Past Love's Expiry Date

Upon hearing Hendrix's question, Sabrina slammed her cup onto the table. "I let him in. Any problem?"

Hendrix's voice rose. "Without asking me? How can you let him invade my room and mess with my things?"

"Hendrix, I bought everything you own. Since I bought them, Rowan has every right to touch them."

Her words hit him like a cold slap.

Rowan gently chided, "Bri, don't talk to Hendrix like that. You'll hurt his feelings."

Then he turned to Hendrix and said, "I heard from the household staff that Bri's clothes and shoes used to be kept in your room. Apparently, she had so many that they took up half your closet, and you had no space for your own. So I thought I'd help and move her stuff to our room."

Sabrina used to cling to Hendrix all the time. Growing up, he had never received a single love letter—Sabrina had intercepted every one of them.

Later, she had gone as far as moving all her clothes into his bedroom, claiming it was so she could wear the dresses and heels Hendrix picked for her each morning before work.

He knew her wardrobe better than she did, down to which shelf held each dress and bag.

Hendrix hurried upstairs and rushed straight into his room.

The room looked like a tornado had swept through. There were clothes, gadgets, and figurines scattered everywhere.

Hendrix angrily pointed at the mess scattered across the floor and demanded an explanation from Rowan. "Is this what you call helping?"

Rowan apologized, "I'm sorry, Hendrix. I accidentally—"

"Accidentally? You've accidentally turned my room into a post-tornado disaster? Your 'accident' must have been quite something!"

Sabrina's voice cut through like a whip. "Watch your tone, Hendrix!"

Hendrix smiled bitterly. "I did nothing this time, yet it's still my fault?"

"Rowan is my fiancé. You need to respect him," Sabrina shot back.

"Why don't you come up and take a look for yourself first, Sabrina?"

Sabrina slowly walked upstairs. As she saw the utter chaos in the room, she was taken aback for a brief moment.

But that moment passed quickly.

A soft laugh escaped her lips as she turned to Rowan. "Maybe we should have the staff tidy our bedroom from now on."

"But I don't want anyone touching my clothes, especially... my robes."

He emphasized "robes" in a suggestive tone, and his gaze grew more intimate.

Sabrina sighed and nodded in resignation. "Fine, I'll handle it from now on. Okay?"

Rowan asked, "Bri, do you think I'm a little silly?"

"It's alright. As long as I'm here, it's okay if you're a little silly."

Hendrix squeezed his eyes shut. He had never hated the dreaded resignation handover period so much. Otherwise, he would have already flown across the ocean, avoiding this chaotic and disgusting scene.

"Hendrix, calculate how much damage Rowan's done to your clothes and equipment. Just give me a total, and I'll compensate you for it," Sabrina said.

Hendrix let out a bitter laugh. Sabrina was actually using money to shut his mouth.

Rowan casually nudged his arm and whispered, "Hendrix, feel free to overstate the cost. With me here, she'll have to pay whatever you ask."

Sabrina shot back with affection, "So now you're teaming up with an outsider to empty out my wallet, huh?"

Rowan stuck his tongue out. "Well, I'm like Hendrix's brother now. Of course, I'm going to support my little brother."

Hendrix scoffed at those words.

Sabrina had actually called him an outsider.

Well, she and Rowan were the closest to each other now. He was indeed the outsider among the three of them.

Just then, Hendrix's phone rang. It was Jefferson.

He composed himself and answered, "Yes, Mr. Scott?"

"I remember your bird photography series was impressive," Jefferson said. "The magazine editor wants to see it again. Could you send me the negatives?"

"Sure, Mr. Scott. Just a moment."

Hendrix made his way back to his bedroom. He had always preferred using film cameras, and his negatives were stored safely in a locked drawer.

As he reached for the key, he noticed the entire cabinet was damp.

"I'm sorry, Hendrix," Rowan's voice echoed. "I accidentally spilled some coffee earlier and didn't want it to stain your cabinet, so I washed it down with water."

Hendrix's heart sank. Ignoring Rowan, he hurried to unlock the drawer.

The moment he opened it, his worst fears were confirmed.

Rows of negatives were all soaked in water. Some had already unraveled, others had changed color, and many were tangled up in a mess. The water was now a brownish hue.

These were the negatives of all his photography work from over three years. They were completely ruined!

Hendrix's body trembled with rage. He could barely speak.

Sabrina, having entered the room, saw the damage and shrugged nonchalantly. "You should tally up the cost of these negatives. I'll cover it for Rowan."

Hendrix snapped. "Can you even afford this? He doesn't understand what these negatives mean to me, but don't you?"

Sabrina frowned. "But they're ruined now. Getting upset won't change anything. Rowan was just trying to help by tidying up my clothes. The coffee spill was an accident."

"An accident? Does that mean everything can just be brushed off as an accident? If someone accidentally crashes a car and kills someone, is 'sorry' enough to make it okay?"

"Hendrix Gorman!" Sabrina's voice hardened. "Stop being unreasonable. A ruined photo is not the same as a lost life. You can always take new pictures. Why are you making this so dramatic?"

On the other end of the phone, Jefferson's voice held a note of concern. "Are you okay, Hendrix? Is everything alright?"

Hendrix sighed heavily and replied, "Mr. Scott, I'm afraid I can't provide the negatives right now. I'll try to re-shoot the series and send them to you as soon as possible."

"Alright. Take your time," Jefferson replied. "The visa process will take at least half a month anyway."

"Okay."

Sabrina caught the key word. "Visa? You're going abroad?"