[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322724E0B-556":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},556,18,"Chapter 18: Not Here For You","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Olivia Hayes stared intently at Ethan Spencer’s face, desperate to find a flicker of softening, even the smallest shred of the warmth they once shared.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ethan’s eyes, however, held only a cold, mocking distance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’ve received your apology, but some bridges, once burned, cannot be rebuilt.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Everything between us is finished. Completely.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ethan...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She reached out, trying one last time to salvage the moment, her voice cracking into a sob.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ethan cut her off. \"If there’s nothing else, please leave. You aren't welcome at the Spencer estate.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Without a backward glance, he turned and strode toward the main house, his posture ramrod straight, his presence radiating an icy, untouchable resolve.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Olivia stood frozen in the garden, her voice tearing at her throat as she screamed after him, \"Ethan! I’ll be waiting in South City! I’ll wait as long as it takes! If you can find it in your heart to forgive me… come back for me!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her cry echoed through the empty garden, hollow and hopeless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the penthouse banquet hall of South City, the atmosphere was suffocating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The top brass of the Hayes Corporation sat in grim silence, their faces etched with anxiety. At the head of the table, Alfred Robertson’s expression was as frigid as ice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The deadline had long since passed. The display stage stood bare—no head chef, no signature dishes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ms. Hayes, the three-day grace period is up. Is this your final answer?\" Robertson asked, his voice low. \"Where is Chef Spencer?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Olivia’s mouth went dry. The words *he isn’t coming* hovered on the tip of her tongue, yet she held onto a desperate, burning hope that Ethan would appear to save her from the brink.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was gambling. Betting that Ethan still cared, that his love was deep enough to pull her out of the fire. The pressure was crushing, her lungs struggling to draw breath. With Damon Meyer still hospitalized and this five-billion-dollar contract on the verge of total collapse, she felt her world disintegrating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mr. Robertson, Chef Spencer, he...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Just then, the heavy double doors of the banquet hall groaned as the attendants pushed them open.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A tall, commanding silhouette stepped in, backlit by the hallway lights. He moved with a calm, predatory grace.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The room fell into an instant, deathly hush.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Olivia whipped her head around. When she saw him, her pupils constricted, her heart hammering against her ribs with a dizzying rush of triumph.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was Ethan.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He had actually come. He really was here!\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ethan carried himself with a quiet, razor-sharp confidence. He ignored the eyes on him, his focus entirely elsewhere. Behind him, two assistants pushed an exquisite trolley covered in a crisp, white linen cloth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Olivia stumbled toward him, tears blurring her vision, her voice trembling with sheer relief. \"Ethan, you came! You’re willing to forgive me, aren’t you? You’re here to help me!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She gazed at him as if he were the savior of her ruined world. He had relented. He hadn’t been able to leave her behind after all!\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Around the room, several Hayes executives visibly exhaled, their shoulders slumping in sudden, frantic relief.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ethan stopped in the center of the hall. He didn't spare Olivia even a fleeting glance. Instead, he turned toward the head of the table and offered Alfred Robertson a respectful, professional nod.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mr. Robertson, my apologies for the delay. I am Ethan Spencer.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He gestured for his assistants to lift the white cloth, revealing the meticulously prepared dishes. The aroma hit the room instantly, cutting through the stagnant tension like a blade.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I have prepared three dishes for you. I hope they meet your standards.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alfred Robertson tasted each dish with deliberate care, savoring every nuance. When he finally opened his eyes, his green gaze was bright with genuine awe.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He set down his cutlery, wiped his mouth with a linen napkin, and began to clap slowly. His team immediately followed suit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Perfect.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Chef Spencer, your reputation is clearly deserved. It’s no wonder you’re capable of such miracles.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272910652]