021:0
In the middle of the standoff, the door burst open. Clara’s assistant stumbled inside, breathless with excitement, his face glowing.
“Ms. Winter! The hospital just called–Mr. Hale… Mr. Hale is awake!“}
The words rang out like heavenly bells.
Clara froze. For a heartbeat, the world around her blurred, then her eyes lit up with warmth. Without a second thought, she turned and rushed out, leaving behind Adrian and the startled crowd of guests.
“Clara! Clara!” Adrian roared in despair, his voice cracking, but she never looked back. Her figure vanished from his world like the last light at dusk.
Jonathan’s awakening swept away the last shadows clouding her heart. At his bedside, Clara finally let herself accept the devotion he had carried for her all along. His recovery was slow, but every moment brimmed with hope. She stayed, unwavering, and in that quiet companionship, their bond grew unshakable.
Meanwhile, justice caught up with Vanessa. The evidence was overwhelming, the charges merciless. Her sentence was heavy, and when the verdict came, Clara felt nothing–only the cold weight of karma delivering its due.
Adrian, however, had no such absolution. With Vanessa unmasked, Clara gone, and the Hale Corporation hammering at his company, the Song empire crumbled. Bankruptcy followed, dragging him down from the high throne he had once occupied. The once–mighty Mr. Cole became a hollow shell, wandering banquets and receptions with a strained smile, begging scraps of attention, chasing hopeless deals.
Six months later, Jonathan had made a full recovery. Together with Clara, he returned to Vienna. Their partnership, both personal and professional, was now an open secret–envied, celebrated, admired.
At a glittering business banquet, they arrived side by side. Jonathan exuded his usual dignified calm, every inch the commanding head of the Hale Corporation. Beside him, Clara dazzled in an elegant gown, confidence and happiness radiating from her.
Partway through the evening, a small–time businessman, eager to please, pulled someone forward. “Mr. Hale, it’s an honor. This here is Mr. Adrian. He used to be very capable–I think he has a project worth discussing with you…”
Adrian staggered into view, unprepared. His face drained of color.”
There they stood–Jonathan in effortless command, and Clara, glowing brighter than he had ever seen her. The woman he had once possessed, once deceived, yet never truly held.
Shame scorched his skin. He dropped his gaze, unable to meet theirs.”
Jonathan regarded him with calm indifference, a glance no warmer than a passing breeze. “Sorry,” he said evenly, “I’m not looking for new investments.“[
Then, as naturally as breathing, he placed a protective arm around Clara’s waist. His tone softened, intimate. “Clara, the elders are waiting–we should go.“”
Clara’s smile bloomed as she nodded. “Alright.“}
Together, they moved on, slipping seamlessly into the throng of admirers, radiant and untouchable.”
Adrian remained rooted, cold sweat clinging,to his skin. Around him, whispers rippled, hushed laughter pricking at his pride like needles. He stood stripped bare, as though beneath a merciless spotlight.”
Watching their backs fade into the glittering crowd, he choked on a bitterness too sharp to swallow and too heavy to spit out.
In the end, Adrian realized the cruelest truth–he was no longer part of their story.
He had become nothing more than an insignificant bystander.”
