After dragging Henry into the birdcage room, Erin handcuffed his hands and feet to the iron bars of the cage with four handcuffs.
Henry’s face was facing inside the birdcage, able to see everything inside, but he had no idea what Erin was planning by restraining him like this.
Stella tried to move towards the gun on the table, but Erin grabbed her wrist and threw her into the birdcage.
As he took out the handcuffs, Erin stared into Stella’s eyes and asked her, “Do you want to stay with me for another month, or stay here with him? Choose one.”
Stella looked at Erin, his eyes bloodshot, and then at the handcuffs. She shook her head, “Erin, don’t do this. When they find me, you’ll be sentenced for a long time.”
Erin smirked, “If I cared about how long I would be sentenced, I wouldn’t have brought you here…”
He used his cold fingers to lift Stella’s chin, “Which one will you choose?”
Stella couldn’t leave Henry alone here, so she chose the latter.
“Since you’re not planning to let me go, then just tie me up here with him.”
No matter which option she chose, Erin would still have control over her. She might as well stay here and accompany Henry.
Upon hearing her choice, Erin’s heart sank. The excruciating. pain surged through him.
With his eyes turning red, he stared at Stella and gritted his teeth, “Do you love him that much?”
Did she love him so much that she would give up the chance of survival, willingly be locked in a birdcage, and stay with a half-dead doctor?
But wasn’t she supposed to love him the most? She had loved him since they were young, even when he rejected her, mocked her, and bullied her. How did she fall in love with someone else so quickly?
Stella didn’t answer Erin’s question. She extended her hands and said coldly, “Just lock me up. Don’t waste your breath. It’s meaningless.”
No matter how much they talked about love or not, it was all meaningless. It was ironic. When she loved him, he didn’t love her and treated her that way. Now, what’s the point of talking about love?
Erin’s long eyelashes drooped. Stella looked at his fair hands and said, “Stella, just say it. Let me give up…”
“If you really want to hear it, then I’ll tell you. I love him, I love him very much. If it wasn’t for you, I would have married him a long time ago…”
Erin suddenly smiled, “Yes, if it wasn’t for me, you would have married him, and you two would have adopted a child and lived happily ever after. But Stella…”
After a pause, he raised his bloodshot eyes and stared directly at Stella, “You were the first one to say you loved me.”
You said you loved me, and that’s why I loved you without hesitation. Why did you stop loving me just because you said so...
It was the first time Stella saw tears in Erin’s eyes. The glistening teardrops, reflecting dim light in the dim room, carried countless grievances and the pain of unrequited love. All of it was visible in his eyes.
For some reason, Stella didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze and awkwardly looked away…
She didn’t say anything, appearing cold and indifferent. It seemed like she didn’t care whether he lived or died. Perhaps this was exactly what she wanted.
Thinking about the icy heart that lay beneath Stella’s cold exterior, Erin couldn’t help but chuckle.
culls and locked Stella in the birdcage. Standing up, facing Henry, he stared at that annoying face for a few seconds before taking out a folding knife from his pocket…
As he opened the knife, he slowly walked towards Henry with heavy steps. When Stella, who was behind him, saw what Erin held in his hand, her face turned pale.
“Erin, what are you going to do?”
Erin scraped the sharp edge of the knife with his fingertip. Under his calm and dark expression were eyes filled with hostility…
“I’m going to destroy the person you love-”
In the next second, the knife in his hand aimed directly at Henry’s wrist. He raised the knife and swiftly cut the tendons. inside…
“Ah-”
Henry woke up in pain. In his blurry vision, he saw Erin’s extremely dark eyes. Before he could fully focus, another wave of intense pain hit him…
He realized that the tendons in his hands had been severed by Erin-
Henry was in too much pain to speak, but he could faintly hear Stella’s heart-wrenching scream-
Henry is a doctor, he’s a doctor! He still has to perform surgeries for people! How could you cut his tendons!”
The sound of tearful screams tore through the air, causing Henry to slowly lift his head. Beads of cold sweat dripped down, falling onto his eyelashes, obstructing his view.
But he still saw Stella, crying until she was exhausted, locked in a birdcage. She desperately struggled to break free from the handcuffs, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape. The feeling of powerlessness made Henry slowly smile…
“Stella, don’t be afraid, it’s okay…”
Even though he was in so much pain, he still comforted her. This made Stella feel even more guilty and miserable. She went mad, tearing at the handcuffs, scraping her wrists and drawing blood, but still couldn’t break free…
Erin looked at this pitiful couple and suddenly burst into laughter, “You truly love each other…”
Erin threw away the knife in his hand and walked slowly towards Stella, looking down at her from above, “Stella, how does it feel to have your heart torn apart?”
Was it as agonizing as he is?
With her eyes bloodshot, Stella stared at Henry’s bloodied hands. The light in her eyes suddenly dimmed, leaving only despair…
illingness to even look at herself intensified Erin’s anger. The tall man quickly walked over to Stella and grabbed her face.
But even when he lifted her face, Stella still didn’t look at him. Her colorless eyes seemed unable to focus, as if she was looking at him and yet not looking at him. This appearance clearly showed that she had lost all hope because of Henry’s injury…
Seeing how much she loved Henry, Erin’s jealousy deepened. He angrily let go of Stella, using too much force. The back of Stella’s head hit the iron pole, making a loud noise…
Realizing his mistake, Erin quickly tried to show concern, but Henry’s voice came from behind him faster, “Stella, are you okay?!”
Upon hearing that urgent voice, Erin’s hand slowly retracted…
Stella, dazed from the impact, was about to shake her head in response when she heard Henry angrily berating Erin, “You rapist! You hurt Stella and kidnapped her, and now you’re using violence against her! Are you even a man?!”
A strange smile appeared on Erin’s handsome face. He turned his head slowly and looked at Henry, who was locked in the birdcage, “Rapist.”
After uttering these words, he suddenly grabbed Stella’s hand and pulled her into his embrace. He raised an eyebrow and tauntingly smiled at Henry, “Do you want to witness it?”
Stella, tightly held in his embrace, suddenly felt her numb heart freeze. Her whole body stiffened. She knew Erin was capable of anything. If it happened in front of Henry…
At this moment, her cars were filled not only with Erin’s heavy breathing, but also with Henry’s heart-wrenching screams – “Erin!”
“You bastard, let go of Stella!”
Henry’s intense shouting caused Stella’s tears to flow uncontrollably. She struggled and resisted with all her might but couldn’t match Erin’s strength.
