Chapter 10 I wandered around the streets for hours. After dark, with nowhere else to go, I finally went back to Alex’s territory. When I walked in, I saw him sitting on the couch. I gathered my courage and walked right up to him: “Alex, our contract expired six months ago. Since Victoria’s back now, can I leave?” The contract was over, but Alex had never actually told me to go. He’d even kept giving me jewelry and stuff after that. That was part of why I fell for Candy’s bullshit in my past life. Alex slowly looked up, confused: “What Victoria?” I could feel the household staff watching me, but I didn’t care. I kept going: “Victoria Rockefeller, your fiancée. She came back from abroad, right? She already had people trash my restaurant because I won’t get out of your way!” noveldramaTruth is, I was pissed at Alex. Whatever drama he and Victoria had going on was none of my business. He shouldn’t have dragged me into it and then played dumb. “Your restaurant got trashed? So we’ll open another one. And if I remember correctly, it was all my money anyway. What exactly are you whining about?” There was almost an amused tone to his voice, like I was being adorably dramatic. They say people really do laugh when they’re beyond words. I laughed for a long time before I had the energy to wipe the tears from my eyes. “Right, I was overthinking things. So can I leave? We agreed from the start–when the contract ends, I have the right to go.” For five years, I’d barely been able to look Alex in the eye. But this time, I stared straight into those dark eyes of his without backing down an inch. “You do have the right to leave. But are you sure? If you walk out, I won’t let you come back.” I nodded without hesitating for even a second: “I’m sure. I won’t be coming back.” Alex’s mouth twitched into something like a smile: “Alright then. Want to leave? Leave right now. Don’t take anything except that purse in your hand.” The notebook I’d hidden under the bed flashed through my mind for just a moment. Then I nodded at Alex, turned around, and walked out. I’d gotten pretty far before I finally let out a breath. Checking the bank card and ID I always kept in my purse, I felt incredibly lucky. I’d never been in the habit of carrying my bank card around before. But after getting that new account, something told me I should keep it with me. That instinct saved my ass. I took a cab to the airport. Bought a ticket on the next available flight and left the city I’d lived in for eight years. After spending one night in this coastal town, I still felt uneasy, so I bought another ticket to somewhere famous for beautiful winter snow. The moment I landed, I went to the bank and got new cards. Then I repeated my previous moves and transferred the money again. I bought a fully furnished small apartment in this place. Then I found a little shop for sale near my building and decided to take it over as a small business owner. Days passed like that, one after another. When the date of my death from my past life arrived, I curled up in my apartment, staring out at the snow. From night until morning. Watching the time on my phone, I finally felt completely at peace. I knew I’d changed my fate. On New Year’s Day, while I was making dinner, I heard someone ringing my doorbell. I figured it was my neighbor coming to borrow something again. But when I opened the door, I saw Alex, whom I hadn’t seen in ages. I stared at him in shock, thinking I must be dreaming. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”