Chapter 9%
“Then I watched you fall in love with someone else. Although I was heartbroken, all I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I never expected %
I was slightly stunned.
Long buried memories suddenly surfaced.
Back then, I was so devastated by Elias’s death that I could not see anyone else. I only remembered someone softly whispering in my ear, Take care of yourself. There are still people in this world who love you%
At that moment, my tears came pouring out!
After that, everything became a blur and I drifted off into a dazed sleep 1
In that half–asleep state, I heard a commotion outside.
“Why won’t you let me in? I should get my.“%
“Your what? She’s not your wife anymore, is she? Didn’t you declare at the press conference that Clarissa is the love of your life? You even said your marriage with her was just a formality. And now you turn around and claim she’s still your wife? Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?%
Cassian grew more and more furious as he spoke. “Haven’t you hurt her enough all these yearers
“You married her, but then treated her with disrespect and violence.%
“You and your mistress keep flaunting in front of her every single day!%
“If you truly didn’t want to marry her, there were other ways. But you were just afraid your company would go bankrupt and thought tharrying your lover would be an inconvenience. You’re nothing but a hypocrite!‘
The argument outside grew louder and louder, so I got up and looked out. I saw Elias standing there, frozen in place. At that moment, I felt powerless, as if everything had been long foretold.%
He said there was a shadow in his heart, something he could never shake off%
He had felt again and again that the person haunting him was me.%
But there was always a voice in his mind insisting, “No, that person is Clarissa“%
Only now did he realize that all of it… was the result of Clarissa Marlowe altering the data.
“I should have trusted my instincts back then. Damn it! I never expected the person I was looking for to be so close to me and yet feel so far away!” He clutched his head in regret, his face full of pain.%
Cassian stood there watching coldly, then said something to him.%
When I was betting with the scientists, he had been there too, both excited and nervous.
“Later, my father asked me, The instrument is very valuable. We spent so much money to send her there. What if she still ends up falling in love with him after she returns?“%
He said he was willing to take that gamble.%
Fortunately, he won the bet.%
“And you lost.“%
‘Do you know why you lost?“%
“You lost because you were never honest with yourself.“%
Elias froze, stunned. Tears streamed silently down his face. When he stood up, his back was slightly hunched as if the weight of regret had worn him down.%
Still, he showed up every single day without fail.%
Even when it poured heavily today, he refused to leave.%
“Do you want to see him?” Cassian asked me.%
I nodded.%
There was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
I smiled gently and said to him, “There are some things I need to settle with him personally.“%
When Elias saw me coming out, an expression broke through the stiffness on his face.
He rushed toward me, unable to hide the excitement that welled up inside him.
For a brief moment, I saw the version of him from the past.%
Back then, just to see me, he would cross the entire city, braving the pouring rain to find me.%
But now, looking at him, not even the faintest ripple stirred in my heart.”
He told me he had fallen in love with the shadow in his mind. “The moment I opened my eyes for the first time, a voice in my mind told me, Clarissa is the person I will love most in this life.”
“I don’t know why it turned out this way…“%
“Maybe Cassian was right. If I had just held on a little longer, maybe I could have recognized you.”
The corners of his eyes suddenly turned red. “I shouldn’t have treated you like that all these years. It was my fault…