Stella was pressed against the iron pole, her hands held above her head, her pants taken off, and then her waist lifted…
At this moment, Stella had no dignity left…
And Henry, who loved her so much, was tied to the birdcage, just like Stella before, desperately trying to break free but unable
Watching Henry struggle and cry in pain, Stella’s tears flowed uncontrollably. Her suffocating heart felt like it had died. She couldn’t feel any physical pain, only the overwhelming desire to cry, uncontrollably.
She cried like a child, gasping for breath, calling out for her man. Hearing both of them crying, Erin couldn’t help but sneer.
“Stella, you are mine. You’re not allowed to cry for any other man…”
His ice-cold fingers wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, then hooked her chin. “Say you love me, and I’ll let you go…”
Stella parted her pale lips, smiling like a flower, but didn’t say anything. She just looked at Henry, who was struggling and bleeding, silently shedding tears of despair.
Erin found her smiling-crying appearance extremely irritating. His deep brows furrowed for a moment, but he disregarded it and continued tormenting Stella in front of Henry…
Henry’s frantic screams, initially filled with anger, gradually turned into pleading.
“Erin, I beg you, let Stella go. Don’t do this to her. I’m begging you, please…”
Erin was unaffected by the pleas for mercy. In fact, they only fueled his hatred.
Once he hated someone, he would make them suffer even more…
Erin seemed to be punishing Stella, but in reality, he was punishing Henry.
He wanted to make this man, who had suddenly invaded the island, suffer tremendously.
At first, Stella struggled, but once her heart died, she became motionless, like a lifeless corpse, allowing Erin to do as he pleased.
After getting what he wanted from Stella, Erin calmly zipped up his suit pants.
He looked like a well-dressed beast, performing despicable acts. It was absurd that this beast cared about other men seeing Stella’s body, as if he couldn’t sink any lower.
After tidying up Stella’s disheveled clothes, Erin released her from the iron bars.
Stella, weak and unsupported, slumped to the ground, her eyes swollen from crying, unable to even look at Henry…
Stella, Whose face was pale as paper. Instantly, tears streamed down his checks again.
After staring at Stella for a moment, Erin turned and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to leave the birdcage, Stella’s hoarse voice rang out from behind, “Erin, take me away.”
Hearing these words, Erin froze in place, seemingly not understanding what Stella meant. He slowly turned around, furrowing his brow as he gazed at Stella sitting on the ground.
Stella lifted her slender finger, wiping away the remaining tears from her eyes, and then raised her chin, looking at the tall and imposing Erin. “Didn’t you say we would spend a month together?”
She extended her hand, the one that wasn’t locked. “Take me downstairs, I’ll make blueberry pie for you.”
Erin’s furrowed brow slightly relaxed. “Do you still remember what you promised me?”
“Hmm.” Stella nodded and smiled gently. “I said ‘I love you’ first, of course I remember what I promised you.”
Without hesitation, he picked up his pace and walked back to Stella.
While taking out the key, Erin locked eyes with her and asked, “You’re not going to care about Henry anymore?”
Erin’s gaze darkened, and Stella’s finger suddenly brushed against his face. “Erin, I don’t want you to spend your life in prison for murder. I still want to see you.”
Those deep, unfathomable eyes only reflected his figure at this moment. Despite knowing it was a trap, Erin still fell into it.
“Alright.” He agreed, releasing her hands and then lifting Stella up in his arms. “I’ll take you downstairs first and then come back to help him with the surgery.
Stella nodded, her gaze dropping when she passed the incredulous Henry. “Erin, can you put me down for a moment? I have something to say to Henry.”
“What do you want to say?”
Stella, nestled in his embrace, looked up with sincere eyes, staring into Erin’s. “I want to tell him that I don’t love him and that he shouldn’t come looking for me again.”
For some reason, Erin felt that Stella was telling the truth. “Then what about earlier…”
Stella interrupted him. “I only said those things because I heard you say you would let go. It was just nonsense…”
The sincerity in her eyes disarmed Erin, and he released Stella, giving her a chance to explain things to Henry.
However, he didn’t expect that once Stella was free and unrestrained, she would swiftly move to the table, grab the gun that was placed there, and aim it at Erin’s chest without any hesitation.
She fired five shots in quick succession…
Erin’s body shook, but he remained standing, his dark red eyes. slowly lifting to look at Stella, who was holding the gun…
He thought she would deceive him for at least a few more days, find a way to escape with Henry, but he never anticipated that she would escape in this manner.
The pain of his heart being shattered cut off the blood supply to his system. His head spun, his vision blurred, but in order to see Stella one last time, Erin mustered all his strength, lifting his slender finger to press against his bleeding chest…
When Stella saw Erin’s white shirt gradually stained red with blood, her hands holding the gun were trembling. She didn’t know if it was because of the humiliation she had endured or because she was scared. In any case, she was in a state of panic.
“Stella…”
Henry’s voice, mixed with surprise, sounded in her ear. Only then did Stella, trembling, throw away the gun in her hand and look at Henry.
“We’re safe now…”
She didn’t dare to look at Erin, just lowered her head like a madman and rushed towards Erin. She didn’t say anything, didn’t care if he was bleeding, just reached out into his pocket, searching for the handcuff key.
In her panic, she couldn’t find the key no matter what. A hand covered in blood, trembling, held a key and handed it to her…
That bullet pierced Erin’s heart. He couldn’t speak, just stared at Stella’s pale face…
Trembling, Stella took the key, still not looking at Erin, forced herself to turn around and run towards Henry…
At the moment she turned around, Erin couldn’t support himself anymore and knelt on one knee, his hand covering his chest, weakly letting go…
He watched Stella unlock Henry’s handcuffs, carefully supporting him and holding his hands. Erin couldn’t see Stella’s expression with her back turned to him, but he could feel her compassion through her actions…
She was feeling sorry for Henry. It seemed that her claim of not loving Henry was a lie. He had been deceived again…
Erin lowered his gaze, looking at the blood on the floor. Suddenly, he felt that it was for the best. If he died, Stella would no longer be disturbed, and she could live happily ever after with the person she loved…
But Stella, you still hadn’t made the blueberry pie you promised.
As Stella helped Henry walk out, she stepped on a pool of blood. The strong, sticky sensation made her stop in her tracks. It was this momentary pause that allowed Erin, who had already fallen to the ground unable to support himself, to grab hold of her ankle…
She didn’t lower her head to look at him. Her tear-filled eyes gazed at the door. It was already dawn, and bright light seeped through the cracks…
All she had to do was walk out, and she could leave hell behind. But for some reason, her feet felt as if they were nailed down and couldn’t move…
Erin held her wrist and weakly spoke, “Stella, I…”
What should he say?
