Chapter 55
Hansel sneered. “Quite impressive, Miranda. You seem to be having a good time, surrounding yourself with men.” His tone became vicious. “Who was that guy just now? What were you two doing upstairs?”
Miranda’s smile vanished. Her wrist, hurting from his vise-like grip, made her struggle to break free, but Hansel’s brute strength was too great. The more she struggled, the tighter he held on.
“Hansel, let go of me!” Miranda cried.
“Answer me first!”
Miranda furrowed her brows in pain. “What’s it to you?”
He retorted, “As your ex-boyfriend, isn’t it normal for me to be concerned about your love life?”
Miranda chuckled and met his eyes. “So, you do know that you’re my ex. Then why are you here?”
Hansel hesitated. “Can’t I just be passing by?”
At that moment, an old man approached them from the alley entrance, muttering angrily, “Who parked their car at the entrance of the alley? Can’t they see the road is so narrow? They’re blocking the entrance! Just because they drive a sports car… Such poor manners, blocking the way for everyone else…”
Hansel’s expression darkened. Miranda recognized the car the old man mentioned—Hansel’s Porsche, parked nearby. She couldn't be bothered to figure out why Hansel was there. After tossing the trash, she turned to him. “Even if I have a new boyfriend or two, it’s none of your business. We’ve broken up. Do I need to explain what that means? I will have nothing to do with your future, so don’t interfere in my present or future.”
She paused. “Let’s just be strangers. I don’t know how you found this place, but please don’t come here again. I don’t want any misunderstandings with your girlfriend. Since you chose to give her a title, I hope you’ll keep your word and be devoted to her.”
She’d been through the pain of betrayal; she didn’t want Ingrid to suffer the same. At Ingrid’s age, she should bloom freely, not waste her youth. Everyone has the right to choose their own path. Hansel chose Ingrid; Miranda chose to break up with him. They should both take responsibility for their decisions.
Stunned, Hansel stood there for a long time, unable to react. Miranda turned and walked away. Hansel watched her retreating figure, feeling a pang of panic for the first time. It felt like something belonging to him was slipping away, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t hold on to it.
“Are you serious, Miranda?”
“Yes,” she said, without looking back.
“You used to say the same thing back then…” Hansel murmured. They’d argued before, but none of their fights had made him feel this panicked. Her matter-of-fact tone implied she truly wouldn't return.
Hansel reached out, wanting to persuade her to stay, but no words came. He was the one who’d proposed breaking up; he was the one who’d let go of her hand first.
Miranda returned home and sat silently on the couch. She wasn’t surprised Hansel had come. Compared to their hasty breakup last time, this felt like a real goodbye.
Hansel stood motionlessly downstairs long after Miranda left. He was finally forced to leave when the frustrated old man threatened to call the police to tow his car.
“Hey, so this is your car? What is wrong with you? I’ve been yelling for ages! Are you deaf?” the old man grumbled.
Hansel slammed on the gas pedal and sped back to the mansion in twenty minutes. Martha was making soup in the kitchen. A loud bang made her think something had fallen. The next second, she saw Hansel storming angrily across the living room, heading upstairs without a word. Martha’s heart pounded with fear. What had set him off this time?