Chapter 108

Before he could say anything, Rosalar shot him down. “Come on, this isn’t some tragic romance novel,” she said, dismissing his words. She wasn't feeling reluctant just because he'd mentioned divorce; getting his heart had been way too easy. She’d offered him her heart, only to be met with indifference. How could signing a divorce paper suddenly change everything? All those years of devotion, all those moments of heartbreak in her previous life, would be nothing more than a ridiculous footnote.

She calmly packed up another piece of pie with her fork. Besides, his ex was back. As his substitute, she should have taken the hint—the way of their reunion. The thought no longer affected her. Maybe she'd finally accepted that she was more than Roseanne's substitute. Saying it aloud no longer stung.

He watched her carefully. She seemed unbothered, completely at ease. But he’d caught a fleeting trace of sadness in her eyes; he believed she’d truly let Julian go. He’d been by her side for a year, watching her grow from a fourteen-year-old prodigy into the woman she was now. He considered himself a genius, but after meeting Rosalie, he was more than willing to step back and be her assistant. Geniuses, by nature, were proud and arrogant. Rosalie was no exception. Yet, she’d shed that arrogance, abandoned the pedestal she was born to, and humbled herself to stay by his side.

His voice was steady, but a weight to it tightened her grip on her fork. He usually called her "Ro," but the way he said "Rosalie" now signaled something serious. He studied her face and asked, "Yeah?"

He probed, testing the waters. "If Julian really can't let you go, would you consider getting back with him?"

She didn't hesitate. "Julian despises me. He's spent our entire relationship trying to push me as far away as possible. Why would he suddenly come back?"

He waited for her to truly accept that reality, but at least in this life, she wasn't too late. His playful demeanor vanished; his gaze locked onto hers, serious and unwavering. He asked again, "I said, what if?"

Her casual indifference faltered, replaced by silence. A moment hung between them before she finally spoke. "No, I'll never get back with him." The sting behind her eyes reaffirmed her decision. "Eddie, I'm tired. I'm exhausted from the past year—and that's not even counting my previous life—from many nights waiting for him to come home. From being fully awake to barely keeping my eyes open, he never showed up. That, somehow, was even harder than making a breakthrough in any research."

She exhaled, her voice laced with regret and relief. "If I'd known loving him would be this painful, I would have let him go long ago."