Jade withdrew her hand. Julian looked at her with confusion. "Jade, what’s wrong?"

Jade pulled a key from her purse—the key to the study—and pressed it into Julian’s hand. "After the awards are over, remember to go to the study."

Julian pocketed the key and reached for her hand again. "We'll look at it together when we get back."

On stage, the host smiled broadly at the cue card. "The Best Actress award goes to Ruifeng’s most beautiful and popular artist. Let’s congratulate the lead actress of The Mysterious Veil, Jade Yu!"

Jade stood up and walked toward the stage. Holding the trophy, she felt a thousand emotions rushing through her. She paused for a long moment before speaking.

"Thank you all for your love. It allows me to bring my acting career to a perfect conclusion. Starting today, I am retiring. I am leaving the entertainment industry forever."

Chapter 10

The hall fell into a stunned silence.

Julian’s eyes widened in shock. Across the crowd, his gaze collided with Jade’s. In the depth of her swirling emotions, there was a flicker of liberating relief. Without further explanation, she clutched her trophy and walked straight off the stage.

Industry peers immediately swarmed Julian. "Mr. Grant, was Jade’s retirement planned with you? Is she returning to family life, or was she affected by today’s scandals?"

"We all know those reporters are just making things up. Don't let them ruin your marriage!"

Julian pushed through the crowd toward Jade, his brow furrowed with displeasure. "You’re retiring? Why didn't you consult me about something this big?"

The acting skills that had been praised by countless directors failed Jade now. She couldn't even force a smile. "I'm tired."

The people surrounding them froze and discreetly backed away. Julian’s frown deepened as he grabbed her wrist. "The celebratory dinner is already booked. You can explain everything to me there."

At that moment, Selina approached. Taking advantage of the crowd, she secretly hooked her finger into Julian’s hand, her face displaying a poor attempt at acting. "Mr. Grant, my stomach hurts. Can you take me to the hospital?"

Julian’s brow knit together. He turned to Jade. "Jade, I’ll call a taxi for you. Go to the restaurant first."

Looking at her empty palm, Jade’s heart felt a sharp sting. Normally, she wouldn't have said another word. But perhaps moved by the atmosphere, or wanting to leave a decent final memory, she refused him for the first time. "Julian, I..."

Before she could finish, Julian had already hailed a car. "Get in."

All her words died in her throat, dissolving into a mundane, "Okay. Goodbye."

Goodbye, Julian. Forever.

As they passed her, Selina gave Jade a triumphant look, as if she were the ultimate victor. Jade’s eyes remained fixed on Julian, and a single tear escaped. It was gone in an instant. This time, she would not watch him leave, nor would she wait for him.

Under the heavy snowfall, Jade sat in the taxi and headed in the opposite direction of Julian.

Inside the Bentley, Selina leaned into Julian. "Julian, I missed you so much. The baby missed you, too."

Julian was visibly irritated, the coldness in his eyes lingering. "I told you, don't look for me in public."

Selina took his hand and placed it over her heart, cooing, "This isn't a public place." The spark was ignited, and Julian silenced her with a kiss.

Soon after, as she headed toward the airport, Jade received a call from Julian. "Something urgent came up at the office. Have dinner and go home; don't wait for me." Selina’s intermittent sighs drifted through the speaker.

Jade’s knuckles turned white. She let out a self-deprecating laugh, but her voice remained perfectly calm. "It’s okay. Take your time."

Julian sensed something was off. "Jade..."

Selina clung to him again, kissing him. Julian shifted his tone. "Never mind." He hung up.

The taxi driver was a kind-hearted man. "Was that your husband? Why didn't he come to see you off at the airport?"

Jade replied softly, "No. He isn't anymore."

Upon arriving at the airport, Jade took out her SIM card and snapped it in half. She threw it, along with the emerald necklace Julian had given her, into a trash can before boarding her flight to America.

Farewell, Metropolis. Farewell, Julian Grant.

Chapter 11

After a night of indulgence, Julian finally returned home.

"Jade, I bought you a cake to make up for yesterday’s celebration."

There was no response.

Julian frowned, carrying the cake into the bedroom. "Jade?"

The room was empty. An inexplicable sense of dread rose in his chest, like an invisible hand squeezing his heart. Jade had never stayed out all night. He was her only family in this city, and she had very few friends. Where could she go?

He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. A cold, mechanical female voice answered: "The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and try again."

Julian froze, staring at the screen. The call logs clearly showed the name "Jade Yu." How could it be out of service?

His eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to call his secretary, Jade’s agent, Clara, called him first. Julian exhaled, the coldness in his eyes softening slightly. "Where is Jade? Put her on the phone."

Clara, on the other end, sounded utterly baffled. "Didn't you tell her to terminate the contract and deregister her stage name?"

Julian’s pupils contracted. His blood felt as if it had turned to ice. "...What did you say?"

"Jade just won the Golden Dragon Award yesterday! We even agreed to see the surprise in the study together. How could I possibly let her go and terminate her contract so suddenly?"

Clara questioned him with suppressed rage. "You didn't give up on her? Then why did you give all of Jade’s resources to Selina? Why did you let the entire internet attack her?!"

"I’m calling today to tell you that since Jade Yu has terminated her contract, I’m resigning too!"

The call ended. Julian gripped the phone so hard the veins on the back of his hand bulged. There had to be a mistake. His Jade would never just leave like this.

Suddenly, he remembered the key. He hurried to the study. He kept telling himself this was just part of the "surprise," but his hands were shaking too violently to believe his own lie.

With a click, the door opened.

Sunlight streamed in from the right, illuminating the photo wall—and Julian’s bloodless face. The wall that once held photos of their romance had been completely replaced with evidence of his infidelity.

Photos of the "protection" packets in the car, screenshots of the "Thinking of Selina" account, and the intimate photos Selina had sent Jade.

Julian’s eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at the wall, moving forward with stiff limbs. On the desk below lay the signed divorce papers and her wedding ring. He picked up the cold ring, letting the chill travel from his palm to his heart.

"Find her! I don't care where she went, find Jade Yu and bring her back to me!"

Despite serving Julian for years, the butler was shaken by the cold aura he was radiating. "Mr. Grant, she has deregistered her stage name. Finding her now is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Please, calm down before making a decision."

Calm down? Jade was gone and might never return. How could he possibly calm down?

His phone rang again. It was his secretary, sounding frantic. "Mr. Grant, please come to the office immediately. The news of Jade Yu’s contract termination has been trending for half the day."

Julian rubbed his temples. "I'm coming."

Thirty minutes later, he arrived at Ruifeng Entertainment. The usually respectful staff members were whispering.

"Everyone said Mr. Grant and Sister Jade were the model couple. Why would she suddenly force a termination?"

Another staffer rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. The termination process takes at least ten days. If Mr. Grant had paid even a little attention to her, he would have noticed something was wrong."

"Model couple? That devotion must have been an act."

Julian’s breath hitched. He stood frozen in place. For ten whole days, his mind had been entirely on Selina.

Chapter 12

The two staff members looked up and saw Julian; they were both surprised and guilty. However, he showed no intention of reprimanding them and walked away without looking back.

One of the staffers let out a sigh of relief. "They say Mr. Grant is a cold-faced tyrant, but I don't see it."

The other countered, "That’s because Jade Yu’s termination is a crisis. He doesn't have time for us."

"That’s not right. I clearly saw grief on his face. He’s not as heartless as you say."

...

In the conference room, all the executives and major shareholders sat in their seats with solemn expressions. Only Selina Song seemed out of place, unable to hide the slight upward curve of her lips.