Chapter 73 Farewell Jack Roman
Elena's POV
I could bet I looked like a ghost by the next morning because of my swollen eyes from crying so much.
And also from the dread of parting ways with him.
I'd packed up light alongside with everything I'd need to disappear.
I sat in the passenger seat of Jack's car, gripping the edge of it like it was the only thing anchoring me to reality, while Jack drove through the winding roads that led away from the city.
The silence between us was deafening, and every time I thought of breaking it, a knot formed in my stomach, a mix of guilt, anger, and the lingering ache of what had been between us.
His hands were steady on the wheel, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the tight line of his lips, and I knew he was holding back words he shouldn’t say, or maybe words I didn’t want to hear.
“This place…” I finally whispered, almost to myself, when the tall trees of the outskirts of the city came into view, “it looks… deserted.”
Jack glanced at me briefly, the corners of his eyes softening for just a moment before he returned his gaze to the road. “It’s… safe,” he said quietly. “For now, just long enough for you to catch your breath. I can check on you later if you want.” He glanced at me.
I didn’t respond.
"You know, as much as I'm not supposed to say this now, we shouldn't have to become strangers to each other..." He muttered. "I can always come check on you, ensure you're okay—"
The words caught in my throat. “You’ll check on me…” I murmured, and the phrase sounded hollow, almost bitter in my own ears.
I knew he meant well, or at least he had meant well once, but the thought that I’d allowed myself to be vulnerable around him last night, made my stomach turn.
When we finally arrived, he parked the car in front of the small, nondescript house tucked behind a grove of trees.
The place looked almost forgotten, as though the world had moved on and left it behind, just like it was about to leave me. He turned off the engine, and for a long moment, neither of us moved.
I kept my gaze fixed on the shadows of the trees outside, trying not to look at him, trying not to feel the pull that always came when he was near.
“This was where I used to live back when I took undercover jobs, hacked and stuff." He mumbled like it was a sick memory.
I nodded slightly.
" I… I’ll make sure I come back, Elena. Screw the idea of being strangers again.” Jack said finally, his voice low but firm.
“I'll be back just to make sure you’re safe. You don’t have to… you don’t have to let me in. I just… I’ll be around.” He added but I didn't want to tell him that he wouldn't find me where he'd leave me.
I nodded slowly, unwilling to speak, unwilling to let the tremor in my chest give me away.
“I’ll… be fine,” I said, though the lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
He got out of the car then, pausing to give me one last look—those eyes of his were full of something I couldn’t name, a mixture of regret, love, and frustration.
For a second, I wanted to run to him, and shamelessly beg for him to stay, and to tell him that even after everything, I still love him and couldn’t let him go—but I didn’t.
I had to believe or make myself believe all over again that what we were doing, this distance and separation was necessary for both of us.
This way, everything ends and everyone will be happy. And I on the other hand, would make sure I properly mourn my seed and probably allow myself live with the guilt of not being able to protect my child till the end for the rest of my days.
Then he led me inside and helped drop off my box.
Jack gave a stiff nod, a brief, almost imperceptible smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "Just for the record, what happened to your daughter... wasn't your fault, Elena. So try not to beat yourself up much." he pressed his lips into a thin line and then he slowly walked back outside and to the driver’s side and started the car.
After a moment, he made a u-turn without hesitation.
And I watched from the window as the vehicle rolled down the long driveway, winding through the trees, becoming smaller and smaller until it was swallowed by the horizon, leaving me alone with the silence I’d chosen.
I didn’t move from the window until the last taillight disappeared, leaving only the pale light of morning and the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.
My fingers fumbled into my jacket pocket, pulling out the plane ticket I had booked to France before Layla’s funeral.
I stared at it, tracing the edges with my thumb, my mind spinning. The ink felt heavy under my touch, as if it carried all the weight of the past weeks—the grief, the betrayal, the heartbreak, and the fragile remnants of hope I wasn’t ready to let go of.
“Goodbye, Jack,” I whispered, the words barely audible, almost lost to the trees outside, but they carried the full weight of everything I felt. Sadness, rage, longing, and the cruel acceptance that this was really the end.
The end for Elena Vale, heiress of the Vale Empire.
I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window, letting the tears I had tried to hold back slide freely now, blurring the trees and the road outside into a watercolor of loss.
I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or how I’d face the world without him, but for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to be still, to mourn, and to let the quiet settle deep in my bones.
And somewhere deep inside, beneath the grief and the anger and the shattered pieces of my heart, I made a small, fragile promise—to survive this, even if it meant doing it without him.
“Farewell, Jack Roman.” I whispered into the silence.