FAZER LOGIN“Don’t say that, Winnie.”Chris suddenly gripped Winter’s hand.He drew in a deep breath, forcing down the surge of emotion inside him. The effort made the veins in his neck stand out.The scene from New Year’s Eve came back to him with painful clarity. They had released a sky lantern together. Back then, he had lost Mrs. Xander Sr., and Winter had been driven out of the Xander family.“May we meet again, year after year.”At the time, that had been the only wish he could give her.His low, hoarse voice carried a stubborn certainty, wrapping around her like a thin, unbreakable thread.“It will come true. You’ll stay by my side.”Silence fell between them.Outside the window, the soft drizzle grew heavier.Even though their child was still alive, Chris knew Winter was not the kind of woman who could be kept by a child. That was why he had never tried to use Richie to make her stay.He was the one who could not let go.Winter turned to look at him. Her eyes were calm and life
Not far away, the elevator doors opened.When Dominic saw who stepped out, the ruthlessness in his eyes faded. He ended the call, then strode toward Chris’s hospital room.The moment he pushed the door open, he called out, “Good news. The person you’ve been thinking about is back in her room, and Zac didn’t follow her. Feel better now? Are you still going to kick me out?”Chris was holding a pen that had already been bent slightly out of shape. He ignored Dominic and didn’t tell Gavin to throw him out, but the force in his fingers eased a little.The sky over Liono City had turned gloomy in the afternoon. By nightfall, rain had begun to fall.A soft drizzle tapped against the window. Inside the hospital room, only a small lamp had been left on. Winter lay on her side in bed, her breathing light and shallow.The door opened quietly from the outside.Chris looked at Winter’s sleeping face, then closed the door behind him and walked toward the bed step by step.There was a round s
Outside the isolation room was a quiet hallway. Other than the medical staff, there was no one else around.When Olivia came in from outside, Winter noticed her right away.Olivia glanced at the closed door behind Winter. After what Dr. Lucas had just told her about the child inside, she wasn’t surprised to see Winter there.She gave Winter a small nod.Winter had been sitting beside Richie’s bed for a long time. Now that she had stood and walked a few steps, dizziness rushed over her. The lights overhead were harsh and painfully bright.Suddenly, her knees weakened, and she pitched forward.“Careful.”Olivia hurried over and caught Winter by the arm just in time. With her other hand, she steadied Winter’s shoulder.“Mrs. Xand… Ms. Scott, are you all right?”Winter pressed a hand to her forehead and said softly, “Thank you. I’m just a little dizzy.”Olivia helped her sit down on a nearby chair. As she let go of Winter’s arm, her gaze dropped and landed on the gauze wrapped ar
Gavin quietly closed the elevator doors and returned to the hospital room downstairs.Dominic was pouring Chris a glass of water. When he heard the door open, he glanced back. “Back so soon?”Gavin gave a low hum and walked to Chris’s side.“Mrs. Xander went upstairs too. She was in the same elevator as me.”At that, Dominic turned with the glass in hand and glanced at Chris, who was sitting against the headboard and pretending to read a document.He said deliberately, “So Dr. Carter and Winter ran into each other?”Ever since Winter remembered everything, Chris had avoided appearing in front of her except for yesterday, when he took her to see Richie. He was afraid of upsetting her again.That was why, even though he wanted to go upstairs and see his son, he forced himself to stay here and act calm instead of following her.Gavin gave another low hum. “Zac is here too.”Chris turned a page.The sound of paper scraping was sharp enough to make Dominic’s ears hurt. He sat down
The elevator rose slowly.Zion stood quietly beside Winter. No one in the elevator spoke.Winter stood as still as a statue. She didn’t look at the floor numbers, and her eyes seemed unfocused.Zion had noticed it yesterday. After seeing Richie and returning to her room, Winter had started eating on her own, but she was still the same as she had been these past few days. She barely spoke.Early that morning, he had accidentally seen her leaning by the window with empty eyes, picking at the cut on her wrist with her fingertips. When she noticed him, she simply turned away as if nothing had happened.It left him worried and heartbroken.What would it take for the old her to come back?The one who used to joke with him and play games with him.At that thought, Zion turned and glanced at Gavin.Directly or indirectly, Chris had everything to do with what had happened to her.And Gavin was Chris’s right-hand man.Before, Zion could at least call Gavin a big idiot to blow off some
Suddenly, Dominic seemed to realize something. He lowered his voice and asked, “Wait. Nothing happened between you and this doctor, did it?”Chris’s gaze was cold. “Nothing happened.“And it wasn’t a fake marriage. We only took a photo together.”What he hadn’t expected was that the photo would still be left in the little cabin on the island, and that Winter would end up seeing it.“Also, it wasn’t a fake marriage. We only staged the registry photo.”What Chris hadn’t expected was that the printed photo would be left behind in the private villa on the island, and that Winter would find it.Dominic drew in a sharp breath. “Now you’re getting technical with me?”He brushed past that and sat back down on the edge of the bed. The teasing look on his face faded, replaced by rare seriousness.“Speaking of that, you still haven’t told me why you faked the marriage with Winter in the first place.”It didn’t make sense.Chris valued Winter more than his own life. Even after he had era