Tell her that he had people rape her just to scare her?
Tell her that he wanted her to abort the child because it was unhealthy?
Tell her that if he didn’t help her remove her uterus, she would be infected and die?
Tell her that it wasn’t his rough surgery that caused her infection, but that she was already infected?
Tell her that it wasn’t him who abandoned her in the wilderness while she was seriously ill…
But…
It was all because of him that she had become like this.
It seemed that at this moment, no matter how much he said, it would be meaningless.
Stella wouldn’t forgive him because of these reasons…
The harm he had caused her was substantial and irreparable.
Thinking of this, Erin reluctantly released his grip on Stella’s hand.
“You go, Stella, don’t worry about me…”
Stella, still not turning back, tears filled her eyes. She didn’t know what happened, but she just stood there, motionless.
As Erin watched the figure standing in the light, he thought Stella was scared. She forced herself up from the ground.
“Stella, turn around.”
Upon hearing his voice, Stella couldn’t help but turn her head. She saw Erin, who had put on a jacket and had a relaxed smile on his face.
“You didn’t kill anyone, so I won’t be in trouble.”
Afraid she wouldn’t believe him, Erin, with his bloody body, walked towards her.
“I’m a doctor, I can stop the bleeding myself…”
He raised his large hand, filled with deep affection and reluctance, and touched Stella’s face.
“Don’t be afraid, let’s go…”
Stella looked at him, stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly made up her mind. She turned around, grabbed Henry’s hand, and quickly walked out of the room…
As the door opened, Stella, covered in sunlight, felt no. warmth, only stiffening her body. She held onto Henry and ran downstairs…
When Henry left the mansion, he glanced in the direction of the top floor and happened to see the man standing in front of the French window. She couldn’t make out his expression or whether he would die, but she felt that the gates of hell should no longer open to Stella…
As he watched the couple board the speedboat, Erin thought that Stella might turn back and look at him, but she never did…
It turned out that Stella really didn’t love him anymore…
After realizing this, his body, which he had been forcing, suddenly slid down the gla*s.
The crimson blood stained his clothes, pants, and the carpet on the floor…
Erin leaned against the glass, raising his fingers covered in blood, and touched his shattered heart.
Stella, my heart is broken, it can’t be saved, but…
You deceived me once, so I’ll deceive you too, and we’ll call it even.
He lifted his dull eyes and looked at the light refracting from outside the window, only to find that the light pa*sed over him and shone elsewhere…
He wanted to crawl under the light with all his might, but he had no strength left. He could only stay in the darkness, slowly watching his blood drip away…
In the moment of feeling death, images of Stella flashed through Erin’s mind…
Young Stella chasing after him, regardless of whether he disliked or despised her, she was always full of enthusiasm, calling him “Brother Erin”…
When she was young, Stella would hide in corners, under trees, in rooms, everywhere in the Simpson family, secretly watching him:..
Even as an adult, Stella would deceive him with lies, always whispering in his ear, “Erin, I love you…”
Had Erin ever experienced love? He had, but it was a bit too late.
The images in his mind, after a dark lifetime, gradually returned to Stella’s coming-of-age ceremony when she turned eighteen.
He saw Stella, holding a love letter, blushing and smiling, walking up to him.
“Brother Erin, I like you. Can we be together?”
Erin saw the teenager leaning against a tree and frowned disapprovingly at the cliché love letter in her hand.
“What era is it? You still write such old-fashioned love letters.”
At these words, Stella’s face turned even redder, even her ears were red.
“So, do you accept or not?”
The teenager took the love letter from Stella’s hand and embraced her.
“I accept.”
The scene abruptly stopped, and Erin’s vision turned pitch black. He couldn’t see anything.
After a moment of silence, he extended his hand covered in blood and started writing on the ground.
But halfway through, he suddenly paused…
A person like him, even if he died, no one would come looking for him, right?
What’s the point of writing these?
Slowly, he retracted his hand.
He didn’t know how much time had pa*sed, but the blood in Erin’s body had completely drained.
With his last bit of strength, he turned his gaze towards the sea outside the window.
Stella, you still owe me a blueberry pie. In the next life, please remember to make it for me.
Stella, also please remember to spend another month with me in the next life, just 29 days will do.
As a smile of relief gradually appeared on his lips, his eyes suddenly stopped, and he lost his breath-
A voice deep within his soul asked him,
‘Erin, do you regret it?’
Erin said, he regretted it, but he no longer had a chance…
Before Erin passed away, Stella, who was on the speedboat, sat paralyzed on the ground with a blank mind, unable to gather her thoughts or even suminon the courage to turn around…
Henry, with his hands completely broken, endured the pain and reached out to cover her hand, saying, “Stella, don’t be afraid. Once we’re safe, I will send someone to save Erin…”
He could tell that Stella didn’t want to use the gun, but Erin had pushed Stella to this point with his outrageous behavior.
Stella quickly got up and walked towards the speedboat.
“Are there any medicine, knives, or bandages on the boat?”
She had to act fast and not waste any time. She needed to find these medical tools and quickly help Henry or else his hands would be useless.
Restless and anxious, she frantically searched through the things on the boat, appearing as if she was madly looking for tools, but in reality, even she didn’t know what she was looking for.
Henry’s eyes focused on her panicked figure and after staring for a while, he asked inexplicably, “Stella, do you still love Erin?”
Was it because of Erin that she felt so helpless?
Stella, who was rummaging through things, suddenly stopped. Without hesitating, she denied Henry, saying, “I haven’t loved him for a long time.”
After saying this, she stabilized her mind and finally noticed the medical kit stashed in the corner, which was always stocked on the speedboat.
She took out the useful hemostatic medicine and bandages, rushed to Henry, and quickly stopped his bleeding. Her trembling hands gradually steadied…
“After we reach the shore, we’ll go to the hospital first.”
Henry raised his gaze and looked at Stella.
“What about Erin…”
Stella’s face turned even paler.
“He’s very skilled in medicine. He’ll be fine.”
Erin, who was hailed as a medical genius since childhood, was already beyond comparison for both her and Henry.
Stella comforted herself, believing that such a large estate must have surgical tools and medicine prepared. Erin wouldn’t be willing to die like this; he would save himself, he definitely would.
While comforting herself, her heart sank.
She leaned against the edge of the speedboat, clutching her knees tightly, slowly turned her head and looked at the small island that had become a black dot in her line of sight…
The speedboat quickly reached the shore. Stella collected her thoughts and helped Henry onto the shore. She noticed a sign on the roadside.
