Chapter 12
‘A ring of souls, a fate entwined,
A tether strong, by love designed.
Forged in flames that never fade,
A covenant true, in love once made.
But sever the bond, let one soul stray,
And longingshall burntill night meets day!
Adrian’s car skidded to a halt in front of their house. His tires
screeched against the pavement as he immediately turned the
engine off. His grip on the steering wheel was tight–so tight his
knuckles had turned white, and his nails dug into the leather.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared at the house in front
of him.
Dark. Lifeless.
Not a single was light on.
His pulse pounded in his ears with an ominous drumbeat that
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only grew louder with every second that passed. His mind.
immediately rejected what his eyes were seeing, searching for
some kind of explanation. Maybe she was asleep. Maybe she
had simply forgotten to turn on the lights this one time.
But that was impossible.
Noelle always left the porch light on. Even when she was
exhausted. Even when she fell asleep before him. She had done
it out of habit–because she knew he’d be coming home late, and
she never wanted him to return to darkness.
So why was everything pitch black now?
A chill crawled up his spine, not from the cold air pressing
against his skin, but from the gnawing unease taking root deep
inside him. Without wasting another second, Adrian shoved the
car door open and stepped out, his legs moving on their own. His
long strides carried him across the driveway in seconds while
his heart hammered so violently he thought it might break
through his chest.
The silence around him was deafening.
The moment he reached the front door, his fingers wrapped
around the knob, only to find it unlocked.
His breath instantly caught in his throat.
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Noelle never forgot to lock the door.Never.
His grip tightened as something sharp and unbearable coiled in
his chest.
He pushed the door open as the hinges creaked in protest, the
sound unnerving in the eerie silence of the house. The air inside
was still, cold–like no one had been here for a long time.
With quick, almost frantic movements, Adrían flicked on the
lights. A bright glow flooded the living room, revealing
everything in perfect order.
Too perfect.
The couch pillows were fluffed and untouched. The remote was
in its usual spot on the coffee table. Her favorite blanket–one
she always wrapped herself in whenever she was reading, was
folded neatly over the armrest.
But her picture beside the vase of fresh flowers that always sat
on the table?
Gone.
A lump formed in his throat.
Something was off, and the fear he had been trying to suppress
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now clawed its way to the surface, impossible to contain.
His feet moved before he could think.
“Noelle!” His voice was sharp and raw with an edge of
desperation. “Noelle, where are you?!”
But he heard no answer.
His heart lurched as he moved swiftly, checking the kitchen.
first. Nothing. The lights were off, not a single dish in the sink.
He stormed down the hallway, opening every door–guest
room, bathroom, laundry room.
Still nothing.
By the time he reached their bedroom door, his breath was
coming in sharp, uneven bursts.
The door was slightly ajar.
His fingers trembled as he pushed it open, hoping she was inside peacefully sleeping. But the wooden frame only creaked under
his force.
Empty.
The bed was made, pristine, as if no one had slept in it for days.
No discarded clothes on the floor, no lingering scent of her
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perfume in the air. Even the nightstand was empty–no half-
empty glass of water, no book left open to the last page she was
reading.
It was at that very moment that a terrible, suffocating dread
gripped his chest.
Adrian swallowed hard. His body moved stiffly as he turned
toward the closet. His fingers curled around the handles, and
with one sharp pull, he yanked the doors open.
His breath left him in a violent exhale.
His clothes were there, neatly hung in their usual place. And
next to them were a few of Noelle’s dresses. The oneshehad
bought for her. The expensive ones she had hesitated to accept
but had worn because he wanted her to.
But everything else–the simple, comfortable clothes she always
wore, the ones she had before she met him were gone.
His stomach twisted into a painful knot.
She had taken only what was hers.
And left behind everything that was his.
The room suddenly felt too small. The walls felt like they were
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closing in. His breathing grew ragged and uneven, like his lungs
had forgotten how to function.
‘No. No, no, no, no.
His hand quickly shot into his pocket, frantically pulling out his
phone. He dialed Noelle’s number while gripping the device so
tightly till his fingers ached.
The line rang.
Once.
Twice.
Until a muffled vibration echoed in the room.
Adrian flinched. His head turned sharply toward the bedside
table.
He swallowed as his throat somehow began to feel painfully
dry. He then reached forward with shaking hands and slowly
pulled the drawer open.
And there it was.
Noelle’s phone.
His name flashed on the screen while it rang.
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His knees nearly buckled.
She hadn’t just left.
She had left without her phone.
A choked sound escaped his throat as his fingers dug into his
scalp. His vision blurred while his entire body trembled as a
horrible realization settled deep inside him.
She was gone.
And she had made sure he wouldn’t be able to reach her.
Adrian staggered back. He forced his legs to move as he
stumbled out of the room. Then out of the house. Then into the
freezing night air.
His head snapped toward the street, scanning the darkness for
any sign of her.
But still, there was nothing. No signs of Noelle coming back
home.
He clenched his jaw as his breath came out in sharp bursts.
She had to come back.
Shehadto.
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So he stood there.
Waiting.
The cold seeped into his bones, but he didn’t move. His arms
were limp by his sides while his fingers curled and uncurled. His
heart pounded furiously, his chest rising and falling in ragged
breaths.
And then, out of nowhere-
“Fuck!” Adrian roared, his voice echoing into the empty night as
he raked a hand through his hair, tugging at the roots in
frustration. His body trembled, though whether from the cold.
or the surge of emotions crashing over him, he didn’t know.
He had told himself that he would let Noelle go. That leaving
her was inevitable. That Bianca was supposed to be the one.
But now-
Now, the thought of Noelle leavinghim? Of her walking away
without a word, without looking back?
It was unbearable.
With a growl of frustration, he spun on his heels and stormed back inside the house, slamming the door so hard the walls.
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trembled. His chest heaved, his breaths jagged and uneven as his
gaze darted wildly across the room, landing on the neatly
arranged furniture, the untouched counters, the perfectly
placed decorations. It was as if she had never been here. As if
she had wiped away every trace of herself before she
disappeared.
A bitter laugh tore from his throat, but it held no humor.
“Leaving me, huh?” he muttered, his voice dark, twisted. His
hands clenched into fists. “You think you can just walk away?”
His vision blurred with red–hot rage. The coffee table was the
first to go–he kicked it hard, sending it crashing onto its side.
The lamp on the side table was next, his arm sweeping across it,
sending the ceramic shattering into tiny, irreparable pieces. His
breaths came in sharp gasps, his mind screaming as his world
caved in.
He stormed toward their bedroom, yanking open drawers,
throwing their contents onto the floor, His fingers curled
around the bedsheets, the ones they had slept on together, the
ones still carrying her faint scent, and with a violent pull, he
ripped them off, tossing them across the room.
His hand slammed against the closet doors, his knuckles
stinging as he yanked them open again, as if hoping
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andprayingthat maybe he had imagined it all. That maybe all
her clothes were still there. That she hadn’t actually left.
But no.
She hadn’t just left. She haderasedherself from him. From this
life. From everything that wastheirs.
