Annie noticed that their voices were getting louder, drawing the attention of those nearby. Though this was a waiting area and there were no guests currently present, the commotion was starting to turn heads. In a hushed tone, she said, "You two are making a scene. This isn't the right place to have this discussion."
"Annie, give me my suitcase," Chloe Grace demanded, shooting a sharp glare at Blaine Jackson as she tried to snatch her luggage from Annie's hands.
"Chloe, what are you doing? If you have something to say, just talk to the director properly. I'll put your suitcase away for now." Without waiting for a response, Annie tightened her grip on the handle and swiftly walked away from the waiting area.
"Annie!" Chloe called after her, her voice thick with urgency. She took two quick steps forward but was abruptly stopped when Blaine seized her wrist.
"Let go! You don't have much time before your flight. Shouldn't you be heading to the airport? You wouldn't want to miss it and regret it later, would you?" Her voice was laced with sarcasm as she scoffed. Ever since he had received that woman's phone call—an annoyingly cheerful announcement about her baby's one-month celebration—he had been waiting for this very day. The perfect excuse to return home.
He could say he was visiting to see the baby, but in reality? He just wanted to see her—the woman he could never truly let go of.
Liar.
He once told her he only saw that woman as a friend, or at most, a sister like Sophie. But the truth? The woman he loved the most had always been her, Chloe.
Looking back, she felt ridiculous. How could she have been so easily fooled? One simple phrase from him had been enough to silence all her doubts. For months, she had convinced herself that he loved her. But now… if his heart belonged to someone else, why should she force him to stay?
"Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you?" Blaine growled as he suddenly yanked her forward and started dragging her toward the lounge.
"Hey! Let go of me!" Chloe stomped her foot in frustration, using all her strength to pry his hand off her wrist, but his grip was unrelenting.
"Blaine, if you don't let go, I swear I'll bite you!" She meant it. This wasn't just a threat.
But he didn't take her words seriously. Without hesitation, he continued walking, his fingers still wrapped firmly around her wrist as they moved down the long hallway toward the private lounge.
"Fine. You don't believe me?" Chloe narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, and—without warning—lowered her head and bit down on his hand.
Or at least, she tried to.
The moment her teeth made contact with his skin, she froze.
Strangely, she couldn't bring herself to bite down.
Instead, a single thought kept replaying in her mind: Would it hurt him too much?
Sophie had once mentioned that Blaine had a low pain tolerance. He even fainted at the sight of needles. If she really sank her teeth into him, it would definitely hurt—a lot.
"Weren't you going to bite me?" His voice snapped her out of her trance. Looking up, she found him staring at her with an amused, yet slightly confused expression.
Still dazed, she mumbled, "I… I was afraid it would hurt you."
"What?" Blaine blinked, stunned for a moment before his expression darkened. His pride clearly took a hit as he glared at her. "Who told you I was afraid of pain?"
Sophie. It had to be her. That little traitor!
"Afraid or not, I know for a fact that you fainted last year when you got into that car accident. You passed out just from getting an injection at the hospital," Chloe huffed before letting out an exaggerated scoff.
Blaine clenched his jaw. "Why the hell are you scoffing now? What's your problem this time?"
So Sophie had even told her about that embarrassing incident. No wonder she had been keeping such a close eye on him and Chloe lately.
"None of your business!" Chloe snapped, averting her gaze. She had heard that when he was hospitalized, it was Claire Grace—the woman who still lingered in his heart—who had taken care of him. Just thinking about it made her chest ache. Was that when he fell in love with her?
"Chloe Grace, you're getting bolder by the day. When did you stop listening to me? Didn't you promise you'd always do as I said? And now? Every single thing I say, you argue with me!"
"Oh, so now I'm supposed to obey you like a puppet?" Chloe let out a bitter laugh. "Fine. You go back to your country to see your precious ex, and I'll go to Korea to visit my friend. Happy now?" Tears welled up in her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to hold them back, they spilled over. She quickly turned away, trying to hide her trembling shoulders.
"Why are you crying again?" Blaine sighed in frustration. He gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing away her tears. His voice softened. "You're overthinking things again. How many times do I have to tell you? Claire is just a friend, like a sister to me. She loves her husband, and I have you. Isn't that enough? But no, you'd rather fly to Korea to see Evan Lee—"
"Stop lying to yourself. Stop lying to me." Chloe inhaled sharply, forcing herself to stay composed before finally whispering, "Let's break up."
Blaine stiffened. "What?"
"You heard me. If you truly loved me, you would've taken me with you. The fact that you didn't… it proves everything." She bit her lip, trying to steady her shaking voice. "It's okay. I won't cling to you anymore. Go find your happiness."
With that, she turned and walked away, wiping at her tears.
"Stop right there!" Blaine growled, his voice thick with anger and disbelief. Why was she always so stubborn? Why did she always assume she knew what was in his heart without even giving him a chance to explain?
"I'm sorry if I've been a burden to you." Chloe didn't stop, didn't turn back. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she quickened her pace and walked out of the lounge, leaving him standing there, frozen in place.