Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 400

Raymond stood below, watching the hot air balloon rise steadily into the dusky sky. His fists clenched at his sides, his face flushed with frustration—he was absolutely fuming. There was nothing he could do to catch up; he felt helpless, rooted to the spot as the colorful balloon floated farther and farther away.

High above, inside the balloon’s basket, Emilia gazed out as the island unfolded beneath her. With every gentle lift, the world below grew smaller, and then—she saw it.

Lights had been arranged all across the island, shining brightly in the dimming evening, spelling out a single word: EMILY.

“Wow…” she breathed, her voice barely more than a whisper of awe. The island, with its glowing message, seemed to drift farther and farther away as they ascended.

She turned, her eyes shining, to Theodore—the man at her side, skillfully manning the balloon’s controls. He still wore that half-mask, mysterious as ever, but now he’d set the burner just right and stepped back, watching her quietly.

“Why go to such lengths?” Emilia’s voice trembled with a mix of wonder and uncertainty. “Is it really worth it—all this, for me?”

He knew what she was feeling. He understood her worries—the shadows she carried, the troubles that might mean she could never have children. He could have chosen someone else, someone healthier, someone without so much baggage.

But Theodore only smiled softly. He reached into a small box beside him and drew out a pendant—a delicate chain holding a heart-shaped blue diamond.

“Because of this,” he said simply.

Emilia stared at the pendant, a thousand memories flashing through her mind.

“Do you remember?” Theodore asked, meeting her gaze.

Slowly, he reached up and removed his mask. For the first time, she saw the sadness in his eyes, the vulnerability he rarely let anyone see.

“Emilia,” he said, her name gentle on his lips. “I’ve waited for you for so many years.”

Theodore looked down, his gaze distant. “It should have been my father handling that mess, but he died. My mother had to stay home to care for my younger siblings, so I was forced to step up.”

He gave a wry, almost bitter smile. “The shipping business was a disaster. Out at sea, people disappeared all the time. I was just a kid—nobody took me seriously. I could barely keep myself safe, let alone expand our trade routes.”

He paused, looking up at Emilia. “Until the day I met you.”

A real smile crept onto his face. “You gave me this,” he said, holding out the blue pendant, “and told me if I ever needed help, to show it to someone from the Dennis family.”

He turned the pendant over, showing her the tiny, engraved ‘Dennis’ on the back—a stylized signature, almost like a crest.

“So I did what you said. I found one of your family’s men at the docks. And by some miracle, your father was there too—Inman Dennis himself.”