Chapter 4

Adam's POV

The way Diana had carried herself, so calm and composed, was as if the person who had been caught in that disaster had been a stranger.

The memory from that day flashed through my mind, and my legs gave out beneath me.

Flynn stepped forward in his polished dress shoes and stomped on my one good hand until flesh and blood blurred together. I screamed in agony, and only then did he finally stop.

The next second, he picked up the saw from the ground and viciously dragged it across his own palm. Blood immediately ran down his pristine white pants.

Hearing the commotion, Diana hurried over. The moment she took in the scene, she glared furiously at me. "Adam, if you have a problem, come at me! Don't you dare take it out on someone else!"

Before I could even defend myself, Flynn dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around my leg, begging desperately.

"I know losing an arm has been hard on you, but taking over your project was the organization's decision. I had no choice. Adam, if hurting me would make you feel better, break my arm…"

As he spoke, he placed the bloody saw against his forearm, as if ready to sacrifice himself to make amends.

At that, Diana instinctively snatched the saw away and pulled Flynn into her arms.

When she looked back at me, her eyes were full of rage. "I know you're having a hard time, Adam, but that doesn't give you the right to take your anger out on Flynn! He's innocent!"

If he were innocent, would that make me the sinner then? Regardless, I knew better than to waste my time defending myself.

In the end, I simply looked at Diana in despair and asked, "Have you really regretted none of it?"

My question caught her completely off guard. The anger in her eyes faded a little. She pressed her lips together, but still gritted out, "I don't know what you're talking about."

A bitter laugh escaped me. At that moment, all the love we had shared over six years vanished without a trace.

Diana's eyes fell on my bloody left hand. She was about to say something when Flynn's sobs pulled her attention away.

"It's okay, Flynn. I'll take you to the hospital right now."

After the two of them left, I borrowed the exploration team's first-aid kit and hastily bandaged my wounds. Under the contemptuous stares of everyone around me, I left alone and headed for the airport.

On the way, I called the nurse from the andrology department and asked her to deliver the box to tonight's project launch.

Once everything was settled, I received a message from Diana.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I was just afraid that Flynn getting into trouble might drag you into it. Can I come home and apologize to you in person later?"

Yet the live news showed her with Flynn, arms linked, as they headed to the project launch. The comments online were filled with nothing but well wishes for them.

So, I wished them the same.

…

Third-Person POV

That evening, Diana and Flynn attended the exploration project launch together.

As she stared at the unanswered message on her phone, an uneasy feeling began to creep into her heart. She went around the venue as usual, greeting people and handling business, but her mind was elsewhere.

She couldn't tell if she was worried about Adam Henderson's arm or afraid that he might suddenly show up. Trying to sound casual, she asked Julian, "Adam isn't coming to the launch tonight, is he?"

Julian paused, looking confused. "Adam? You still don't know? He should be on his way to Nambara. With Flynn achieving such impressive results, Adam was the only one left to take the assignment."

At that, colors drained from Diana's face. She was about to step forward and demand an explanation when a nurse approached her.

"Mrs. Henderson, your husband found out that you arranged the cloud seeding. This is a gift he left for you before he departed. He specifically asked that you open it yourself."