LOGINThat day felt distant now.Winter knew Chris was looking into something. Whatever stood between them was personal, but Fabian wasn’t her problem alone. He was tied to the Xander family, the Scott family, and countless innocent people.She tried to remember what had happened.It had only been a few days, but it felt much longer.“That day, after I had dinner with Professor Freeman, I was going to find you… to find Roy. I wanted to ask him in person where his name came from because I realized Roy Toye came from my old motto.”Chris stared at her with dark, unreadable eyes. His throat moved slightly before he gave a low hum.Winter continued, “At first, I was driving toward Roy’s place. But by the time I came back to myself, I was already at the docks. I don’t even know when I changed direction. You may not believe me.”“I believe you,” Chris said.After a pause, he repeated, “I do.”Winter pulled her hand out of his again. His belief didn’t seem to move her.Chris’s palm was em
“Did she admit it herself?” Winter asked, her eyes red as she looked at Chris.“She escaped during the chaos. I’ve already sent people to find her.”Chris turned on the main light in the hospital room.As the room brightened, the tears on Winter’s face became impossible to miss.As he spoke, he pulled out a tissue and wiped them away for her.“Sasha had no direct contact with Skyla. But the fact that she was able to get Fabian to send people to the prison to save Steve proves she had ties to the border forces long before this.”How could that be?Winter lowered her head and started picking at her fingers.“Why would she hurt Grandma?”Chris caught her fingers and pulled them apart. Sure enough, the places she had picked at were already raw. It was her way of protecting herself, but it was also a way of hurting herself.He held her hand firmly, not allowing her to do it again.“She’s ambitious. Back then, Grandma made my uncle hand the Xander Corporation over to me, and Sasha
“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







