Chapter 289

Latisha reached for the notebook, but he moved his wrist, pulling it back behind his shoulder and out of her reach. Her hand froze in mid-air. She bit her lip, her clear eyes staring straight at him.

"Who did you want to see the field of flowers with?"

"Who did you want to ride in a hot air balloon with?"

Her eyelashes trembled as she shook her head. She hadn't thought about doing those things with anyone. She had only written them down so she wouldn't forget, terrified that when her memory finally failed, even those simple wishes would be lost, leaving only a blank, regrettable void.

Clifford watched her, his expression growing colder. He cupped her jaw, his voice low. "Speak. Who did you want to go with?"

His grip wasn't harsh, almost gentle, but the pressure radiating from him was suffocating. Latisha's lips moved, and after a long moment, two words escaped. "No one."

The sound was so soft it was almost a whimper, a kitten's cry laced with a nasal tone that seemed to scratch at his heart. Clifford let out a soft laugh, his thumb caressing her chin. "It seems being with me has really held you back. I had no idea your heart had already flown so far away."

She tried to take his hand, but he suddenly straightened up, and her hand fell into empty space. He opened the notebook again, glanced at the pages, and then looked at her.

"RIIIP_"

Right in front of her, he tore the notebook in half. She stood frozen, her hand still hovering in the air as she watched him tear it again, and again, until it was reduced to a pile of scraps.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the pieces into the air. They fluttered down like snowflakes, scattering all over the floor.

"It seems you'll have to put up with being held back a little longer," he said nonchalantly, as if he'd just destroyed something completely insignificant.

Latisha watched the paper fragments drift down, a mist forming in her eyes. The scraps landed in her hair and on her shoulders, as if trying to console her.

Clifford said nothing more, turning and heading upstairs. The movement of his steps stirred the air, sending some of the paper pieces skittering across the floor.

She stood silently in the living room, staring at the debris. After a long while, she finally knelt, gathering the scraps together. They felt like her own trivial wishes, shattered and scattered.

Upstairs, Clifford stood with his hands in his pockets, coldly looking down at the figure kneeling on the floor. She was carefully collecting the fragments as if they were precious gems.

He would never know that what he had torn apart were memories she had struggled

to reclaim. Tomorrow, she might not be able to remember them at all.

Latisha carried the pieces to the storage room and placed them in a small box. She stood there for a long time, so long that she forgot why she had come in.

Finally, she turned to leave, only to

find Clifford standing outside the door. He was wearing just his silver-grey shirt, the top buttons undone revealing his collarbone and the strong line of his throat

stared at him for a moment, and

then she remembered what she

needed to ask.

*Did you... leave the company?* she signed. She wanted to ask if he'd been kicked

off the board, but that felt too cruel.

Clifford watched her, waiting a moment before speaking. "If I did, would you be ready to go off and fulfill all those wishes of yours?"