Chapter 365

Tears shimmered in Evelyn's eyes as she struggled to contain her emotions.

The night had fallen, obscuring Liam's features, but his silhouette remained achingly perfect against the dim light. Her heart clenched as tightly as her fists. "If you return to Solterra now, you might never come back to Aldenria. Are you really leaving without a second thought?" Liam's voice was heavy with unspoken pain.

Evelyn's throat tightened.

She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Archibald and Margaret, but the idea of losing Liam was unbearable.

At least with her grandparents, she could still visit during holidays. They could even come to Solterra.

But Liam?

Once she stepped onto that plane, they would become strangers. He would vanish from her life completely.

Three years ago, this separation might have hurt, but not like this.

Those three lost years had bound her heart to his irrevocably.

Now, the pain was suffocating.

Torn between her life's work and the man she loved, she chose science—but it felt like her heart was being ripped in two. Silent tears traced paths down her cheeks.

Liam caught the glimmer of them in the moonlight. He cradled her face, thumbs brushing away the wetness. "Are these tears for your grandparents... or for Donovan?"

Evelyn bowed her head, shoulders trembling. The grief was too raw to question why he kept mentioning Donovan now.

"Cassandra," Liam murmured, voice rough. "If you stay in Aldenria, the government can negotiate with Solterra. We'll handle your contracts, patents—everything. We'll fight to get your projects back."

Evelyn shook her head, voice breaking. "It's not just one project. There are over twenty unfinished."

Liam stiffened.

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Liam, I abandoned more than a dozen when I disappeared. The hydronium research is the most critical—and the most complex."

She gently pushed his hands away and stepped back. "I can't stay."

The sea breeze tangled in her hair but sliced through Liam's chest. He stared at her, but the darkness hid her expression.

His own eyes burned, but he forced a smile. "It's getting late."

Evelyn opened her mouth to explain—"Liam, I—"

He cut her off. "Don't feel guilty. Just give me your answer, and I'll report to President Pierce."

Her heart shattered.

"I respect your decision." Liam turned away. "Come on. I'll take you home."

The car ride was silent. Both lost in their thoughts, staring out opposite windows.

When they reached Wright Manor, Evelyn stepped out. The car sped off before she could even shut the door. She lifted a hand in farewell, but the words died on her lips.

What was the point?

Liam had done what he could. No long speeches, no desperate pleas.

He knew.

Nothing would ever make Evelyn choose him over her life's work—over hydronium, over Solterra, over her career.

And true to his word, he never contacted her again.

In the following days, Evelyn poured herself into time with Archibald and Margaret, burying her longing for Liam deep.

She braced for the emptiness ahead.

No calls. No meetings. Just... forgetting.

A month later, morning sunlight spilled into the room as Rosalind packed her suitcase. Evelyn and Rosalind Fairchild sat on the edge of the bed.

"Will I see you again?" Rosalind asked softly.

Evelyn nodded. "Yes. I'll be reachable a month before and after Christmas. You can always visit me in Solterra."