It was then that she realized she was in the country Erin had promised to take her to when they were young.
He hadn’t forgotten the promise he made back then…
When Henry’s blood dripped onto her skin from his wrist, Stella suddenly came to her senses. She called a car and quickly took Henry to the hospital.
Sitting outside the operating room, Stella stared blankly at the blood on her hands, unable to distinguish whether it belonged to Henry or Erin, but it was unsettling nonetheless.
As she blankly stared down, a pair of custom-made shoes suddenly appeared before her eyes. She looked up from the shoes, following the pants, and saw a flawlessly beautiful face. The owner of this face had a pair of cold, snowy eyes, looking indifferent at her….
“Mr. Evans…”
James nodded slightly, his gaze distant, beyond her, towards the operating room.
“Is his injury serious?”
Stella nodded.
“Henry’s tendons in his hand were severed.”
After saying that, Stella looked up at James and asked, “Mr. Evans, why are you here?”
James blinked his thick eyelashes lightly.
Before boarding the plane, he had a vague sense of foreboding, feeling that something was going to happen. Erin, being as intelligent as he was, wouldn’t have so blatantly revealed the locations of three countries for them to find. It must have been a smokescreen to deceive them.
But the private jet was already flying along the route and couldn’t be changed. He could only wait until they reached their destination and then, with the information provided by Anthony, track Henry’s flight and follow them to Panama.
He had already been fast enough, but he didn’t expect to be one step too late. However, knowing Erin’s nature, he wouldn’t let Stella go easily. Did they manage to escape after a fierce fight?
At this critical moment, James didn’t inquire about the details. He withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and looked at Stella, who was covered in blood.
Are you okay?
Stella shook her head and helplessly wiped the bloodstains from her clothes.
Seeing her flustered and seeming to have something on her mind, James couldn’t help but ask, “Where is Erin?”
Stella stopped wiping the clothes and paused for a moment.
“He’s still on the island,” she replied, but couldn’t bring herself to tell James that she had shot Erin. It was like something was stuck in her throat, preventing her from saying a word.
James stood outside the operating room with his hands in his pockets. After a moment, he coldly ordered the bodyguard, “Go to the island and bring him back.”
Upon hearing this, Stella’s tense body gradually relaxed. Bringing Erin back, whether to hand him over to the police or whatever, they would first treat Erin. That way, he would be safe and she could finally be rid of him.
“Stella!”
At the sound of Amelia’s voice, James turned and saw Paul, Amelia, and Eva rushing towards them.
As he saw the three of them, his brows furrowed. Amelia hadn’t slept since she found out Stella had been kidnapped. She had traveled to another country and now wanted to come to Panama.
James was worried about Amelia’s health, so he had come to Panama alone while she met up with Eva. He had instructed Paul to take care of them, but who would have thought that he would bring them along.
Paul fell a shiver down his spine as he received James’ cold gaze. In his clear eyes, there was a hint of innocence and helplessness.
Why did he have to listen to women? Besides, it wasn’t too much for Amelia to be worried about her best friend and come along. His brother was being too strict, wasn’t he?
Paul inwardly complained about James while putting on a pleasing smile and walking towards him. “James, did you catch that bastard Erin?”.
James ignored him and turned his gaze to Amelia, who had already reached Stella. “If anything happens to her on your way here, I’ll hold you responsible.”
Paul rolled his eyes at him in his mind. “With my skills, can’t I protect Amelia?” he thought.
James seemed to think of something and his expression darkened. “Just make sure you can protect her,” he said in a softer tone.
Paul didn’t understand and furrowed his brows. “James, what do you mean?”
James didn’t answer anymore. Ilis indifferent eyes softened as they rested on Amelia’s worried face.
On their way to Stella, Paul had told Amelia and Eva about her situation. Now, seeing Stella sitting in the chair covered in blood, their hearts clenched tightly.
They squatted down next to Stella and checked her up and down, relieved to find that she wasn’t injured.
Amelia looked at Stella for a few seconds, then straightened up and hugged her tenderly. “Stella, it’s okay, we found you…”
Stella’s restrained emotions suddenly overwhelmed her as she saw them. Her eyes reddened, as if she had seen her own family, and she couldn’t help but reach out and hug Amelia back.
She didn’t say anything, just quietly leaned against Amelia’s embrace, while her other hand held Eva’s.
“Thank you both…”
Dealing with Erin wasn’t easy, yet they managed to find her location in such a short time. This meant that they had put in a great deal of effort in terms of manpower, resources, and finances.
Stella felt insignificant, but the fact that so many people cared about her made her think that maybe her existence had meaning.
“Stella, you’re family to us, no need to thank us.’
Amelia gently patted her back, her actions gentle, her words warm, warming Stella’s heart. She couldn’t control herself and hugged Amelia tightly once again.
Like grabbing a lifeline, Stella held onto her desperately, finding redemption in that moment, despite her physical and mental exhaustion.
Eva, like an older sister, brushed the messy hair from Stella’s face and tucked it behind her ear, her movements gentle, not disturbing the tranquility of the moment.
It was unclear how much time had pa*sed, but Stella’s anxious heart gradually eased with Amelia’s hug and Eva’s gesture, and she no longer felt frantic.
Seeing her emotions expressed and her expression returning to calm, Amelia finally took Stella to clean up the blood stains, while Eva went to buy new towels and clothes.
They helped Stella take a bath and wanted to take her to a hotel to rest. However, Stella insisted on waiting for Henry’s surgery to finish because she was worried about him. When she heard from the doctor that Henry’s surgery was successful, she finally felt relieved.
Henry was still unconscious from the anesthesia. Once Stella knew he was okay, with Eva’s persuasion, she got up. But before she could leave the room, a bodyguard sent by James suddenly came in with a phone call.
“Mr. Evans, Erin is dead.”
James froze for a moment. Without waiting for the bodyguard to finish, he immediately hung up the phone and turned to look at Stella, who was slowing down her steps.
After hesitating for two seconds, he spoke, “Stella, Erin is dead…”
Stella’s body suddenly stiffened. Whether it was fear or something else, she felt her hands tremble in an instant, followed by her legs weakening and her inability to stand steadily.
If it weren’t for Amelia and Eva supporting her on both sides, she would have collapsed on the ground by now.
Her face gradually turned pale, and her once sturdy back that refused to turn also visibly slumped down…
She froze in place, not knowing how long, until James’ cold voice came again from her car, and she slowly turned her head…
“What?”
