Chapter 218

"Thank you." He gazed at her, his voice low and earnest.

Anna Ross was taken aback for a moment. She turned to meet his eyes. The corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile. A trace of elusive tenderness flickered deep within his profound gaze.

He was actually smiling at her.

Her heartbeat accelerated suddenly. Her vision seemed glued to his face. That face felt like it was slowly emerging from memories sealed away for years.

The atmosphere grew subtly suffocating. She almost had the illusion he would lean in to kiss her the next second. Flustered, she straightened up and turned toward the car window.

A brief silence fell inside the car.

The man's husky voice sounded again.

"Back then, was it really just about the money?" Adrian Sinclair stared at her intently. His gaze was sharp as a blade, as if trying to slice open her heart to find the answer.

That look was too scorching. Anna felt completely exposed.

Her heart pounded wildly, almost bursting out of her chest. Countless words clogged her throat, yet she couldn't utter a single one.

A thin mist blurred her vision. She tilted her head back, desperately suppressing the surging emotions.

This question was like a poisoned thorn. The slightest touch made it bleed profusely.

She didn't dare to respond.

A long, drawn-out silence spread through the car.

Adrian slowly leaned back into his seat. The last glimmer of light in his eyes extinguished. A self-mocking curve tugged at the corner of his mouth. What had he been expecting anyway.

"Get out." His voice was cold, laced with ice. The heavy night concealed the gloom in his eyes.

The tone was too frigid. Anna's heart felt violently torn. She bit her lower lip hard, refusing to let the gathered tears fall. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

"I..." She tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat.

He glanced sideways, waiting for her explanation.

But Anna lowered her eyelids. She struggled to sound calm. "I'm sorry." No matter the myriad reasons, she was the one who had wronged him in the end.

She pushed the door open and got out. She didn't look back. She didn't hesitate. She walked straight into the night breeze. The cool wind brushed past the corners of her eyes. Teardrops fell silently, vanishing into the unseen darkness.

Adrian remained in place. He watched her retreating figure grow distant. He let out a heavy, turbid breath. He started the engine and drove away.

The car interior was deathly quiet. Only the flowing lights outside the window flashed past. Perhaps the night was too cold, or perhaps it was something else. A crimson hue gradually spread across his eyes.

Why did she never explain? It was like this three years ago. It was still like this now. Was her heart truly that hard?

If she just said one word. Just one. He would believe her without hesitation.

Was that so difficult?

He raised a hand to press against his lips. He struggled to suppress the grief threatening to breach its dam.

Amidst the traffic of the bustling city, his car slowly merged into the neon lights. Until it disappeared from sight.