Chapter 2: The Girl Who Disappeared

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, but Emerald Hutton had not slept for even a minute.

She remained curled up on the floor beside her bed, her swollen eyes fixed on nothing.

The house was unusually quiet after the grand birthday celebration.

Outside her bedroom window, birds chirped cheerfully as though nothing had changed.

But everything had changed.

The dreams she had carefully protected since childhood had died the previous night.

Every promise she had imagined...

Every fantasy...

Every hope...

All of them had disappeared the moment she saw Achilles kissing Tess.

A gentle knock sounded on the door.

"Em?"

It was her mother.

"Sweetheart, are you awake?"

Emerald quickly wiped her tears before unlocking the door.

The moment her mother stepped inside, worry crossed her face.

"Good heavens... what happened to your eyes?"

"I'm okay, Mom."

"You've been crying."

"It's just a headache."

Her mother sighed softly before stroking her hair.

"You know you never have to hide anything from me."

Emerald forced a smile.

"I know."

She didn't have the strength to explain.

How could she tell her mother that her heart had been shattered by the very person everyone believed treated her like a little sister?

A few minutes later, she went downstairs.

The dining table was already filled with breakfast.

Tobias laughed while scrolling through pictures from last night's party.

Tess quietly sipped her coffee.

The moment Emerald looked at her sister, flashes of the balcony scene flooded back.

She immediately looked away.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Tobias teased.

"You disappeared early last night."

"I wasn't feeling well."

"You missed the after-party."

"I'm sorry."

Tess glanced toward Emerald several times but remained silent.

The silence between the sisters felt heavier than words.

After breakfast, Emerald walked into the backyard garden where colorful roses bloomed beneath the morning sun.

She sat on the wooden swing that Ace himself had built years ago.

Her fingers lightly touched the chains.

"Rosebud."

His voice echoed inside her memories.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Don't..." she whispered to herself.

"Stop remembering."

A familiar pair of footsteps approached.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

Emerald looked up.

Achilles stood only a few feet away.

He wore a simple black shirt with rolled sleeves.

Dark circles remained beneath his storm-grey eyes.

He looked tired.

"You left before our chess game," he said calmly.

Emerald's chest tightened.

"I wasn't feeling well."

"You should've told me."

"Would it have mattered?"

The question escaped before she could stop herself.

Ace frowned.

"Of course it would've mattered."

"Really?"

She almost laughed.

"Then where were you?"

For the first time, uncertainty crossed his face.

"Something came up."

"I noticed."

The bitterness in her voice surprised even herself.

Ace studied her carefully.

"Rosebud... are you angry with me?"

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to ask why he had kissed Tess.

Why he had made her believe she was special.

Why he kept calling her Rosebud if she meant nothing.

Instead...

"No."

She lied.

"I'm just tired."

Ace seemed unconvinced.

"If I did something wrong..."

"You didn't."

She stood from the swing.

"Excuse me."

Without waiting for his reply, she walked away.

Behind her, Ace remained standing beside the swing, watching her leave with confusion in his eyes.

That afternoon, Emerald quietly entered her bedroom.

She pulled a large suitcase from beneath her bed.

Then she began packing.

Clothes.

Books.

Photographs.

Her childhood diary.

Everything that reminded her of home.

Beth rushed inside after receiving Emerald's unexpected phone call.

"Em, what are you doing?"

"I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

"I'm transferring schools."

Beth's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Dad has connections in New York."

"I asked him this morning."

"But... yesterday everything was fine!"

"Yesterday changed everything."

Beth slowly understood.

"You saw something, didn't you?"

Emerald finally broke.

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I saw Ace and Tess together."

Beth froze completely.

"No..."

"They were kissing."

"Em..."

"Please don't tell me I misunderstood."

"I saw them with my own eyes."

Beth hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry."

"I can't stay here anymore."

"Every room reminds me of him."

"Every corner reminds me of everything I wanted but could never have."

"If I stay... I'll never heal."

Beth quietly cried with her.

Later that evening, Richard Hutton entered Emerald's room.

He found his daughter sitting beside her packed suitcase.

"Your mother told me about New York."

"Is this really what you want?"

Emerald nodded silently.

"I need a fresh start."

Richard looked heartbroken.

"You'll be so far away."

"I'll visit."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

He embraced her tightly.

"No matter where you go... this will always be your home."

"I know, Dad."

By dawn the next morning, the family car quietly left the Hutton estate.

Only immediate family knew about her sudden departure.

Beth and Casie cried at the airport.

Her mother couldn't stop wiping away tears.

Even Tobias looked unusually quiet.

Only one person was missing.

Achilles.

Emerald looked around one final time.

A foolish part of her still hoped he would appear.

That he would stop her.

That he would ask her to stay.

But he never came.

The boarding announcement echoed through the terminal.

Emerald smiled sadly.

"Goodbye... Ace."

"Goodbye, Rosebud."

She whispered the nickname herself for the last time.

Moments later, the plane disappeared into the morning sky.

Back in their hometown, Ace arrived at the Hutton mansion carrying a chess board under one arm.

"Where's Rosebud?" he asked casually.

The room fell silent.

Tobias looked away.

Richard sighed heavily.

"She's gone."

Ace frowned.

"Gone where?"

"New York."

"She transferred schools."

"She left this morning."

For several long seconds, Achilles Valencian didn't move.

His grip around the chess board slowly tightened.

"Without saying goodbye?"

No one answered.

Outside, dark clouds slowly gathered over the Hutton estate.

And for the first time in years...

Achilles felt something precious slipping through his fingers.