sleep. I didn't check my phone again.

The next morning, I was startled awake by my roommate's sharp gasp. Seeing me open my eyes, Laura hurriedly tried to hide her phone behind her back. "Lina, don't be sad," she whispered.

I reached for my own phone and immediately saw the headline on the Los Angeles Times entertainment feed.

"A Fortune for a Smile: Astor Group CEO Sweeps Auction to Please Partner!"

The featured photo showed Victoria standing amidst a sea of luxury shopping bags, tilting her head to showcase the gold locket. Julian was looking at her with a gaze so tender that it seemed to overflow with indulgence. To any stranger, she was a woman to be envied, cherished by a man who looked at her as if she were the center of the universe.

So, this was how Julian looked when he actually loved someone. Even after being dumped by her years ago, he was still willing to lay the world at her feet without hesitation.

A bitter smile played on my lips as I tossed the phone aside. "I'm fine, Laura. Don't worry," I said softly.

I assumed that with Victoria back in his life, Julian wouldn't bother with me anymore. However, a week later, a message arrived.

"Go to the Hollywood Hills villa and wait for me."

I called an Uber. When I arrived at the gates, I saw workers hauling furniture and boxes out of the house. Confused, I stepped inside and found the interior unrecognizable.

The warm, domestic atmosphere I had cultivated was gone. The crystal chandeliers, the soft-toned wallpaper, and the plush wool rugs had been stripped away. In their place were cold gray tones and clinical, minimalist lines.

On the living room sofa, the handmade dolls I used to keep there were missing. A chill crept up my spine. I grabbed a passing maid by the arm. "Where are the dolls that were on the sofa?"

The older woman hesitated, looking at me with pity. "They were thrown out, Miss Randolph. Ms. Sterling complained that the house's design was tacky. Mr. Astor hired a new designer to renovate the whole place. All the old decorations and dolls were cleared out as trash."

Julian bought this villa specifically for me. When I first moved in with him, I was a girl who had never been away from her parents. I used to cry myself to sleep from homesickness. My mother was a crafty woman who made handmade dolls for me. My childhood room back in Portland had been filled with them.

Back then, Julian noticed my sadness. He remodeled this villa to mimic the layout of my family home and had even flown to Portland to secretly collect the dolls my mother had made, placing them throughout my new room.

The first time I walked into this house, I had been overwhelmed, thinking for a moment I was home. I had clung to Julian and sobbed into his chest. For the first time, he hadn't let his germaphobia push me away. He let me ruin his bespoke suit with my tears.

He had told me, "Lina, as long as you're with me, you'll always have a home."

It was those moments of kindness that had blurred my vision. I had subconsciously started to believe this was my home. But now, because Victoria called it "tacky," Julian was tearing it down. Even the dolls my mother made with her own hands were treated as refuse.

The sound of footsteps echoed on the new marble floor. I looked up to find Julian's cold, indifferent gaze fixed on me. I tried to smile as I usually did, but my facial muscles felt frozen.

Julian's eyes swept over me without a hint of warmth. "Pack up whatever clothes you have left and take them back to your dorm. Victoria will be staying here occasionally. From now on, don't come back unless I call for you."