She didn’t hear anything clearly just now, as if the whole world had become silent, leaving only the ringing in her cars and the explosive wailing in her mind, preventing her from hearing what Mr. Evans said…
James held his phone tightly and took heavy steps towards Stella.
“The police temporarily won’t let anyone touch his body. If you want to see him, you can see him for the last time before they arrive.”
Erin died from a gunshot, which was a criminal case and required the crime scene to be sealed. In addition, the American police were also investigating Erin’s whereabouts, so the body couldn’t be easily taken away.
Stella, still in a daze, heard the words “body” and finally realized that Erin was really dead. But he was so skilled in medicine, how could this happen…
When he was young, he had once survived a gunshot wound in the wilderness, performing the surgery himself. Back then, he managed to pull through, so why now…
Stella lowered her gaze to her hands, which were already clean with no traces of blood. But for some reason, she still felt like her hands were covered in blood…
After staring at them for a long time, she suddenly let go of Amelia and Eva’s hands, rushed out of the ward, and ran into the restroom. She desperately tried to wash off the “blood” from her hands, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t come off.
Feeling powerless, she leaned her hands against the edge of the sink; looked up at herself in the mirror-pale face, lips devoid of color, dark circles under her eyes…
She told herself that she had become this way because of Erin. If he died, she could peacefully live the rest of her life without anyone bothering her…
Thinking of this, Stella’s eyes unexpectedly turned red.
She raised her hand and slapped herself hard, feeling foolish. Why was she feeling upset and why should she be upset?
He’s dead, so what? Why should she feel upset?!
However, her tears continued to flow uncontrollably.
Erin was the person she had loved with all her might when she was young. She actually shot and killed him…
Stella slapped herself hard again. She shouldn’t be crying for a man who had bullied her since childhood and even took away her uterus. He deserved it!
She felt like she was being torn apart internally. After struggling repeatedly in her mind, she turned on the faucet, desperately splashing water on her face. After splashing herself awake, she grabbed a tissue and expressionlessly wiped the water off her face.
When she came out, James, Paul, Amelia, and Eva were standing outside the door, looking at her as if waiting for her response.
Stella clenched her fists and said firmly, “I was the one who shot him. Of course, I won’t go see him one last time.”
After saying that, she walked past the four of them and quickly entered the hospital room, sitting by Henry’s bedside, waiting for him to wake up…
The local police officer who received the case asked James, “What did she just say?”
James’s cold eyes, as if covered in frost, glanced at the police officer, who was intimidated by this look and didn’t dare to ask any more.
Amelia, who slowly recovered from the shock, looked through the gla*s of the hospital room at Stella, who seemed calm but was actually in a panic. Stella must have been pushed to the extreme to shoot the person she once deeply loved, right?
She had thought that Stella and Erin would be entangled in hatred for their whole lives, but she didn’t expect that their ultimate ending would be paying with their lives to end it.
She remembered the look Erin used to give Stella, possessive, there was intense and passionate love.
Erin loved Stella, but the love he gave was too extreme. However, whether this ending was good or bad, nobody knew…
Eva wasn’t very sensitive when it came to emotions, so it was hard for her to tell if Stella still loved Erin or not. She just felt that Stella right now seemed to be trembling all over…
After standing still for a moment, she walked into the hospital room and placed her hand on Stella’s shoulder, giving her a little strength.
Paul didn’t have much of a feeling about whether Erin was alive or dead. The only regret he had was that Erin turned out to be a computer genius and was gone just like that, which was a bit of a shame.
Before the police arrived at the scene, James’s bodyguard called again, “Mr. Evans, I just wanted to let you know that before Erin died, he wrote a will with blood on the ground. He also held a gun in his hand, and from his posture, it seemed like he wanted to make it look like suicide…”
After hearing this, James immediately realized Erin’s intentions and quickly instructed the bodyguard, “Get rid of any traces of Stella and Henry ever being here.”
Even if it was self-defense, there would still be consequences. Since Erin wanted to protect Stella, it was as he wished to protect her even after his death.
ard replied and quickly hung up the phone. Before the police arrived, he cleaned up all the evidence, even wiping away the fingerprints on the gun.
After doing all this, the bodyguard put the gun back in Erin’s hand and then raised his gloved hand, waving it at the others before swiftly leaving the scene.
James stared at Stella in the hospital room and hesitated for a moment before telling her about the will and the staged suicide left by Erin. As for whether she wanted to go see Erin or not, it was her own choice.
After being stunned for a while, Stella looked up and asked James, “What did he write?”
James shook his head, “I didn’t ask, I don’t know.”
Stella’s clenched fists tightened uncontrollably in her hands.
Once the scene was secured, the body would be taken away by the police, and she would never see Erin again. Well, that was for the best, wasn’t it? After all, he deserved it, right?
If he hadn’t severed Henry’s tendons, hadn’t raped her in front of Henry, how could she have shot him? He brought it upon himself, it had nothing to do with her. Why should she go see him one last time? Why, on what grounds?
Stella weakly raised her hands, burying them in her hair, and her lowered chin hit the edge of the hospital bed.
She didn’t even notice…
Strangely, she could hear the ticking of the clock in her ears. Tick tock, as if telling her that if she waited a little longer, it would be too late, it would never come again…
When the ticking reached the last stroke, Stella suddenly sat up and, at lightning speed, rushed out of the hospital room…
Andrew, who had just rushed over, saw his cousin and ran out like crazy. He quickly shouted to stop her, “Where are you going?”
Stella didn’t answer him, without even turning her head, she rushed out of the hospital. She didn’t know why she was doing this, there was only one voice in her mind, constantly reminding her to wait, just wait a little longer…
She hurriedly returned to the island and rushed into the room. In that instant, she saw Ryan sitting in a wheelchair, with Zoey standing next to him. Their figures blocked Erin, and the first thing Stella saw was the two straight and neat figures in suits…
The top floor gla*s was illuminated by sunlight, enveloping the two of them in a faint golden light. They probably knew she was coming, and Ryan slowly turned his head.
“You finally came.”
When Ryan received the news that Erin had taken Stella away, he had already gone abroad. Planning to have surgery, he postponed it. According to what Erin had said in his memory, he came to Panama, but he didn’t expect to see his deceased friend.
His eyes were dark red, clearly filled with grief. The heaviness in his heart made him unable to come back to his senses for a long time. He just sat here in a daze, gazing at the man leaning against the glass.
Staring at Ryan’s reddened eyes for a while, Stella took heavy steps and walked closer. As she got closer, she finally saw Erin sitting straight on the floor…
The light was dazzling, when it came down, it enveloped Erin completely, as if he had crawled out of hell. Covered in a faint layer of golden light, it seemed to become his protective color, making him appear pale all over, as if a heavenly god had descended.
