After leaving the restaurant, Josh Sterling went home first to get Nemo. After attaching the leash, he handed the loop to Leah Sinclair.
Leah took it happily and scratched Nemo’s furry head. "Let’s go. Time for a walk."
They walked along a small creek lined with blooming flowers for a while before arriving at the open riverbank. The dog walked ahead of them, while the two strolled side-by-side along the river, chatting casually.
"Josh, I think I remember now. Back in high school, you wore a mask all the time. I never actually saw your face then."
"My respiratory tract was sensitive back then, so the doctor told me to wear a mask."
"Oh."
Leah wanted to ask if he was the boy who took on six people to save her that one time. But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
They walked a bit further, and the sound of singing drifted over. A section of steps on the river embankment was packed with young people, and at the bottom of the steps, a singer with a guitar was performing. The audience held up their phones with the flashlights on, singing along like they were at a concert.
"Want to go sit over there?" Josh asked.
"Yeah."
The two found an empty spot on the steps. Mimicking the others, Leah held up her phone and turned on the flashlight. The scattered lights merged into a sea of stars, and the familiar old song carried everyone back to their own pasts.
It had been a long time since Leah felt this peaceful and relaxed. Just a few days ago, she was in despair, thinking that her most beloved family member would leave this world in the spring.
She held the light up until her arm ached, refusing to lower it. She was afraid that the moment she put it down, the miracle would vanish. Just as she was about to give out, a hand reached over, grasping the upper half of her phone to support her.
She did not turn her head. His palm was warm. Even though it only brushed her fingertips, it gave her the illusion of a deep, unspoken connection between them.
***
Having just finished thanking the last group of guests who had come to offer their condolences, Kian Hawthorne walked briskly into the lounge. He was just about to take out his phone to call Leah when Selene Shaw followed him inside.
"Kian, we’re getting ready to head back to the hotel," she said, looking at him with eyes full of tenderness.
Kian ignored her and called Leah right in front of her. It only rang a few times before being hung up on the other end. He was so furious he wanted to smash his phone.
He had commissioned a master to find an auspicious plot of land in Silvane, the ancestral home of the Shaw family. For the past few days, he had been busy handling the relocation of Selene’s late father’s grave. Uncle Shaw had died of depression in prison years ago, and Kian had always carried a sense of guilt over it.
Relocating a grave was a major affair, and he had attended to it personally. Right during the reburial ceremony, Leah had called him and cursed him to be given the wrong medication. After that, he hadn’t been able to get through to her at all.
"You guys go eat. I’m heading back to Florian."
Kian pocketed his phone and was about to leave when Diana Carter walked in. The moment he saw his secretary, his anger flared, and he took it all out on her.
"Did you deliver the medicine my wife asked for?" he demanded loudly.
Diana was stunned, looking completely innocent. "Mr. Hawthorne, I already gave it to Mrs. Hawthorne."
"Then why did she curse me to be given the wrong medication?" Kian roared, the veins bulging on his forehead.
He had never lost his temper like this before. Selene froze, while Diana panicked.
"Mr. Hawthorne, I really did give the medicine to your wife. She went to see Director Rowe and said they were switching to a new treatment plan immediately," Diana explained weakly.
Selene walked over and gently tugged at Kian’s sleeve, lowering her voice. "Kian, could it be that she found out you came to Silvane to help relocate my father’s grave, and she only said those things out of spite?"
Kian seemed to have an epiphany. It wasn’t impossible. It seemed she was truly angry this time. Was she so angry that she cursed him? He clenched his fists again.
"I’m going back to ask her clearly." Kian brushed past the two women and strode out.
Diana breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Selene gratefully. "Thank you, Miss Shaw," she said with genuine sincerity. If Selene hadn’t stepped in to defuse the situation, Diana suspected her boss would have fired her right then and there.
Selene patted the back of her hand. "Mrs. Hawthorne is a housewife; she only knows how to rely on her husband when things go wrong. As working women, we should be more understanding of each other."
Recalling Leah’s arrogant and condescending demeanor, Diana nearly ground her back teeth to dust. A single sentence from Selene had been enough to calm their boss down. It was self-evident who Mr. Hawthorne’s true love was.
She needed to cling to the future boss’s wife as soon as possible. Helping Selene push Leah out of the picture would be the perfect way to prove her loyalty.
Diana smiled and said, "Miss Shaw, if you ever need anything in the future, just give me the order."
"Don’t say that," Selene replied with a faint smile. "We’re friends."
"Right, we’re good friends." Diana smiled knowingly. "From now on, we must keep each other informed and help each other out."
"Of course."
***
Opening the apartment door for the first time in five days, Leah immediately saw Kian sitting on the living room sofa. For a split second, she was bewildered, as if she couldn’t remember who this man was. It took her a few seconds to snap back to reality. She was married, and this man was her husband.
In just four short days, it felt as though everything had changed. She had faced death head-on and returned from the brink of despair. The things she used to obsess over had now become as insignificant as a feather.
"Didn’t you say you were going for a week? Why are you back early?" Leah asked as she changed her shoes.
Kian sat with his arms crossed, staring at her coldly. "What exactly did you mean by what you said on the phone the other day?"
"Which day?"
Leah thought back carefully before finally remembering: she had indeed called him that day after discovering that Diana had brought fake medicine. "Oh, that." Wearing her slippers, she walked across the living room toward the guest bedroom. "Go ask Diana."
"She said she gave you the medicine."
"Then just take her word for it."
Leah walked into the guest room and was about to close the door when it was blocked. Kian had followed her over at some point and jammed his foot against the door. Standing in the hallway, he leaned one hand against the doorframe, glaring down at her coldly.
"What exactly is going on?"
Leah glanced at him, sighing inwardly. In truth, there was no longer any need for communication between them, but he didn’t seem to understand at all why she was angry, or why her heart had gone completely dead.
"Diana did bring the medicine, but it wasn’t the real P Drug. It was an experimental placebo for the control group." She paused. "If we had used the medicine she provided that day, my uncle would have died."
Kian was stunned. He hadn’t expected Diana to be so careless with her work. He would definitely settle the score with her later.
"Why didn’t you explain it to me clearly? I could have helped you find the medicine again."
"You?" Leah smiled bitterly. "You wouldn’t have. You would have just yelled at Diana and told her to go do it again." She shook her head. "I couldn’t afford to wait. I handled the medicine situation myself."
Not wanting to talk anymore, she turned around, but Kian grabbed her hand. Her wrist was extremely thin; it felt like she had lost even more weight.
Softening his tone, he asked, "Is your uncle alright now?"
Leah pursed her lips. Her uncle had the most aggressive form of pancreatic cancer—how could he possibly be in the clear so easily? She didn’t want to explain all of this to a man who hadn’t cared or helped from start to finish. So, she pulled free from his grasp and said flatly, "He will be fine."
Kian sensed it. Her attitude toward him had grown much colder. Did she know about his trip to Silvane? Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t. But so what if she knew? He was only there to help; it wasn’t like he had done anything wrong. Still, he couldn’t be bothered to explain. Wasn’t she supposed to be magnanimous? Was she done pretending now?
Leah raised her eyes and looked at Kian. He stood there without any intention of leaving.
"How did you manage to get the medicine?" Kian asked.
Leah remained silent. After a brief moment, she looked up at him. "If you don’t want to rest right now, let’s talk."
Kian’s heart sank. "Talk about what?"
"Let’s talk about Miss Shaw."