Silent Confession

As soon as Raina stepped out of the Carrington family estate, she immediately spotted the black Mercedes G-Wagon parked out front.

Leif was leaning against the car door, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. Wisps of smoke curled around him as if he were deep in thought. The moment he saw Raina come out, he flicked the cigarette away without hesitation and strode toward her with long, confident steps.

Standing at the doorway, Raina suddenly felt as if she had just returned from hell to the world of the living.

He was just a stranger she’d met a day or two ago. She barely knew anything about his temperament or preferences. And yet, for some reason, seeing Leif walk toward her with such steady resolve made her chest ache with warmth. She felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

She used to have a place she could call home. She had people she wanted to protect. She had hope, and expectations. But now, there was nothing. No one. Everyone in her life felt like strangers, each of them standing on the opposite side.

Maybe she’d just seen too many people walk away from her. So now, seeing someone walk toward her—she didn’t want to lose that.

Leif came closer. He was tall and well-built, standing like a statue in the night, his presence quiet but powerful. He had to lower his head slightly to speak to her. “Are you done with everything?”

Raina caught the faintest scent of tobacco, but to her surprise, she didn’t mind it.

After a brief silence, she said softly, “Yeah, let’s go back.”

Her voice carried a deep weariness.

Leif didn’t ask further. He gently plucked a dried leaf from her hair and said, “Alright. Let’s get in.”

Once they were inside, he started the engine, and the car quickly pulled away from the Carrington estate.

Raina leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, utterly exhausted. Leif deliberately slowed the car, the tires rolling over damp fallen leaves as they headed toward Wexford Lane.

After a long pause, Raina opened her eyes and asked, “Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to ask me anything?”

Leif replied, “I’ve heard a bit about the Carrington family.”

The Hale and Carrington families were supposed to form a marriage alliance. Leif had even attended the Hale family’s engagement banquet. Besides, the photos of Raina’s disfigured face had trended online for days—everyone in the city had seen them.

When Leif said he’d “heard a bit,” he was probably downplaying it.

Of course, Raina didn’t know the real reason why Leif had attended that banquet. To her, “a bit” really just meant a bit.

She was completely wrong.

Raina rubbed her temples, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “Mr. Vexley, would you like to hear a story?”

No one had truly listened to her in a long time. Maybe she’d bottled things up for too long. Maybe what just happened had shaken her too deeply. Or maybe it was because she finally wasn’t walking this tightrope alone anymore. Suddenly, all those memories she’d buried deep in her heart surged up, and for the first time, she wanted to tell someone.

Leif’s hands gripped the steering wheel slightly tighter. “If there’s something you want to say, I’m all ears.”

She was quiet for a moment, then finally began in a calm, distant voice, as if she were telling someone else’s story.

“Once, there was a little girl. Her parents didn’t love her. But still… she always hoped they might love her—just a little. Really, even just a little would’ve been enough. But… they never did.”

“She was separated from them at birth. After being brought home, she was only allowed to see her mother once a month. And even then, her mother always treated her coldly—like she was nothing. But despite that, she still looked forward to those monthly visits. Her father, too, never showed her a kind face. She thought maybe it was her fault. Maybe she just wasn’t good enough. Not smart enough. Not outstanding enough. So…”

“So she tried her hardest. Did her absolute best. Because maybe—just maybe—if she worked hard enough, her parents would finally notice her. Even just a glance, and she’d be happy.”

Raina shook her head and gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh. “But she didn’t understand… no matter how good she was, they were never going to love her. Never. And the worst part was… she never did anything wrong.”

When she finished, she leaned back against the seat and wiped her face roughly. Her voice was calm again, like she’d purged whatever emotions had been threatening to explode.

Leif didn’t say anything. He simply listened. He offered no judgment.

After a while, Raina said quietly, “Thank you.”

Leif glanced at her and said calmly, “She didn’t do anything wrong.”

Raina was slightly startled. “What?”

“She didn’t do anything wrong,” he repeated. “They were just… never meant to be on the same path.”

Some people simply aren’t meant to walk together. Even if their paths cross, they eventually diverge—different roads, different ends.

Raina raised a hand to her brow and was about to respond when her phone suddenly rang. She frowned slightly and glanced at the screen. It was an unfamiliar number.

She hesitated, then answered. “Hello?”

There was a pause, followed by a trembling, raspy voice. “Is this… Miss Raina Carrington?”

The voice was unfamiliar, and deliberately lowered, as if the caller was hiding or scared of something.

“This is Raina Carrington,” she replied.

The person on the other end let out a long sigh of relief, then said quickly, “Miss Carrington, you might… you might remember me. I’m Mr. Shaw, from Research Base No. 1.”

Vireon Labs operated two research facilities: Base No. 1 and Base No. 2. Raina had visited Base No. 2 before—it dealt with ordinary pharmaceutical development and was open to company staff for tours and assessments.

But Base No. 1 was highly secretive. Only its researchers were allowed in or out—no outsiders.

Raina had always been curious about Base No. 1, but during her mother’s lifetime, she had never been permitted to set foot inside. After she went abroad five years ago, Mireille forcibly took over the facility.

As for this “Mr. Shaw,” she vaguely remembered seeing him a few times in her mother’s office.

She lowered her gaze and said, “Yes, I remember. What is it you need, Mr. Shaw?”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Mr. Shaw sounded like a drowning man clutching a lifeline. He said, “Miss Carrington, I… I don’t have much time, so I’ll get straight to the point. Do you… do you know about the VIREXIN? Your mother, Solana, was working on it before she passed. You must have heard of it, right?”

***