This divine being leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, with one knee bent and his right elbow resting on his knee. Between his five slender fingers, he held a gun, the barrel pointing towards his own heart. He was already stiff,
maintaining an extremely standard posture without moving a single bit.
They were still quite far apart, and Stella couldn’t see Erin’s face clearly. She could only face the light and follow the dry bloodstains, taking small steps, moving closer to Erin.
In that instant when she stood in front of him, Stella saw Erin’s tightly closed eyelashes. In the light, they cast a long silhouette, covering his once fierce eyes.
At this moment, he had shed all the thorns and darkness, leaving only a pale face. His deep and three-dimensional
features were still handsome, but the only regret was that there was no more blood flowing through him. Like a corpse, he would never have vitality again.
Stella stood while Erin sat, and there was a beam of light between them, slowly spreading from Erin’s toes to Stella’s feet. In that moment of connection, Stella finally moved her gaze away from his face and looked at the heart beneath his suit jacket…
She slowly crouched down, trembling hand reached out and lifted the black suit jacket that covered his chest. The glaring blood red, soaking the white shirt, there was not a single place without bloodstains.
The blood had dried, sticky on the skin. Stella tried many times before tearing off the clothes sticking to the wound on his chest. What came into her sight was a bloody and mangled bullet hole…
Stella, being a doctor, could see at a glance that the bullet had hit his heart, and it had gone through….
She stared at the wound for a long time, then slowly turned her head, her anxious eyes searching for the bullet everywhere, but she didn’t see it. All she saw was the wall where Erin had stood at that time, with a dent in it, but she didn’t notice it then…
Her eyelashes drooped, her gaze moved to her own hand. She had never fired a gun before, but she had managed to hit the bullseye on her first try. She thought her marksmanship was not good enough to hit his heart, but she didn’t expect…
As Stella’s vision gradually blurred, she looked back at Erin again. In the hazy mist, she discovered that Erin didn’t die on the spot, but…
It was only after all the blood in his body slowly drained that he died…
He felt death approaching bit by bit, but helplessly sat here waiting for death…
At that time, she didn’t even glance at Erin, she rushed over to find the key after firing the gun. She only knew that he was bleeding, bleeding uncontrollably, but because she was afraid, she didn’t dare to look at him.
If she had looked at him at that time, would she have realized that she had hit his heart? It takes a long time for a person’s blood to completely drain.
If she had returned to save him at that time, could she have saved his life?
If, when Mr. Evans asked her, she had spoken about Erin’s condition, would Mr. Evans have sent someone to save him to prevent her from committing murder?
But she didn’t.
Now, looking at Erin, who was dead beyond recognition, there was a voice that keeps asking her;
Erin, was it deserved for you to die?
Whose fault was his mistake?
Wasn’t it her who liked Erin first?
Wasn’t it her who pursued Erin and tried every means to get close to him?
Didn’t he have a reason to not like himself, to despise himself, and to hate himself?
He already hated them because her aunt was a mistress and the one who drove his mother to jump off the building. With such a culprit by her side, taking away the fatherly love that should have belonged only to him, he despised her. Isn’t that justified?
If we talked about grievances, we had to blame the shameful behavior of the elders, which caused a lifelong psychological shadow for the younger generations, following them throughou their lives.
If Erin’s resentment originated from the elders and then vente onto her, then her resentment started from Erin sending someone to gang-rape her. It’s a cycle of cause and effect.
ices, there must be an end. Their end was her revenge on Erin, making him fall in love with her. Initially, he didn’t love her, but she dragged him into hell.
If she hadn’t made Erin fall in love with her in this way, then Erin wouldn’t have bothered her. The final result between them might have been indifference. How could it have come to this?
But with the existence of cause and effect, she still dragged him into hell. Since she descended into hell, there would inevitably be no good outcome, only this kind of ending.
It’s just that Stella felt that her hatred has finally been relieved, and she could finally laugh out loud. Retribution was not delayed, Erin, it was your turn to die. But at this moment, she couldn’t say it out loud..
She stared blankly at Erin’s bloodless body, recalling the first time she saw him. She was wearing faded clothes, holding a dirty little suitcase, standing in the living room, looking around at the magnificent surroundings, and then seeing Erin coming down from the escalator…
He was wearing a small white suit, black leather shoes, meticulously combed hair, and a clean and delicate face without a hint of a smile…
Stella came from a small county town and had never seen a child of the same age like this before. She felt that this child in front of her exuded nobility from head to toe, with a touch of resentment and unruliness in his eyes. Although he was only seven, it was as if he had hidden a lot of grievances, staring coldly at her…
At that time, Karen pushed her from behind, saying, “Stella, quickly call Erin brother…”
Stella saw Erin’s obviously unfriendly gaze, feeling a bit scared, but still timidly called out, “Erin brother…”
Erin didn’t even bother to respond to her. He just walked into the dining room on his own. Stella saw that as soon as he sat down at the table, two servants immediately came forward to serve him.
Stella thought to herself that young masters are all spoiled. There’s nothing special about them. But when she saw him, at such a young age, calmly wearing sterile gloves and pushing through the crowd to save an elderly person with a sudden illness, she realized that he was different from other young masters.
At that time, Stella saw Erin with a layer of brilliance. For this brilliance, she gave up everything and followed behind Erin, shouting after him, “Erin brother, can you teach me how to cure and save people?”
Erin mostly ignored her and got annoyed by her questions. He would yell at her, “You have no talent. Wait until you grow up and learn it yourself.” His meaning was that she had limited understanding and was too young to learn. Stella didn’t understand, but instead, she was scared and cried by his angry yelling.
At that time, Erin was both impatient and at a loss. He coaxed and scolded, saying, “Stella, I give up on you. Stop crying. If you keep crying, my head will explode!”
Their relationship, from the beginning, was just a small quarrel between children, with ups and downs, but they never hurt each other. When did things start to go bad between them?
It just occurred to me. It was when Erin had a conflict with Karen. Stella was too young at the time and didn’t understand the specific reason for the conflict. All she knew was that Thomas slapped Erin so hard that his eyes turned white, and he fell to the ground convulsing. If it hadn’t been for Erin’s grandfather arriving in time, he would have died on the spot.
Since then, Erin transferred his hatred towards Karen onto her. The sunny and handsome Erin brother, who used to smile at her and occasionally be a little impatient, disappeared. What remained was the dark and bloodthirsty Erin…
But if she encountered danger, this little devil would still rescue her without hesitation, just like when she almost drowned in the water as a child, he jumped in to save her.
