Chapter 210 Goodbye Kiss
Brian would never truly understand how much strength it took for Rachel to say those words, nor would he ever grasp the depth of the pain that came with them.
“I need to think about it,” he finally said.
When his eyes met hers again, there was an intensity in his gaze, something dark and unreadable.
“Alright,” Rachel replied. “How long?”
“Give me five minutes.”
She blinked. That answer caught her off guard.
She had expected him to take days, maybe even weeks, not mere minutes.
“Okay, I’ll wait,” she said softly. Without another word, Brian turned and walked out.
The night felt cold against the hard wall.
His tall figure cast a long shadow under the dim light, making him look lonely.
He placed a cigarette between his lips, lit it with a quick flick of his lighter, and watched as the smoke curled around him.
Taking a deep drag, he exhaled slowly and leaned back against the wall, letting its cool surface support him.
End it? Did she really want to end things? She had fought so hard, swallowed her pride, and let her tears fall as she begged him to walk away. The Rachel he had known would never have done that. She used to be so full of dreams–so naive, so certain about their future.
She had once said she wanted to wear the most beautiful wedding dress, walk down the aisle toward him, and slip on the perfect diamond ring. She had wanted to be his wife. She had wanted to have children with him.
But now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, she had changed her mind.
He couldn’t describe the emotion stirring inside him.
Yet, no matter how much he tried to push it away, the image of her crying kept replaying in his mind.
And the truth was–he hated seeing her cry.
But it was just
breakup, wasn’t it? With his status and his wealth, he could have any woman he wanted. If she was so desperate to leave, then fine. He would grant her wish. There was no reason for him to keep chasing after her, trying to change her mind.
Convincing himself of that, Brian exhaled one final cloud of smoke and crushed the cigarette underfoot.
At that moment, he had no clue that this would become the biggest regret of his life.
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By the time he’d understand just how much he had lost, it would already be too late.
When Brian walked back into the room, there was a chill in the air around him, and the sharp scent of smoke clung to his clothes.
Rachel coughed lightly, the smell catching in her throat.
“How are your burns?” Brian asked.
“It’s better,” she answered simply.
Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.
Finally, she spoke again, her voice steady. “Have you made your decision?”
Brian moved closer, his eyes bright and soft as he looked at her. “I remember you once said you loved children,”
he murmured. “You wanted two, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Rachel admitted without hesitation. “I once said that.”
Back then, she had said those words to please him. But now, with everything ending, there was no reason to
pretend anymore. She had no reason to hide the truth now.
“What if I told you I wouldn’t mind having kids?” Brian asked.
Rachel let out a faint smile. “Really? It doesn’t matter now, though. Because when I choose a husband, he’ll be
someone who truly loves children.”
Brian’s expression stiffened. A sudden madness gripped him, like a wave crashing against his mind.
How foolish had he been to think that merely agreeing to have children would be enough to make her stay?
The thought was absurd.
Without a second thought, he nodded, his voice firm. “Alright. I agree. From this moment on, we’re done.
You’re free to love, date, or marry whoever you want.”
Rachel clenched her hands so tightly that her nails nearly pierced her skin.
The end had arrived faster than she had expected.
She had assumed she’d feel a sense of relief. But there was none. Instead, all she felt was a vast emptiness-
loneliness, disappointment, and a dull, aching pain.
Deep down, she knew–this time, there was no going back. There was nothing left between them.
Everything they had built, every memory, would soon fade into nothing, dissolving like smoke in the wind.
No matter how many times she had braced herself for this, no matter how often she had repeated in her mind that this was the right choice, the actual moment was far more painful than she had ever anticipated.
“Okay.” She forced a weak smile, her lips barely moving as she whispered the word.
“But I have one condition,” Brian said as he took a step closer.
“And what’s that?” she asked.
Before she could process his words, he pulled her into his arms.
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His eyes, dark and smoldering with something unreadable, locked onto hers. “Let me kiss you… just one last.
time.”
This time, Rachel didn’t resist.
She rose onto her toes, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to his first.
If this was truly the last time, she wouldn’t let it be hesitant or half–hearted.
But within moments, Brian took the lead.
His kisses had always been possessive, demanding. But this time, he was different–slower, gentler, as if he
wanted to savor every second, as if he was memorizing her.
Again and again, he kissed her, as if he could imprint her essence onto his soul, as if he could make her a part
of him.
Her familiar scent wrapped around him, pulling him deeper, making him forget everything else.
Rachel matched his intensity, her lips and tongue moving with his in a fervent, desperate rhythm.
Under the soft glow of the night, they clung to each other as if the world beyond them no longer existed.
But even the most intoxicating moments had to come to an end.
As they finally pulled apart to catch their breath, Rachel leaned in, her lips grazing his one last time.
A soft sigh escaped her lips before she slowly stepped back, letting the space between them grow.
“It’s late,” she murmured. “You should get some rest.”
But Brian hesitated, his fingers lightly tracing her lips.
At first, his touch was soft, almost hesitant, but then it deepened, becoming more urgent.
Unable to hold back, he leaned in, wanting to kiss her again.
But this time, Rachel pulled away. She stepped back, putting distance between them. Her voice was steady as she reminded him, “You said after that goodbye kiss, there would be nothing left between us. So, goodnight.”
Brian’s eyes, deep and unreadable, locked onto hers.
But unlike before, he didn’t move toward her.
Instead, he simply parted his lips and gave a quiet nod. “Alright.”
Then, without another word, he turned and vanished into the night, leaving behind nothing but an empty void
in her heart.
That night, Rachel couldn’t sleep. She curled up with her pillow, missing her mom.
Soft whispers escaped her lips, repeating over and over. “Mom, my heart hurts so much. I miss you. If only you were here. Did I do something wrong? But I don’t want to be someone’s replacement anymore, nor do I want to live in fear that he’ll abandon me. Mom, when I finally see you again, will you still recognize me? Mom…”
Eventually, exhaustion took over, pulling her into a restless sleep.
Chapter 210 Goodbye Kiss
By the time she opened her eyes, sunlight was already streaming in.
She freshened up, put on some makeup, painted her lips with a bold shade, and headed to work.
Several of her projects were approaching their final stages, and she needed to ensure everything was properly wrapped up.
Others were in crucial phases, demanding her full attention to stay on course.
There was still a mountain of work waiting for her.
After gathering the necessary documents, she was just about to take them to Brian for his signature.
But as the memory of last night surfaced, she hesitated and called for her assistant instead.
“Bring these papers to the president’s office and have Mr. White sign them,” she instructed.
“He has left for a business trip. You didn’t know?” the assistant asked.
Rachel froze for a moment. “When did he leave?”
He was just here yesterday. How could he be gone already?
“Early this morning,” the assistant explained. “He left–without Ronald. But Tracy Haynes went with him.”
