The sun dipped low over Macau's skyline as Grace Wu stepped out of Li Holdings, the fading warmth of the day brushing lightly against her skin. She adjusted her coat, balancing the paper bag with the remains of Lilly's scone tucked inside. The streets buzzed with life—street vendors calling out to evening crowds, neon signs flickering to life one by one.
Grace blended into the stream of people, weaving through the steady hum of the city with quiet ease.
But her mind was far from the present.
Rocky and Anna.
She hadn't thought about them this much in months. Not since she'd made the decision to steer clear of their tangled mess.
Yet, Rocky's voice lingered in her ear from the call earlier that day—soft, apologetic, and dangerously familiar.
Grace exhaled slowly, clutching the strap of her bag tighter as she crossed the street.
Anna Feng.
The actress who became the partner.
In the beginning, Anna had been nothing more than one of the many faces orbiting Rocky. A small-time actress with a charming smile and a talent for lingering just long enough to be noticed—but never long enough to be dismissed.
Grace had ignored her, just like everyone else.
It wasn't until Anna slid into Rocky's life with unsettling ease that Grace realized how dangerous she was.
Anna didn't just play her role—she rewrote the script entirely.
In the last timeline, Grace had dismissed her as a fleeting distraction. By the time she realized Anna's influence, Rocky's entire empire was crumbling around her.
Grace's steps slowed as she passed a familiar street corner, her gaze flicking to the dimly lit exterior of the Golden Arrow Hotel.
The faint glow of its sign shimmered against the darkened sky.
That night at the Golden Arrow…
She could still picture the way Rocky had looked—half-dressed, disheveled, stumbling after Anna as Lilly walked out of the hotel lobby.
Lilly hadn't said a word that night. She hadn't needed to. Her silence had been louder than anything else.
Grace tightened her coat around her shoulders, the memories pressing down like lead.
Victor Zhou had orchestrated that night.
Grace hadn't realized it at the time, but looking back now, the signs were painfully clear. The whispers from the servers, the conveniently leaked photos—none of it had been an accident.
Victor didn't break Rocky by outbidding him in boardrooms. He broke him by making him irrelevant.
Anna had been the perfect tool for that.
And Rocky… Rocky let it happen.
Grace stepped into a narrow alley that led toward her apartment complex, her heels tapping softly against the concrete.
She remembered the way Rocky used to chase after Anna—ignoring red flags that seemed obvious to everyone but him.
At first, Grace thought it was lust or infatuation. But over time, she realized it was something more dangerous.
Rocky wasn't in love with Anna. He was addicted to the idea of her.
Anna made him feel like a star—like the center of a world he barely had control over.
And Grace had stood by, cleaning up the mess every time things fell apart.
Not this time.
Her footsteps slowed as she approached her building, the quiet hum of the city fading behind her. The apartment lights above flickered faintly in the distance, casting a soft glow over the entrance.
Grace stopped at the base of the steps, gazing up at the darkened windows of her apartment.
For the first time in years, she wasn't carrying Rocky's burdens with her.
She wasn't rushing home to draft apology statements or salvage his reputation.
Instead, she stood beneath the faint glow of the streetlamp, feeling the cool air settle against her skin.
And for a brief moment, she allowed herself to breathe.
Anna might still be circling Rocky like a vulture.
But Grace wasn't standing beneath them, waiting for the scraps to fall.
She adjusted the strap of her bag, stepping forward and disappearing into the shadows of the stairwell.