Chapter 7

"It’s nothing," Clara said quietly, her reddened eyes fixed on the view outside the window.

The next moment, the night sky burst into a riot of fireworks, dazzling and vibrant.

Clara immediately remembered Sylvia’s words from earlier—how Julian had planned a citywide fireworks display to celebrate her pregnancy.

Noticing Clara’s gaze lingering on the bright explosions, Julian’s eyes softened with affection.

"Do you like this? I’ll arrange an even grander display just for you. Better than this one, I promise," he said, holding her tightly and coaxing her with his gentle tone.

Clara smiled faintly, but her smile was tinged with bitterness and tears.

"Julian," she said softly, her voice carrying a sharp edge, "I don’t like things that others have already used."

Whether it was fireworks... or people.

Julian froze for a moment, her words piercing through him. Though she was clearly talking about the fireworks, his chest tightened with an inexplicable sense of panic.

After a brief silence, he pulled her closer. "Then I’ll prepare something else. Something that’s only for you. I’ll make sure you never feel jealous of anyone else."

Clara said nothing, her gaze distant as she stared out at the horizon. She didn’t reply.

For the next several days, Julian left early and returned late, his behavior shrouded in secrecy.

Even the household staff noticed something was unusual and couldn’t help but tease.

"Mrs. Vanguard, it seems Mr. Vanguard is secretly planning a surprise for you!"

"Yes, he’s so devoted. First, he had a piece of custom jewelry made for you, and now he’s working on something else. One surprise after another. He never runs out of ways to spoil you!"

But Clara remained expressionless, listening to their chatter without a hint of reaction.

That evening, Julian took her hand, his excitement barely concealed as he led her to the door.

"Clare, I’m taking you somewhere. You’ll love it," he said with a smile.

Clara was about to refuse when her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Sylvia.

"Clara, why don’t you guess who’s more important to him now? You or me?"

The next moment, Julian’s phone vibrated as well.

Clara glanced over and caught a glimpse of the screen. It was a photo from Sylvia—a close-up of her legs in black stockings, accompanied by a playful message, "Don’t keep me waiting~"

Julian’s eyes darkened as he stared at the image, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. A few seconds later, he tucked his phone into his pocket and turned to Clara.

"Clare, there’s an issue with a project at work. I need to handle it right away," he said, his tone unusually hurried. "Let’s save the surprise for next time, okay?"

Clara met his gaze silently, her eyes searching his.

Then she let out a soft laugh, one that sent an inexplicable unease rippling through him.

Without a word, she opened the car door and stepped out.

Julian hesitated for a moment, but after only three seconds, the car roared to life and sped off, leaving her standing there.

Hours later, Clara received a message from Sylvia. It was a photo of a trash bin filled with ripped-open condom wrappers.

"Clara, you’ve lost again. Can you believe it? I’m still pregnant, and yet he couldn’t wait. How much do you think he loves me?"

Sylvia’s tone was dripping with triumph. Clara stared at the photo for a moment, but her expression remained calm and unshaken.

She had already decided to leave. None of this could hurt her anymore.

Over the next few days, Julian didn’t come home. Clara didn’t ask or care to know where he was.

However, Sylvia kept her updates constant.

One day, it was a photo of fruit sliced into perfect cubes. Another day, it was cabinets filled with luxury goods. Then it was a picture of a meal Julian had cooked himself.

Each message was a declaration of how much Julian supposedly loved her.

Clara ignored them all.

Instead, she focused on removing every trace of herself from the house.

If she was going to disappear, she would do so completely.