Chapter 8: A Future Worth Choosing

Hendrix remained seated long after Andrew and I left the café.

For the first time, he truly understood what it meant to lose someone.

Not because death had taken them.

But because he had.

That evening, his assistant rushed into his office.

"Mr. Zuckerman, we've completed the investigation."

"The surveillance footage has been restored."

Hendrix immediately stood.

"Play it."

The video showed Yana entering the yacht's engine room alone before departure.

A few minutes later, she quietly left carrying an empty toolbox.

The mechanic who had inspected the yacht afterward admitted someone had loosened the fuel pipe shortly before the trip.

"Why would she do that?" Hendrix whispered.

The assistant hesitated.

"We also discovered Miss Bridgeton recently purchased a large insurance policy naming herself as the beneficiary if the Arden City project was delayed."

"If the yacht accident happened, the bidding would have been postponed."

Hendrix felt as though the ground had disappeared beneath his feet.

He immediately ordered someone to bring Yana to the company.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, Yana finally broke down.

"I never meant for anyone to die!" she cried.

"I only wanted to delay the project! I thought the yacht would stop before anything happened!"

"Everything went out of control!"

Hendrix closed his eyes in disappointment.

The woman he had trusted for years had nearly killed both him and Yvonne.

"Take her to the police," he said quietly.

"From today onward, she has nothing to do with me."

As Yana was escorted away, Hendrix suddenly remembered the moment Yvonne had willingly given up the last seat on the lifeboat.

She had never fought him.

Never blamed him.

She had simply walked away.

Meanwhile, Andrew and I stood on the seaside promenade watching the sunset.

"Are you really leaving Arden City?" Andrew asked.

I nodded.

"I've accepted an overseas position."

"It's something I gave up because of Hendrix in my previous life."

"This time, I won't give it up for anyone."

Andrew smiled.

"Then let me drive you to the airport tomorrow."

"Only if you promise not to make it emotional," I teased.

"I can't promise that."

We both laughed.

The sea breeze gently brushed against my face.

For the first time in two lifetimes, I felt completely free.

A week later, Hendrix arrived at the airport carrying the engagement ring he had never given me.

But the departure screen showed my flight had already taken off.

He stood before the enormous window, watching the plane disappear into the clouds.

His phone vibrated.

It was a message from his grandmother.

"Some people are only meant to appear once in your life. Once they leave, they never come back."

Hendrix silently closed the ring box.

Tears slowly filled his eyes as he finally understood the price of taking true love for granted.

As for me, I looked out the airplane window toward the endless blue sky.

This life no longer belonged to my past.

It belonged to my future.

And this time, I chose myself.

**THE END**