The moment the door opened, all eyes fixed on Julian. Selina stood up and hurried to his side. "Julian, Sister Jade is so irresponsible. She just left without thinking about you at all." She reached out to take his hand. "Now that she’s gone, those resources she left behind..."

Julian knit his brows and pushed her away. "Get out."

Selina stumbled back, staring at him in disbelief. Julian had lost his temper before, but he had never laid a hand on her. This was the first time he had physically pushed her away. A flush of embarrassment rose to her face, and she gritted her teeth before leaving.

Once the door was closed, Director Lu spoke up with displeasure. "With Jade Yu’s departure, Ruifeng’s stock dropped 8% overnight."

Julian felt a dull throb in his temples. "It’s not like companies haven't terminated contracts with Best Actresses before. Why is the drop so significant?"

"I will find Jade. For now, release a PR statement to stabilize the fans."

The Chief PR Officer looked at Julian and projected data onto the large screen. "Late last night, fans ran into Jade at the airport and posted a video on social media."

"In the video, Jade says she is leaving the country and will never return." He glanced at Julian’s increasingly pale face before continuing. "She also said she is completely disappointed in Ruifeng and in you. Leaving is a form of liberation."

The warm air from the vent hit Julian’s neck, but it couldn't warm him. The color drained from his face as he asked hoarsely, "She really said that?"

The Chief Officer nodded and pressed play. In the video, Jade was wearing a mask and sunglasses, but he recognized her instantly. It was her voice, speaking the coldest, most final sentences.

Grief and bitterness felt like a dull knife twisting in Julian’s heart, leaving it bloody. He clenched his fists and waited a long time before choking out a single phrase: "Turn it off."

The meeting dragged on until the sun dipped below the horizon. As Julian walked out, he ran into Clara, who was carrying her things after resigning from the HR department.

With a sharp crack, a red handprint appeared on Julian’s face. The air in the hallway froze; employees didn't dare breathe as they watched.

Julian looked at Clara in shock. "Clara, have you lost your mind?"

Clara’s eyes were bloodshot as she grabbed him by the collar. "Yes! I’ve resigned anyway, what can you do to me?"

"That slap was for Jade!"

Security rushed over to pull her away, but Julian waved them off. Clara’s chest heaved as she glared at him. "Julian Grant, you had nothing when you started Ruifeng. Jade worked for you for free for five years! How could you be so ungrateful and drive her away?!"

The early days of Ruifeng weren't the hardest. Having no fame meant no roles. The hardest part was the third year when the company was trying to grow. They had trained several artists, but none of them had any work. Dozens of employees relied entirely on Jade to keep the company afloat.

She would finish filming at dawn, sleep for twenty minutes in the van, and then rush to promotions or variety shows. Her sleep and meal times combined were less than three hours a day. Julian had felt sorry for her and told her to take fewer jobs, but she had refused.

"The more jobs I take, the more leverage you have when negotiating business. You won't have to beg as much at the dinner table."

"Julian, I don't need a salary or shares. Even without those, I know you love me."

"As long as we are together, that is the best salary."

Julian couldn't believe that only seven years later, the woman who once had eyes only for him had left him. His eyes grew increasingly red. He pushed Clara away. "She chose to leave on her own!"

"I am her husband. I am more devastated than anyone that she left."

Clara looked at him coldly, tears brimming in her eyes but refusing to fall. "Julian, stop lying to yourself. You and I both know why she left."

"It’s better this way. A piece of trash like you doesn't deserve Jade’s love."

"I hope you spend the rest of your life in loneliness, with no one left to love you."

Chapter 13

Julian didn't know how he managed to return to his office.

By the time he came to his senses, he was already sitting in his desk chair, giving instructions: "Keep these movies reserved for Jade for now."

The directors and screenwriters cast strange glances at each other, but no one dared to say a word. They lowered their heads and packed away the scripts.

When Jade was still with the company, one could occasionally see a trace of softness on Julian’s face. Since her departure, he had regressed into the ruthless, cold man he once was.

A knock sounded at the door.

Selina walked in gracefully, her voice dripping with a cloying sweetness. "Julian, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

The director and screenwriter exchanged a look of relief. In Ruifeng, only two people could make Julian smile: one was Jade, and the other was Selina.

Selina noted their reactions, her pride swelling. She stepped forward briskly and placed a lunch box on the desk. "I made this soup specifically for you."

Julian’s expressionless face turned even colder. He dismissed the director and screenwriter and slammed the door shut.

Thinking Julian simply wanted to be alone with her, Selina smiled and reached for his arm. "Julian, now that Jade is gone, isn't it time to give me an official status?"

A vein pulsed in Julian’s temple. He jerked his arm away and grabbed Selina’s wrist.

"Who gave you permission to flaunt our affair in front of Jade?"

Selina froze, biting her lip as she stared into his eyes. "Why shouldn't I tell her?"

"Julian, do you really want our child to be born unable to call you 'Daddy'?"

The grip on her wrist tightened, leaving faint red marks. The fire in Julian’s eyes seemed capable of burning her to ashes.

"Selina, stop coveting things that don't belong to you."

At that moment, Selina’s composure snapped. She found the strength to pull her hand away, her face twisting with rage. "The position of Mrs. Grant belonged to me in the first place!"

"Julian, Jade is never coming back. How much longer are you going to let her keep you trapped?"

The air in the room froze.

Julian seized Selina’s wrist again and shoved her out the door. "Suspend all of Selina’s activities immediately."

"And from now on, do not let her into my office without my permission."

Selina’s tears fell instantly. "Julian, how can you treat me like this? You promised you would marry me!"

But this time, her tears held no power. Julian turned away decisively, and the office door slammed shut.

That evening, Jade’s fans were busy calling Julian an ungrateful wolf who abandoned her after using her. However, under the guidance of PR, a different narrative began to emerge.

"Julian didn't really do anything wrong; Jade was the one who forced the contract termination and left."

"I feel bad for Mr. Grant; his deep love went unrewarded."

"Jade was never a good person. She used to bring young girls to directors and producers to trade for resources. Mr. Grant only kept it quiet for her because of their years of marriage. He couldn't stand her refusal to change, so he finally let her go."

Even though he had approved the PR strategy himself, Julian felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest as he read the comments.

Jade’s departure had been so absolute. Every trace of her had been cleared from the villa. Even their wedding photos had been cut down the middle. Online, her social media had vanished along with her stage name, leaving only that single chance encounter video.

There were her movies, but those weren't "Jade Yu"—they were characters she played. And now, he was letting this final video rot, turning it into a tool to protect Ruifeng.

Julian clicked the video again, staring intently at Jade.

"...I won't be coming back. Leaving this place, and leaving Julian Grant, was the best decision I ever made."

A wave of agonizing pain pierced his very marrow. Looking at the now-black screen, Julian felt a sense of daze.

His Jade, his wife, was never coming back.

Just how deeply had he hurt her, and how much pain had he caused, to make her abandon everything to leave him?

Chapter 14

Early spring had arrived and the weather was beginning to warm, yet Julian felt no warmth at all.

He returned home alone, ate alone, and washed up alone—outwardly no different than usual. But that night, he dreamed of Jade.

In their final meeting, Jade stood by the taxi holding her Golden Dragon Award. Her glamorous makeup couldn't hide the sorrow in her eyes as she said, "Julian, I..."