The Vanishing Heiress

Chapter 32

After the art exhibition ended, Megan Sullivan returned to Dominica.

She was going back to that little attic where she could see the ocean and the volcano.

Back to the embrace of "Mom."

"Mary, if someone who once hurt you deeply begged for your love, would you give it?"

Resting her head on her landlady Mary's lap, her long black hair cascading loosely, Megan inhaled the comforting scent of chamomile as Mary stroked her hair—a rare moment of peace.

"Megan."

After returning, Megan had revealed her real name to Mary and Andy.

Since Ethan Sterling and the Montgomery family in the capital already knew that "Sophia Smith" was Megan Sullivan, there was no need to hide it from those closest to her anymore.

"Hmm?" Megan held Mary's aged hand.

Mary looked down at her, her expression tender. "If you're asking me, I'd tell you—don't give it, don't forgive. Not ever. If you forgive too easily now, how much despair must you have felt back then?"

Megan froze.

Yes, how could the present version of herself make decisions for the past version?

And some broken things could never be fully mended—what if history repeated itself?

With that thought, Megan sat up and glanced at her phone, its screen flickering with notifications.

It was Ethan.

Mr. Luo Yu had told her that someone was willing to pay eight figures for Rainfire.

Without much thought, she knew the buyer was Ethan.

In this world, only he would fully understand the meaning behind that painting.

After the sale was finalized, Megan asked Emily Montgomery for Ethan's contact details and transferred half the amount back to his account.

She knew exactly what Rainfire was worth at this stage.

She refused to inflate the price of her work just because of their past, falsely boasting about its value.

[Megan, Dominica has been rainy lately. Don't forget your umbrella when you go out.]

[If the rain makes your legs or anything else ache, use the herbal patches I mailed you.]

Messages like these kept coming.

The latest one read: [I'm sorry. You haven't replied, and I'm worried. Forgive me for intruding.]

Megan still didn't respond.

Some things needed to be said face to face.

The next morning, she sent Ethan a location.

It was Dominica's most revered temple, built beside the Trafalgar Falls.

From where they stood, they could see the waterfall's thunderous descent—"a silver cascade plunging three thousand feet."

"Are your injuries all healed?" Megan asked, breaking the silence.

Ethan nodded. "Yes, all of them."

"Good." She smiled faintly. "Ethan, whenever I stand here, I'm always in awe of nature's grandeur and how small we are in comparison. Life is so fleeting—just a hundred years to love, to hate, to feel."

Her calm gaze met his, and in his eyes, she saw the reflection of her own no-longer-youthful face.

"Ethan, we don't have much time left in our lives."

As if sensing what she was about to say, his heart clenched painfully.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she gently shook her head.

"Ethan, I don't want to look back. Before I left the capital, I told myself—my life only moves forward. There's too much between us—love, hate, regret, suffering. Forgive me, but I can't let go. I can't move past it."

She gave him a small, bittersweet smile. "Maybe in ten or twenty years, I'll be able to. By then, perhaps we can sit down and share a drink. But there will never be 'love' between us again."

That was all there was to say.

Some things, once missed, were lost forever.

Ethan understood.

"I see. I won't disturb you again. Just knowing you're well is enough for me."

After a long silence, he forced the words out.

"Mm. Dominica is beautiful. I hope you enjoy your stay."

That was the last thing Megan said to him before they parted.

From that day onward, they never saw each other again.

Occasionally, Ethan would catch news of "Sophia Smith" holding exhibitions in different countries.

As the largest shareholder of the Montgomery and Sterling conglomerates, she remained the youngest self-made woman in the capital's elite circles.

Sometimes, he'd see photos of her and Emily on social media—tanned, a little fuller, but genuinely happy.

Perhaps life was like that—people boarded and disembarked at different stops.

So cherish those who are still with you.

Because some goodbyes last a lifetime.

And on Megan's forever-silent social media account, Ethan left one final message:

"Megan, may your life always be spring. May the fiery kapok flowers bloom forever."