Dominic didn't come home that night, but Bella wasn't worried. She had no interest in finding him; her focus was on detaching herself from him.

Waking at dawn, she made a simple breakfast and enjoyed the rare peace. She had the morning free—her piano lesson at Felix's wasn't until the afternoon—and decided to deep clean the house. The thought struck her: she hadn't had a day of rest in three years.

After breakfast, she began tidying. The gigantic Miller Manor was a formidable task. By midday, she had only finished the basement and first floor. After a short break, she tackled Dominic's study. For three years, he'd kept it locked, but today, the door was unlocked. She decided to clean it.

Inside, a cloud of dust made her choke. She put on a mask (thankfully, the windows were closed). The dust wasn't excessively thick, so she opened the balcony windows. Sunlight flooded the room, chasing away the gloom and giving it a lively glow.

By 1:00 p.m., she was finished and collapsed into a chair, exhausted. Picking up a random book, she opened it, and an old piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

It was Dominic's study; everything belonged to him. Nothing could be damaged.

Hurriedly, she picked up the paper and froze. It was an essay she'd written in middle school, titled "My Brother." She hadn't realized it was missing from her book, let alone in Dominic's possession.

The paper was slightly yellowed, but the words were legible. Her youthful handwriting, even with its looping script, remained clear. However, every mention of "brother" had been erased. Did Dominic hate her that much? He wouldn't even allow her to call him brother in an essay.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps downstairs. Quickly, she folded the paper, pocketed it, and returned the book to the shelf.

Leaving the study, she ran directly into Dominic. Nervous, she stammered, "Um"

Dominic frowned and coldly asked, "Who gave you permission to enter?"

Playing with the corner of her shirt, she replied, "I-I just wanted to help you clean up. Your study was very dusty. Aren't you going to use it? I'm finished cleaning it. If you don't want me touching your belongings, you could hire a maid."

Dominic pushed her away, surveyed the study, then relaxed slightly. "I'll get someone to clean it," he said. "You have no right to do that. Just because you're living here doesn't mean you own the place, got it?"

Bella smiled dismissively. "Got it," she replied. "I have other things to attend to. I'll be leaving now."

She'd barely taken a few steps when Dominic said, "Why are you so in need of money? Have I been stingy with you these past few years? Don't embarrass me."

Bella paused but didn't turn. "Thank you for taking care of me all these years," she said. "I'm a working adult now, and I no longer need your help. I have a job, I'm earning money legally, and we have different surnames. No one knows about our relationship. Even if I were to embarrass someone, it wouldn't be you."

The repeated promotional sentence has been removed as it's irrelevant to the text's content.