Chapter 514

When we stopped at a red light, he turned off the music and said, “It’s been haunting me lately, how I died in my previous life…”

Victoria looked at the back of his head, a faint smile on her lips. ‘And?’ she thought.

“I can’t just let the Darwin family off the hook,” Jared said, glancing back at me.

I just said “Oh.”

“Are you really okay with Tracy facing her family’s ruin?”

Jared let out a bitter laugh. “In my previous life, I lost my life. Yvonne could’ve ended up in jail. How could I possibly let them off the hook?”

I looked out the window and sighed. “You do what you want. I’ve already let go of the past.”

Jared’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he let out a self-deprecating laugh. “What was I hoping for? Guess I’m just making trouble for myself.”

I went home to pack up, and Jared drove me to the office. The company had arranged a van for a few of the execs to take us to the airport.

Jared wouldn’t take no for an answer and walked me all the way to the airport entrance, even following me into the terminal to the ticket counter.

“If it ever gets too much for you in Braylin, just come back. Hachester, Shaville, wherever—you can always come home,” Jared said, standing beside me.

I nodded. “Thanks. I’ll do my best to make it in Braylin.”

Jared handed me a key. “Take this apartment—it’s yours now. Think of it as something I’m giving you after the divorce.”

I blinked in surprise—Jared was being unexpectedly generous.

“If you’re giving it away, I’m not about to refuse,” I said. Thinking about how he used to hand money over to Tracy in my previous life, I felt zero guilt about taking it now.

Jared smiled, glancing down. “That’s exactly what I hoped for. I’ll handle things with the kids. Braylin’s all yours now—just take care of your team.”

“That’s only fair,” I replied, just as the boarding call came over the speakers.

I lined up with the rest of the team to check in.

Just then, a familiar tall figure emerged from the crowd—it was Nathan.

“Victoria, sorry I’m late,” he said, coming right up and standing next to me.

I saw the sweat he hadn’t even had time to wipe off, and it was obvious he’d rushed over.

“What are you doing here?” I couldn’t help blurting out, surprised.

Nathan gave a little smile. “Is it so strange for a friend to come see you off?”

I felt a wave of gratitude. “Thanks for coming all this way. I gotta go now.”

Nathan nodded. “Alright, have a safe flight.”

As I walked down the boarding tunnel, I glanced back and saw two figures watching me—one close, one far. My heart sank. I never wanted to be some kind of heartbreaker, so why does it feel like I’m starting to act like one?

I tossed my hair and let the thought go.

It was a recipe for disaster to want the perks of being a heartbreaker without the skills to pull it off.

Even now that I’m in Braylin, romance isn’t really on my mind—I’m all about my career these days.

Sitting in first class as the plane slowly climbed, I watched Braylin, the city I knew so well, blur and shrink beneath me. Suddenly, I felt so much lighter.

Maybe I’m meant to be a bird, chasing after distant horizons.

Is the scenery out there really as breathtaking as everyone says?

We landed at Capital International Airport a little after noon. Some colleagues who’d arrived ahead of us had already brought cars to pick everyone up.

“Ms. Murphy, want to ride with us?” one of the female execs asked with a friendly smile.

The moment I powered on my phone, it blew up with messages—all from Ryan.

He was already at the exit, waiting for me.

I told her right away, “I’ll catch a ride with a friend. You all go on ahead.”

After my colleagues left, I took my sweet time finding my suitcase and slowly made my way toward the exit.

The place was packed with people waiting for arrivals, but I spotted Ryan right away.

Even though he was all bundled up, his tall figure and that air of sophistication made him impossible to miss.

As soon as I walked over, he reached out and took my suitcase. Someone nearby pointed at me and asked, “Is she some kind of celebrity?”

“Wow, she’s gorgeous…” someone else murmured.

People were complimenting me, but I just ducked my head and quickly caught up with Ryan.

A black Mercedes-Benz van was waiting. After Ryan loaded my suitcase, he turned and held out his hand to me.

I paused for a moment, and he curved his lips into a faint smile. “What’s this? Getting all distant on me?”