After I Vanished, He Finally Realized What He Lost

Chapter 10

His treatment of me had always stemmed from the influence of others' words, people convinced that my contributions overshadowed his. That belief led him to humiliate me, and worse, it allowed his heart to wander.

"There's no need to say anything more. At this point, we can't go back," I said, my voice steady but firm.

"Mr. Evans, please show some respect!" Linus pleaded, still holding onto my wrist, desperate to keep me from walking away.

I struggled to break free, wanting nothing more than to leave. Just as he attempted to stop me again, a taxi pulled up, and Themis jumped out, wrapping her arms around him.

"Brother Linus, if she doesn't care about you, I do!" she declared.

"Come back with me! I won't abandon you like she did! I can help you rise to the top again!"

Linus shoved her away with a force that surprised me. "What do you even count for? You can't compare to my Naia."

Then, as if all his pride had shattered in that moment, he dropped to his knees before me. His eyes, usually so proud and filled with arrogance, were now overflowing with desperation. "I beg you, Naia. Don't leave me."

"Ten years… I can't imagine my life without you. I know I was wrong. Can we start over?"

As his pleading gaze met mine, I felt a hollow ache in my chest, but I knew what I had to do. I shook my head.

"Linus, I've given you too many chances, and you've thrown them all away," I said, my voice breaking just a little. "Before I walked away, I gave you everything I could, but it was never enough for you."

I took a step back, adding, "Your talent, even without my help, was never meant to be overshadowed. Everything that's brought us here is your doing. All of it."

Without another word, I turned my back on him, leaving him there, kneeling in the street. His pain was evident, but I couldn't go back. Not anymore.

The days that followed were filled with drama. Linus and Themis showed up outside my apartment building every day, causing a scene. Eventually, I had no choice but to report them to the police. They were sent back to their country, and with that, the chaos died down.

Life gradually returned to normal, and news of Linus faded from the headlines. But something else stirred inside me. After a performance one evening, Jarren pulled me aside with a surprising announcement.

"Naia, I've spoken to Henry. We're moving the band back to our home country. Back to where you were born and raised," he said, his voice filled with purpose.

To be honest, working abroad had allowed me to escape the toxic people and situations that had weighed me down for so long. But over time, I started to feel a deep sense of homesickness, something I hadn't expected. Jarren seemed to notice this shift in me, and it surprised me.

"But what about the rest of the band?" I asked. "Do they agree with this decision?"

"Most of the band members are American. They're here out of necessity, but now's the right time to go home," Jarren explained. "And I want to return to the place where we first met."

The warmth in his eyes, that sincerity, tugged at my heart. It was as though he truly understood me in a way I hadn't realized before.

Soon, the entire band agreed, and we set off for our home country together. I only told a few close friends about my decision to return. But when I landed at the airport, I immediately spotted him.

Linus.

He stood there, holding a bouquet of 999 roses, clearly waiting to welcome me back. It was the gesture I had longed for back when I still cared. But now, it felt far too late.

Before he could even approach me, I took Jarren's arm, standing on my toes to press a soft kiss on his cheek. The light in Linus's eyes dimmed, but he still tried to convince himself everything was okay.

"It's okay, Naia," he said, forcing a smile. "I know you're just pretending."

His grip on the bouquet tightened, his knuckles white as the thorns dug into his palms. "I'll prove my sincerity," he promised. "I'll make up for all the mistakes I've made."

But it was too late. I didn't look back.