Her first crush was when she saw Erin’s figure bravely rushing in the water, he saved her life and also stood up for her when she was being bullied at school, shielding her from sticks…
At that time, she would ask him, “Erin, do you still care about me?” Erin, dressed in his school uniform, leaning against the railing, would disdainfully glance at her and arrogantly say, “In this world, only I can bully you…”
Before, Stella couldn’t understand the meaning of this sentence, but now she suddenly realized, could it be that Erin had started to like her back then, but even he didn’t realize it himself?
As Stella thought about this, her eyes suddenly turned red. He was dead, no one would tell her the answer anymore…
She raised her hand, along Erin’s pants, feeling the dried blood on the ground, which was his final message:
[Stella, I’m dead, I no longer have to worry about you marrying someone else]
So, until his death, he was afraid of her marrying someone else.
Because when he died, he wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore.
So, was it with this mindset that he didn’t save himself, not even shouting for help from her?
Yes, every time Erin came to find her, it was because she was going to marry Henry, he was afraid of losing her, but he didn’t know what to do.
He could only resort to violence, regardless of whether she wanted it or not, this approach was indeed extreme.
Just like many times, he would bully her and then save her, Stella couldn’t take it anymore, so she confronted him and asked for the reason. He would always say, “I’ll do whatever I want, no reason needed…”
He was stubborn like that, with strong independent thinking, no one could sway his thoughts, just like in medicine, no matter how many medical professionals argued with him, he would insist on his own beliefs.
But Erin didn’t understand, in love, you couldn’t treat the person you love in this way, it would only push them further away, even push them into the fire, and the person who loved him would resent him for it, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the fire…
However, in this ten-year revenge plan, it was Stella who made him, someone who didn’t know how to treat a loved one, become so extreme…
If…
There were no more “ifs,” Erin was already dead…
As Stella thought about this, tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her face. Through her blurred vision, she saw another line of words written above:
[Stella, I’m sorry, I love you]
“I’m sorry” was an apology for the mistakes he had made.
“I love you” was a belated confession.
Stella touched these crooked words, complex emotions hidden in her fingertips, the pain in her heart tore her apart, one half mocking her for having a masochistic tendency, the other half mocking her for killing the person she used to love the most…
The sound of a wheelchair rolling came to her ears, causing her to slowly lift her head, but as she raised it, tears streamed down her face.
Seeing Stella in this state, Ryan’s melancholic gaze carried a hint of pity. He didn’t say anything, just looked away and read the third line of words:
[Ryan, heal your legs, keep on living]
Besides Stella, he was the only person Erin couldn’t let go of.
How did they become such close friends?
At that time, Erin, wearing a white coat and carrying a medical kit, confidently approached him, tilting his head and raising his chin.
“I’m Erin, the best doctor in the world. The medical fees cost ten million, can you afford it?”
He introduced himself like this, a bit arrogant, a bit rebellious, but filled with confidence. However, it was this flamboyant personality that made Ryan, who had lost his memory, somewhat yearn for him, so he also raised his chin towards him.
“I can’t afford it, does that mean you won’t treat me?”
Erin raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on his handsome face.
“You need treatment, after all, your brother is my good friend…”
Yes, Erin’s first good friend was his older brother, but now the order was reversed. The person who sent away their best friend was no longer Erin, but him.
Although Erin was mentally unhealthy, he was loyal and devoted to his friends. Even when his older brother instructed him to monitor Ryan, Erin never revealed any negative information about Ryan to his brother. He even tried many ways to help Ryan regain his memory, including sitting in front of Ryan’s grave, drinking and toasting to his tombstone for the whole day.
When Ryan returned to the Imperial Capital, Erin was overjoyed and didn’t treat him as disabled despite losing his legs. Erin pushed him around and tried everything to help him walk again. However, Ryan, because of his unrequited love, lost the belief to stand up and repeatedly rejected Erin’s efforts.
Ryan thought that if he hadn’t rejected Erin, with Erin’s medical skills, he could have been able to walk again. But Erin was already living a miserable life, and Ryan couldn’t bear to let him go through the trouble of dealing with his legs and depression.
Unexpectedly, even though Erin was overwhelmed with his own issues, his last thoughts were still about Ryan’s legs and encouraging him to keep going. Ryan felt ashamed and lowered his head, unable to hold back tears when he touched Erin’s pale face.
“I will fulfill your last wish, Erin. Rest in peace…”
Stella’s finger moved past the message left by Ryan.
[In the next life…]
Only two words were written above, and nothing more. Seeing the traces of blood, it seemed like the writing stopped here, as if suddenly feeling that no one in this world would come to see him, and feeling that it was meaningless to continue. After all, for Erin, his father, who married his stepmother, only cared about her, and their conflicts caused his relationship with his father to deteriorate to the point of becoming enemies. His father wouldn’t care if he lived or died.
If it weren’t for his grandparents protecting him in the past, Erin would have been kicked out by his biological father and stepmother long ago. Unfortunately, his grandparents had pa*sed away by the time he grew up, so he felt that there would be no one to take care of his burial. Writing more would be useless…
Did he ever think that she would come back? He probably did, but from this perspective, he, who could gaze at the sea from afar, never waited for her to turn around before his blood ran dry, so he knew she wouldn’t come back. Thus, his testament ended with the words “in the next life.”
Nobody knew what Erin wanted to do in the next life. Did he want to meet her again, or did he never want to see her again?
Stella couldn’t guess, but she wondered why, if Erin had some feelings for her when they were younger, he still sent people to harm the girl he liked. She stared at Erin’s ghostly pale face for a marion.
She then slowly lifted her head and looked at Ryan, asking, “Mr. Collins, do you know why he treated me like that back then?”
With reddened eyes, Ryan shook his head gently. “Erin never said much about the bad things between you two…”
The most he talked about was what Stella liked, where she wanted to go, whether she still had feelings for him, why she hadn’t called him yet, and if she no longer wanted him… But those were all things he said when he was drunk.
It was evident that Stella was precious to Erin in his heart, so precious that he carefully avoided mentioning her. However, the grievances between them were too great…
Ryan also learned about these things indirectly. After all, it was widely known in the Imperial Capital circle that Erin had orchestrated the rape of Stella to seek revenge, forced her to have an abortion, and even removed her uterus with his own hands.
As for the hidden reasons behind it, only one person knew-
That person was Erin, who sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, no longer alive.
Even Ryan didn’t know, so probably no one else did. Maybe Erin was really that terrible back then, wanting to bully her so badly that he sent people after her.
