Trevor's smile was gentle and sure , his gaze nostalgic . " You've been gone long enough . It's time to come home . " But when he noticed that she only had a single backpack with her , his smile faded into a frown . " You've been in Springfield for three years , and this is all you have ? " Then he added casually , " Forget it . What could Barrington have bought you anyway ? Once we get back , I'll just buy out an entire mall . Whatever you want , take it ." Xanthe gave a faint smile , recalling that the last three years had been a time of rapid growth for BMC Global . She'd been too careful not to splurge on anything . She lived differently with the Wentworths . Before she married Barrington , the gifts she received from uncles and family friends every year were enough to buy out half of his company . " There's no need to go overboard , " she said calmly . " I'm not interested in material things anymore . " Trevor felt a sharp tug at his heart . She'd changed so much over the past three years - gone was the bold , carefree girl he remembered . " Let's go ," she said , stepping toward the car . As she turned , the fabric of her tight clothes clung to her frame . It was easy to notice a sharp bone protruding slightly from her back . That made Trevor's heart drop . He reached out and pulled her back , frowning deeply . " What happened to your back ? " he asked , his voice tight with concern . " Did Barrington hurt you ? I swear I'll go drag him out right now ! " Ever since they were young , Trevor had treated Xanthe like a princess . He'd never let her get hu -he couldn't even bear to raise his voice at her . Even three years ago , when she'd used every trick she could think of to force him to leave , he stil hadn't said a single bad word about her . Now his gaze turned dark and cold , as though he could kill Barrington in the next second . But before he could act , Xanthe stopped him . " He's not home . " Trevor glared at her , still upset . " And you're still defending him ? " " I'm not defending him , " she explained . " He really isn't home . And this is something I want to handle myself ." She met his gaze , steady and sincere . " Trevor , I chose you . That means there's no one else in my heart . Can't you trust me with that? " Her words struck something in him . He took a deep breath , forcing his anger down . " Alright . Whatever you say , I'll believe you ." Worried she might strain herself , Trevor bent down and lifted her into his arms , gently carrying her into the car . Later that evening , Barrington returned home , frowning slightly when he didn't see Xanthe come out to greet him . 212 6.5 % 12:40 pm Normally , she would have taken his coat and hung it up for him by now . His brow furrowed as he thought about all the messages he'd sent her - none of which she'd replied to . " Xanthe , " he called out . No one answered . " Xanthe ? " Only his voice echoed back to him . " Xanthe ! " He searched every corner of the villa , but she was nowhere to be found . Thinking she was just making a fuss , playing one of her little runaway games , he swallowed his irritation and dialed her number . But all he got was an automated response . " Sorry , the number you dialed is currently unavailable . " Still furrowing , he quickly typed out a message . [ Xanthe , come on . I know you've been upset lately , but Vionnet is just a guest . You're the lady of this house - you should be more understanding . In two months , the renovations on her new place will be done , and she'll move out . After that , it'll be just the two of us . You don't need to worry . ] But as soon as the message was sent , it bounced back with a cold red exclamation mark . ' She blocked me ? ' he asked mentally . Just then , one of the maids stepped out of a nearby room . " Sir , Ma'am Xanthe left this afternoon . She asked me to let you know that she's left your anniversary gift in the safe . " The fury that had been bubbling inside Barrington instantly settled into smug satisfaction . ' I knew it - my wife wouldn't really leave me . This has to be just one of her little games again ! ' With a quiet hum , he made his way upstairs to the study . Every year , Xanthe insisted on celebrating their wedding anniversary and always prepared some sort of thoughtful surprise . He used to act indifferent , but deep down , he actually looked forward to it . Even before opening the safe , he already imagined what would be inside . ' Probably something handmade . She always loved doing those things .' Without him realizing , his lips curved up at the thought as his fingers quickly entered the code and opened the safe . But the moment he laid eyes on the contents , his smile faltered . There was no handmade gift . Just a single sheet of white paper . Frowning , he pulled everything out . The moment he saw the title on the topmost document , the air around him suddenly turned cold . [ LETTER OF RESIGNATION ] Chapter 7