Chapter 22
Callum emerged from the shadows, deliberately positioning himself in Cassie’s path.
Fabio tensed instantly, his relaxed demeanor vanishing as he moved to step between them. Cassie caught his arm, her touch gentle but firm.
“This has to end,” she said quietly. “Let me handle this myself. Please?”
The concern in Fabio’s eyes was evident, but he respected her request with a reluctant nod. “I’ll wait right here,” he promised, stepping back but remaining within eyesight.
The simple gesture–respecting her autonomy while still offering support–sent a surge of warmth through Cassie’s chest. It was exactly the strength she needed to face this final confrontation.
She turned to Callum, meeting his gaze directly. “Let’s talk. Properly this time.”
Inside her apartment, Callum took a seat near the window, his eyes darting between Cassie and Fabio’s vigilant figure outside. Cassie noticed his nervous glances and felt nothing–no satisfaction at his discomfort, no lingering attachment. Just a calm certainty that she was finally closing this chapter.
“I assumed you’d be with Laurina by now,” she began, her tone matter–of–fact. “Since I was just her replacement, and you loved her enough to donate your kidney–why aren’t you together?”
The blunt assessment landed like a physical blow. Callum opened his mouth, then closed it again, visibly struggling
for words.
Cassie poured him a glass of water–a hostess reflex rather than a gesture of care–before her gaze drifted back to the window. Outside, Fabio was examining the soil near her doorstep, testing its quality between his fingers. She smiled faintly, realizing he was assessing whether it would support the houseplants she’d mentioned wanting earlier.
Callum caught her expression and something in him seemed to crumble. He leaned forward, desperation edging into his voice.
“Cassie, I know I hurt you terribly,” he began, the words practiced yet sincere. “But I genuinely care about you. After you left, everything felt… hollow. Like the color had drained out of my life.” He paused, his voice dropping. “I’ve finally recognized the truth–you’re the one I love. It was always you.”
Cassie studied him with clinical detachment. The declaration that would have once sent her heart soaring now felt as meaningful as discussing the weather.
Glancing nervously at Fabio through the window, Callum pressed on. “Just give me another ch right this time. We had good years together, didn’t we? We can find our way back.”
- I’ll do things
“No,” Cassie said simply, sipping her water. “It’s too late. What I felt for you is completely gone. I only agreed to talk today to give us both closure–so you can stop this pursuit and I can move forward unencumbered.”
Her calm directness seemed to unnerve him more than anger would have.
Lim My Own Life
15.3%
Chapter 22
“Callum, please leave Rome. Remove yourself from my life. Your presence here is nothing but an unwelcome
disruption.”
Desperation flashed across his face as he gestured angrily toward the window. “It’s because of him, isn’t it? That Italian playboy is why you won’t come back to me?”
The accusation didn’t even merit irritation. Cassie’s expression remained unchanged. “Don’t flatter yourself. Even if Fabio didn’t exist, I wouldn’t return to you.”
She allowed herself a small smile. “But yes, he is wonderful. I enjoy his company, and I intend to see where it leads.”
The simple truth seemed to devastate Callum more effectively than any calculated cruelty could have. He watched as her eyes drifted once again to the window, her expression softening involuntarily at the sight of Fabio. The brutal reality of her indifference settled in his stomach like lead.
In that moment, he knew it was truly over. Eyes couldn’t lie–where once he’d seen adoration when she looked at him, now there was nothing but polite impatience. Yet her entire face transformed when looking at Fabio, revealing a genuine warmth he’d never fully appreciated when it had been directed at him.
Callum struggled to find one compelling reason she should reconsider. “I-”
Before he could continue, Cassie calmly picked up her phone and dialed without breaking eye contact.
“Fabio? I’ve said everything that needs saying. You can come in now.”
The dismissal couldn’t have been clearer–she was literally calling in his replacement.
Whatever desperate arguments Callum had prepared died in his throat. His pride, the last defense of a wounded ego, finally reasserted itself. Without another word, he stood and left, brushing past Fabio in the doorway without
acknowledgment.
He drove straight to his hotel, hastily packed his belongings, and headed to the airport.
Sitting in the departure lounge, Callum slumped in his seat, the full weight of his failure crushing down on him. The irony wasn’t lost on him–he’d spent years pretending to love Cassie while pining for Laurina, only to discover genuine feelings for Cassie precisely when she’d stopped caring entirely.
The image of Cassie with Fabio–her face alight with interest, his undisguised adoration–felt like a physical weight on his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
He decided there was nothing left to do but return to New York, leaving behind the woman he’d only learned to truly value after losing her forever.
