Noreen wasn’t doing much better herself.


    Still, no matter how busy her days got, she always made time to stop by this ce before bed, as if a fleeting look could somehow sweep away the exhaustion clinging to her.


    Back then, she truly believed she and Seth would spend their lives together.


    She just never imagined Bianca would move into that apartment before she did.


    In the end, when Dn asked, Noreen only shrugged and said she simply hadn’t found the right ce yet.


    But Dn seemed to hear what she left unsaid. “You will. Sooner orter,”


    he told her.


    Passing the flower shop downstairs, Noreen remembered thest bouquet she’d bought–now wilted, leaving her table feeling empty and bare. On a whim, she bought a fresh one to take home.


    The shop assistant enthusiastically rmended the red roses, promising they were the best quality.


    “Red roses, then,” Noreen agreed.


    It didn’t matter what kind, really; any flowers would do. She hadn’t thought


    much about it.


    There’s something about fresh flowers that can heal a person’s heart. Noreen felt lighter, even humming a tune as she unlocked her door.


    But her good mood vanished the instant she saw the man inside.


    Stunned, Noreen looked from her door to Seth and back again, almost doubting her senses.


    Hadn’t she changed the door code?


    11:39 11


    <b>Chapter </b><b>60 </b>


    The apartment was dark, making it impossible <i>to </i>read his <b>expression</b><b>, </b><b>but </b>there was a coldness radiating from him–an unmistakable,


    keep–your–distance kind of chill.


    “How did you even get in?” she asked, genuinely curious despite herself.


    She couldn’t stand that heavy, oppressive atmosphere, so she flicked on every light in the ce.


    As the room flooded with brightness, she caught the sharp sh in Seth’s eyes, there and gone in an instant.


    He looked down at her, voice t, eyes as ck as te. “Change it as many times as you want. I’ll figure it out every time.”


    Noreen felt a lump settle in her chest, thick and suffocating.


    Fine, she thought bitterly–tomorrow she’d call someone to swap the lock for an old–fashioned mechanical one. See him try to guess that.


    Seth had no idea what she was plotting. His gaze lingered on the roses her arms, his eyes darker than she’d ever seen.


    “Why is this ce so empty?” He masked whatever he was feeling, his tone clipped and distant.


    Noreen almostughed.


    Didn’t he noticest time he barged in? Just proves he never paid attention to anything that mattered to her.


    “I cleared it all out,” she said, arranging the flowers carefully in a makeshift vase.


    When Seth saw what she was using, his eyes narrowed. “You’re putting flowers in that?”


    “Didn’t have a vase,” Noreen replied, casual as ever.


    Before he could say anything else, she cut him off. “But you didn’te here to talk about flower arrangements, did you?”


    Seth clearly couldn’t stand her indifference. He tugged at his <b>cor</b>,


    <b>αμια </b><b>ου </b>


    irritation bleeding into his voice. “How long are you <b>going </b><b>to </b><b>keep </b><b>this </b>up?”


    Noreen hissed under her breath–the rose’s thorn had pricked her <b>finger</b><b>, </b><b>a </b>bead of blood blooming on her skin. But she only smiled.


    Even now, after everything, he still thought she was just throwing a tantrum?


    No surprise, really. She’d spent seven years trailing after him, doing everything he wanted. Now that she had her own thoughts and her own choices, he couldn’t stand it.


    “I thought I made myself clear at the hospital–we’re over, Seth.” She didn’t mind repeating it.


    Whether he was clueless or just pretending, she wanted him to understand: there was no going back.


    “It doesn’t matter if you ever saw me as your girlfriend or not. We’re finished. For good.”


    :