Chapter 2 Resignation

Night had already settled by the time Declan and his daughter stepped through the villa's gate. Kylie moved at a slow pace and held tightly to her father's shirt. If it had been up to her, she would've stayed outside. The thought of facing her mother again pressed heavily on her mind.

Even so, Merrick's words kept replaying in her head. Samira had traveled all this way just to spend time with them. If they refused to come home, it would break her heart. Declan had also quietly told her that if they didn't return, Samira would insist on joining their boat trip the next day.

After some hesitation, Kylie finally agreed to come back. Still, worry crept into her thoughts. She leaned closer to her father and spoke in a quiet voice.

"And what if Mom wants to come with us tomorrow?"

"That won't happen," Declan said with certainty.

During their marriage, Samira had always tried to spend time with him. However, she had never forced anything. Whenever he showed even the slightest distance, she would step back.

In Kylie's eyes, her mother had always respected her father's wishes. If Declan said it wouldn't happen, then she believed him.

With her worries eased, the girl quickly brightened. She ran inside and told Maribel that she was going straight to take a shower.

"All right," the housekeeper said. Then she remembered the message Samira had left behind. She took out an envelope and passed it to Declan. "Mr. Whitmore, your wife asked me to give this to you."

Declan accepted it without much thought and spoke in a distracted tone.

"Where is she?"

"She left not long after noon. She took her luggage with her. Didn't you know?"

Declan stopped halfway up the stairs. His steps froze as he turned back to face her.

"She left?"

Maribel nodded.

"Yes."

Declan hadn't bothered to ask why Samira had come to Goldland. Now that she had gone, he cared even less.

Kylie reacted differently. Surprise crossed her face, and a faint sense of emptiness stirred inside her. It wasn't that she truly missed her mother, but a small part of her had hoped to see her that evening. She had wanted Samira's help finishing the shell necklace, since it had ended up hurting her hands.

Samira had made the entire trip without even seeing Declan. The memory of her distant expression before she left lingered in Maribel's mind, and she couldn't help but speak up.

"Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Whitmore seemed upset when she left. She almost looked angry," Maribel said.

Declan gave a careless shrug, and a mocking smile curved across his lips.

"Angry? Samira? She's always been so obedient. That's new."

A quiet chuckle slipped from him. He barely spared Maribel another glance before continuing up the stairs. Once inside his room, he pulled the envelope from his pocket and prepared to open it. At that moment, his phone rang sharply. Merrick was calling.

Without hesitation, Declan answered the call. He casually tossed the envelope onto the bed and walked out of the room. The envelope slid off the mattress and dropped to the floor, completely forgotten.

Declan didn't return home that night.

The following morning, Maribel was cleaning the room when she noticed the envelope still lying at the foot of the bed. She immediately recognized it as the one Samira had asked her to deliver the previous day. Assuming Declan had already read it, she placed it inside a nearby cupboard.

Meanwhile, the moment Samira arrived home after landing, she hurried straight to her room and began packing.

Six years in that house had left her with countless belongings, but she only packed the things she truly needed. She chose a few clothes, some personal items, and her workbooks.

From the beginning of their marriage, Declan had always covered their expenses. Every month, he transferred money into two separate accounts. One was under Samira's name, and the other belonged to Kylie. However, Samira rarely touched the account meant for her daughter. In her mind, that money was reserved for Kylie.

Most of the time, she relied on her own card. She mainly spent money on Kylie and Declan, and she rarely bought anything for herself.

Whenever she went shopping, her first instinct was to pick things for Declan. She chose shirts, ties, cufflinks, and shoes for him without even thinking about it. Samira lived a simple life. Most of her energy went into her work and caring for the household. Her own needs always came after those of Declan and Kylie. Much of her allowance ended up funding outings for the father and daughter. She hoped those moments would help strengthen their bond.

After Kylie moved to Goldland to live with Declan, she had few opportunities to spend money. When Samira checked her bank account one day, the balance stunned her. It had grown to more than thirty million dollars. To her, it was an unimaginable sum, though it meant little to Declan. Since the money legally belonged to her, she transferred it into a private account. She left two cards behind, as if they were traces of a chapter she had closed.

With her suitcase in hand, Samira walked out of the house and didn't look back.

Years earlier, she had purchased a modest apartment near her office. The place measured about one hundred square meters. She bought it four years ago to help a friend who needed financial support. The apartment had stayed empty ever since, though someone cleaned and maintained it regularly. After spending several hours putting things in order, Samira finally settled in. She felt exhausted, yet relieved to have a place she could call her own.

A little after ten o'clock, she collapsed onto the bed. Fatigue quickly pulled her into sleep. The shrill sound of her alarm suddenly tore her awake. She blinked in confusion, and it took a moment for her mind to clear. It was one in the morning where she was. In Goldland, however, the sun was already beginning to rise.

The alarm she had scheduled served a single purpose. It reminded her to call Kylie during breakfast. She had formed that habit after her daughter moved away. In the beginning, Kylie missed Samira so deeply that she insisted on speaking with her every day. As time passed, that eagerness slowly faded. It turned into impatience, and eventually into quiet indifference.

Samira stared at the screen when it lit up and hesitated. She understood that the calls she once looked forward to had become a tiresome obligation for Kylie. A faint, bitter smile crossed her lips. She dismissed the alarm, switched off her phone, and decided to rest a little longer.

At that exact moment in Goldland, Declan and Kylie were finishing breakfast. Declan knew Samira usually called at this time, yet he paid no attention to it. Whether she called or stayed silent made no difference to his day. That morning, he simply went upstairs to change, completely unconcerned.

Kylie, however, noticed that the phone hadn't rung. Instead of worrying, she took it as a chance to slip away. Mischief flashed in her eyes. She grabbed her backpack and dashed toward the door.

"Miss Kylie," Maribel called out while hurrying after her, "it's still early. You can leave later!"

"Are you kidding?" Kylie said with a laugh. "This is my chance to slip out before Mom calls. No way I'm talking to her!"

She had already dashed toward the car, excitement filling her at the thought of that rare bit of freedom.

As for Samira, she had already made up her mind to move on. She understood that she no longer had a place in that house, nor in the Whitmore Group, a company she had joined only because of her love for Declan. The following morning, she handed her resignation letter to Caleb.