After all, he despised her so much at the time, even if he had a bit of a liking for her, it couldn’t overcome the long-standing hatred he had for her. Besides, he was in love with Stella without even realizing it.
Stella, unable to find any answers, slowly lowered her eyelashes. and looked at Erin, still bathed in sunlight. Her icy fingers unconsciously brushed against his face…
As her fingertips touched his cold, stiff cheek, Stella seemed to want to embrace him, but she never made a move. She just stared silently at him…
After what felt like an eternity, Stella spoke up again to Ryan, “Aren’t you going to ask who killed him?”
Ryan focused on Stella’s slender figure and sighed softly, “He wanted to protect you, so it doesn’t really matter who did it…”
Even if Erin had staged it to look like a suicide, no matter how convincing it was, Ryan couldn’t be fooled. It must have been Erin being too violent, forcing Stella to pull the trigger. But because his love for Stella was so intense, Erin couldn’t bear to let her take even a shred of responsibility, which is why he staged it as a suicide before his death.
Ryan pondered for a long time, and if he were in Erin’s shoes, he would have done the same. Some people’s love is obsessive, willing to give everything, even their lives…
But this ending brought relief to the departed, yet not necessarily to the living, especially to the person who pulled the trigger and killed him. So who can really say who won or lost in this years-long love-hate entanglement?
Ryan wouldn’t blame Stella because she was the person his friend wanted to protect. He would honor his friend’s last wish. But Stella would blame herself, after all, she had killed someone. Whether it was guilt or fear, these emotions would torment her.
And it was true, when the sound of sirens came from downstairs, Stella’s fingers involuntarily tightened. She wanted to embrace the person she had once loved before the police arrived, but she never found the courage.
Until the police came upstairs, rushing towards her and pulling her up, she looked into Erin’s fading figure and felt a sudden pang in her heart.
She knew the police would take away his body, and from then on, she would never see Erin again…
With an unknown surge of strength, she broke free from the police’s grasp and rushed towards Erin, falling to her knees and embracing his stiff body…
She held him, burying her head in the crook of his neck, just like she used to, but she couldn’t feel his warmth anymore, only cold skin and rigidity…
At that moment, Stella finally realized that Erin was truly gone, never to return. The man who said he loved her and hurt her was really dead…
Her tears fell like flowing water, “Erin, I’m sorry…”
She turned her head and gently kissed Erin’s pale cheek, then raised her hand and touched the brows and eyes that were deeply imprinted in her heart…
As she touched his tightly closed eyes, Stella remembered that whether it was when they were young or grown up, those eyes always held complex emotions when they looked at her…
There was hatred, dislike, and a hint of pity. Beneath that pity, there was probably love. She didn’t know how conflicted he must have been at the time. After all, he despised her so much, yet he also loved her. How agonizing it must have been for him…
Stella was hesitant to let go, as she delicately caressed his face, but the police urged and pulled her away, forcefully removing her from the scene…
In her line of sight, Erin, sitting by the window, bathed in sunlight, gradually receded. Slowly, he merged with the light until nothing could be seen…
Stella was dragged downstairs and stood there, stunned and unsure. Andrew walked towards her and said, “Stella…”
Seeing her distraught appearance, Andrew thought she was scared and quickly patted her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid, Erin is dead. No one will bother you anymore.”
Stella suppressed her sadness and smiled, a smile that was both relieved and bitter. “Yes, he’s dead. No one will bother me anymore. It’s really good.”
Andrew didn’t notice her emotions and thought she was genuinely happy. He turned around and pointed in the distance.
“Amelia and Eva are waiting for you over there…”
Following Andrew’s pointing finger, Stella saw Amelia and Eva standing under the ship, waiting for her from afar.
As if sensing her presence, Amelia and Eva hurriedly walked towards her, almost running, and embraced her.
Feeling a hint of warmth, Stella also hugged them back. But for some reason, even with their support, Stella’s heart felt like it was being entangled by vines, sinking slowly, suffocating her with a suppressive feeling…
She didn’t say anything, just rested her chin on Amelia’s shoulder and didn’t even dare to look back as Erin’s body was carried down and put into the hearse…
Amelia raised her fair hand and gently stroked Stella’s back. When she saw Stella rush out of the hospital room, she knew Stella felt guilty towards Erin and had some indescribable emotions…
This emotion might come from killing someone she once loved with her own hands, or from the sudden death of someone who had been a constant presence for years, or maybe…
Did Stella still love Erin? Only she knew the answer, and even Amelia, who was watching from the sidelines, couldn’t discern it clearly…
After comforting Stella, Amelia released her and planned to take her on board. However, as she looked up, she saw Zoey pushing Ryan out of the villa’s gate…
Amelia was momentarily surprised, but then remembered that Ryan was Erin’s close friend. It wasn’t surprising that he would find out about what happened and appear here.
Zoey tried to pass by Amelia while pushing Ryan, but he raised his hand to stop her. He greeted her politely and distantly, like seeing a relative.
He greeted Eva first and then nodded to her, maintaining a perfect sense of propriety without crossing any boundaries.
Amelia also nodded and called him “Sir”.
He didn’t say anything more and just gave some instructions for Amelia and Eva to take care of themselves. Amelia replied, telling him to take care of his leg, and he responded with an “okay” before letting Zoey push him away…
Eva, worried about Ryan who had just lost a good friend, quickly followed them.
Seeing Eva comforting Ryan as they walked, Amelia felt relieved. With Eva by her side, Ryan would feel better.
She watched Ryan board the ship and then held onto Eva’s hand, returning to James’ ship. Before boarding, James came out of the cabin and bent down to hold Amelia’s hand, leading her onto the ship…
Ryan, standing on the other ship, saw Amelia boarding and naturally linked arms with James. He tilted his chin up and whispered something in James’ car, but Ryan couldn’t hear it. He only felt that this couple was harmonious and deeply in love.
After all, that tall man would rather stoop down to match his wife’s height than let her stand on tiptoes.
Even after his wife finished speaking, he still didn’t straighten up. He just raised his slender fingers and gently ruffled her hair, as if comforting her and telling her not to worry.
It was just a simple and subtle gesture, but Ryan’s eyes gradually turned red. It turned out that seeing the girl he once loved fall in love with another man was even more painful than not being able to have her…
Ryan’s lips curled into a faint smile, and in that gentle smile, a sense of relief slowly appeared. The woman he loved had found someone who loved her just as much, and that was a kind of happiness. Rather than holding on, it was better to bless her. As long as she was happy, it was enough…