Year Five The Perfect Goodbye Plan novel Chapter 203

Shipley’s bouquet of irises was enormous—a lavish arrangement, stunning in its intent.

Now, thanks to Silvia, it lay abandoned on the floor, petals scattered like the aftermath of a love gone spectacularly wrong.

“Sweet Silvia, I’m really getting angry now.”

Shipley’s voice was low, each word seeming to grind out from between clenched teeth.

His gaze fixed on Silvia, cold and hard. The easy charm that usually softened his eyes was gone, replaced by a shadow that made him look like he’d clawed his way out of hell, intent on dragging someone down with him.

But Silvia didn’t back down an inch.

After so many rounds with Shipley, she’d learned one thing: the moment she showed even a hint of softness, he’d take it as a sign she still cared. The only way to make him understand was to show him, again and again, that it was over. That they were impossible.

Silvia let out a low, almost musical laugh.

Her voice was light, as if this whole confrontation was nothing more than an amusing distraction. In full view of Shipley and their colleagues, Silvia lifted her foot and pressed her toe down on the ruined bouquet.

Grinding delicate petals beneath her shoe, she looked at Shipley with a spark of challenge in her eyes. “Shipley, your love means as little to me as these petals now—worthless.”

So go ahead, get angry, she thought. Burn the place down if you want. It has nothing to do with me.

Her indifference was unshakable—she didn’t look the slightest bit rattled.

And yet, that very composure seemed to flip some hidden switch in Shipley. Suddenly, he laughed—a real laugh, the kind that brought a glimmer of his old warmth back to those striking eyes.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify