Julian Pierce stood at the threshold of Clara’s bedroom. Everything was exactly as she had left it, yet the space felt agonizingly hollow. He stepped inside, and his mind was instantly flooded with images of her bright, radiant smile.

When Clara first came to the Pierce mansion, she was like a fragile kitten, constantly trailing behind him, haunted by the fear of being abandoned.

"Uncle, you'll stay with me forever, right?"

"Uncle, please don't leave me."

"Can we stay together always?"

She had asked for his reassurance a thousand times. But now, she was the one who had let go of his hand.

Julian collapsed onto her bed, burying his face in her pillows, desperate to catch a lingering scent of her. "Clara... how could you do this to me? You promised you’d never leave!"

Tears of bitter regret tracked down his face. His chest felt as if it were being crushed by a mountain, making every breath a battle. Suddenly, his phone buzzed. It was his assistant.

"Sir, you need to see the international news. Right now."

Julian’s heart skipped a beat. He clicked the link.

The image that filled the screen was Clara—confident, brilliant, and more beautiful than he had ever seen her. She was sitting before a phalanx of cameras, introducing the breakthrough and efficacy of her artificial heart project.

But Julian’s gaze quickly shifted to the man sitting beside her: Arthur Knight. The jealousy that erupted in Julian’s soul was like a dormant volcano finally exploding. Arthur’s hand was resting gently over Clara’s, and he was looking at her with a gaze so full of tenderness and pride that it made Julian’s blood boil.

Unable to contain the storm of emotions, Julian dialed his assistant back. "Book me a flight to Country A. Immediately."

"Sir," the assistant hesitated, "in your current condition, a long-haul flight is suicide. The doctors said if we don't find a donor, you won't last ten—"

"If I can't find my Clara," Julian interrupted, his voice like jagged glass, "living has no meaning anyway."

He didn't wait. He grabbed his keys and raced toward the airport.

Clara, wait for me. I’m coming to take you home.

Country A.

The moment the press conference ended, Clara collapsed onto the sofa in the lounge and fell into an exhausted sleep.

When she opened her eyes, she was covered in a heavy brown overcoat. The faint, comforting scent of sandalwood and forest air filled her senses, grounding her.

"You're awake?"

Clara looked toward the balcony. Arthur Knight was sitting there, a book in his hand, bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun. The sight made her heart soften in a way she hadn't felt in years.

Arthur stood up and poured her a glass of water. "I just received word. Julian Pierce has landed in Country A."

Clara’s hand paused as she took the glass. Then, she let out a cold, sharp laugh. "His life has nothing to do with me anymore."

Arthur arched an eyebrow. "And if he’s here for your artificial heart? I hear he’s on his deathbed."

Clara met Arthur’s deep gaze with eyes as cold as flint. "My heart was built to save the innocent and the suffering. He is neither. He has my father’s blood on his hands."

Arthur didn't argue. Instead, he reached out and took her hand. "Come with me. There’s somewhere we need to go."

Confused, Clara followed him to a car. They drove until the salty tang of the sea air filled the cabin. Arthur led her toward a quiet, beautifully maintained cemetery overlooking the ocean.

Clara’s heart began to race. Her steps grew heavier with every yard they covered. Finally, Arthur stopped in front of a newly erected headstone.

Clara stared at her father’s name engraved in the marble. The dam finally broke. Tears she had been holding back for years flooded out.

"You... you brought him here?"

Arthur nodded slowly. "I arranged for his remains to be recovered and cremated with dignity. I thought he should rest somewhere peaceful, near you."

Clara sank to her knees, her body racking with sobs. Every ounce of trauma, grief, and pain she had suppressed finally erupted in a violent wave of sorrow.

Arthur stepped forward and placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "You aren't alone anymore, Clara. From now on, I’m here."

Clara froze. In that moment, her heart, which had felt like a dead weight for so long, seemed to beat with a new, fragile hope.

The moment Julian’s plane touched down, he ignored the pain in his chest and raced toward Clara’s apartment.

He was about to step out of his car when a sleek Maybach pulled up. Arthur Knight stepped out and moved to the passenger side with practiced grace, carefully shielding Clara as he helped her out of the car.

Seeing them so close—the way Arthur’s hand lingered on her waist, the way Clara didn't pull away—felt like a thousand needles piercing Julian’s heart. He gripped the door handle until his knuckles turned white, his eyes fixed on Arthur like a predator’s.

"Clara is mine," he hissed to himself. "No one takes her from me."

He waited until Arthur drove away. As Clara turned to head into the building, Julian lunged from the shadows. He grabbed her, spinning her around and locking her into a crushing embrace.

Clara gasped, ready to scream for help, until a familiar, ragged voice sounded in her ear.

"Clara... it’s me."

Julian inhaled the scent of her hair, his expression one of desperate longing as he buried his face in her neck. "Clara, I missed you so much. I thought I’d go mad."

The moment Clara realized who it was, her face turned to stone. "Julian Pierce, let me go. We are nothing to each other."

Julian flinched, but his grip only tightened, as if he could force her back into his life through sheer strength. "I raised you, Clara. You belong to me. You will always belong to me."

Clara struggled with everything she had, but Julian was a desperate man. In a fit of rage and revulsion, she leaned in and sank her teeth into his shoulder.

"Why did you adopt me, Julian? Do you even have the courage to say it out loud?"

Despite the searing pain in his shoulder, Julian didn't let go. "Clara, I know you’re angry about Vivian. I was blinded, I was a fool! But I’ve punished her. Everyone who hurt you has paid the price!"

Clara looked at him and laughed—a sound so hollow it made his skin crawl. "And what about you?"

"The person who hurt me the most, Julian... was always you."

Julian’s gaze flickered with a momentary shock, and Clara used the opening to wrench herself free. As she turned to run, he caught her wrist again. His grip was so violent that her skin instantly began to bruise.

"Clara, I’m sorry! I know I failed you! Give me one more chance—I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you!"

Clara turned back, her eyes flashing with a lethal intensity. "Unless you die, Julian, I will never forgive you."

Julian froze, the words hitting him with the force of a bullet. He looked at her, his eyes pleading. "Clara, I love you. I truly, deeply love you! Please... come home with me."

Suddenly, a large, steady hand clamped down on Julian’s wrist, forcing him to loosen his grip.

"Mr. Pierce," Arthur Knight’s voice was like a cold blade, "do you love Clara? Or do you just love the heart she built?"

Julian turned his fury on Arthur. "This is between me and Clara. It has nothing to do with you!"

Arthur let out a mocking chuckle. "Actually, it has everything to do with me. Clara is part of my life now. If you want to take what’s mine, you’ll have to go through me."

The possessiveness in Arthur’s voice triggered an explosion of rage in Julian. He grabbed Arthur by the collar. "What did you just say? Clara is

mine

!"

Arthur looked at him, completely unfazed. "Why don't you ask her? Is she willing to go back to your cage, or is she staying with me?"

Julian turned to Clara, his eyes filled with a pathetic, desperate hope. "Clara... come home."

Clara stepped back, positioning herself firmly behind Arthur. Her voice was as cold as the winter wind.

"Thanks to you, Julian... I haven't had a home in a very long time."