Chapter 3

Catherine had used that excuse to keep putting off the wedding year after year in Gigi's past life. Rylan would never marry Gigi unless Catherine gave in. The thought made Gigi chuckle bitterly. "Sure. Anything is fine with me." What difference did it make now? It wasn't like they were ever getting married anyway. Gigi set down her fork and knife, mumbling, "I'm full." Then she headed straight upstairs without looking back. Watching her walk away with that determined look, Rylan felt for the first time—something about her had changed. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she wasn't her old self anymore. With the wedding postponed indefinitely, there was no reason for them to continue planning. Rylan suddenly had all the time in the world to travel around with Catherine. She also went out of her way to invite Donovan, Meredith, and Kenny—everyone except Gigi. She played it off by saying Gigi needed to recover after giving blood. They were living it up like a happy family. If Gigi went, she would stick out like a sore thumb. There was no point in making herself miserable. Catherine snapped photos everywhere they went and sent them straight to Gigi, rubbing in just how much fun their vacation was. With the stunning view behind her, she stood right in the middle of them, beaming as she basked in all the affection showered on her. "It's such a shame you couldn't make it. This place is gorgeous. "Dad and Mom said if I really like it here, they'll buy me a place so I can come and relax anytime. Kenny told me he'll always be by my side, no matter where I want to go, Gigi. "Rylan even gave me an amazing gift while we're here. Do you want to know what it is?" Gigi deleted all the photos Catherine sent, then turned off her phone and started packing her stuff. She only had to get through it a little longer, and she would be free. Suddenly, she caught the sound of something stirring downstairs. Her hands stopped in place as a few memories came rushing back to her. She recalled them clearly. In her past life, it was around this time that a thief broke in, stole the family's priceless jewelry, and destroyed all her artwork. Gigi's instincts were on high alert. The money didn't matter, but those paintings were everything to her. With that thought in mind, she quickly stashed her artwork, called the police, and grabbed a knife before hiding quietly behind the door. Having already gone through it once, she used that to her advantage and helped the police catch the intruder. Unfortunately, she was no match for his strength. Knowing his next move didn't change the fact that he overpowered her. Gigi ended up with multiple injuries and even took a nasty fall down the stairs, her face a bloody mess. The Harts and Rylan got back just in time to see the police driving off. Sitting on the couch, she looked like a wreck, and the house was a mess. Donovan and Meredith were shaken to the core. Donovan's voice even cracked a little. "Y-You caught him on your own? Why didn't you call us? Burglars are dangerous. Were you trying to get yourself killed?" Even Kenny, who always acted cold and distant, looked genuinely surprised. "What the hell? A burglar shows up, and you don't even call your family? What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to make us look like the bad guys or something?" Gigi was so worn-out that she couldn't even speak. She sank on the couch, her hand still trembling from wielding the knife earlier. Rylan saw her hand shaking and rushed over, gently taking it in his. "Are you fine, Gigi? Did you get hurt? Do we need to take you to the hospital? You're so silly. Why didn't you call us?" She pulled her hand away and murmured, "What's the point? Would any of you have actually come back for me?" Everyone flinched at her words. Guilt flashed in their eyes, but they still pushed back. "Of course we would." Gigi let out a self-depreciating chuckle. Last time, she actually believed they would come back, so she called each of them. But none of them picked up her call. She ended up getting caught for making those calls behind the burglar's back, and he nearly killed her for it. She only found out later that they spent the night enjoying fireworks with Catherine. They were somewhere safe and happy while she was on the brink of death. So this time, she relied on no one but herself. Seeing how calm and composed Gigi looked, Rylan couldn't help but furrow his brows. Once again, it hit him just how different she had become. Back then, an incident like this would have left her in tears, feeling hurt that they didn't show up. But this time, she was so calm, like none of it mattered anymore. Right when Rylan was about to say something, Kenny suddenly noticed the luggage scattered on the floor and called out behind Rylan, "Why are you packing? Are you going somewhere?"