All Chapters of The Last Leaf of Devotion: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"What?" Ansel exclaimed, certain he had misunderstood."Are you sure it's the right person? I just saw my wife yesterday, and we're currently overseas. There's no way she could have suddenly died."The officer on the other end replied patiently, "Mr. Halberg, the body was brought to the station last night. The medical examiner and forensic investigators have thoroughly examined it, and the findings have been carefully verified against the database. The preliminary identification is conclusive. Please come in as soon as you can to confirm."Upon hearing the officer's firm tone, the color vanished from Ansel's face. An unsettling premonition gripped his chest, and his voice faltered."No… That can't be true. It's impossible!"The officer didn't argue. With a steady, professional tone, he repeated the message once more before hanging up.The phone slipped from Ansel's grasp and fell to the floor. He stared blankly at his trembling hands as his mind spiraled into confusion.How coul

17 stab wounds…Two months pregnant…Ansel's eyes grew wide with disbelief, his shock slowly morphing into a fierce grimace."I was stabbed 17 times… it hurt so much…""Ansel, why won't you believe me?"Suddenly, memories from the past days overwhelmed him, one haunting scene after another. Every word Odessa spoke cut like shards of glass, driving deep into his flesh and soul.In that moment, Ansel's last shred of sanity broke.He stumbled backward, slamming into the shelf behind him before crumpling to the floor. His voice shook, barely more than a whisper. "Odessa… how can this be? Then who have I been seeing these past days? The legend of the Seven-Day Resurrection… it's real… I—"His words collapsed under the weight of the truth. Sobs tore from his chest as he slapped himself hard across the face. "I'm sorry, Odessa! This is my fault! I got you killed! I'm nothing but a worthless bastard!"The police officer and medical examiner rushed to his side, trying to calm him down.

More than a dozen burly men stood behind Mitchell, forming an imposing barrier. Sydney quickly realized there was no chance of getting past them.Defeated, she returned to her room, but not without a plan. She would wait until nightfall and escape through the window.Darkness fell quickly, and the long hours that followed left Sydney on edge. She wished time would move faster, though part of her feared that Ansel might arrive soon.Around 3:00 am, she pressed her ear to the door, listening closely for any noise. When only silence met her, she carefully twisted the bedsheets into a makeshift rope and lowered it out the window.Her room was on the second floor, and the makeshift rope was just long enough to reach the ground. She landed awkwardly but escaped without serious injury.As she struggled to get up, a blinding light suddenly flooded her vision. A moment later, a black leather shoe came down hard, crushing her hand beneath it.Sydney let out a sharp scream. When she looked

Odessa found herself reborn in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. It was also that very year that she and Ansel became a couple. Yet, there was clearly something off about the Ansel standing before her. His youthful appearance now belied a profound familiarity in his demeanor and gaze. She couldn't help but wonder if Ansel had been reborn, too. If so, what had caused his prior demise?Ansel gazed at Odessa, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe he had been given a second chance in life, much less to be reborn into his youth. In this instant, everything was still untouched; there were no misunderstandings between them yet. In this life, he was determined to love her even more, and he would never repeat the same mistakes again."Are you alright, Odessa?" Ansel asked as he approached Odessa. He then reached out, intending to hold her in his arms just like he had in the past.Odessa snapped out of her daze, immediately pulling back with a cold expression. "I d

It was later that very afternoon that the hospital transfer was finalized. Odessa was in the midst of packing when Ansel burst into the hospital ward, asking, "Why are you transferring to another hospital, Odessa? Is it because of me?"Odessa paid him no mind, simply pretending he wasn't there as she calmly continued to pack her things.Ansel quickly stepped up and took her hand, begging meekly, "Can we please talk this through, Odessa? You shouldn't just shut me out like this!"His hand was cold to the touch, prompting Odessa to pull her hand away instantly. Her face was a mask of coldness as she exclaimed, "How long are you planning to keep this up, Ansel? I appreciate you saving me during the earthquake, but that doesn't give you the right to keep harassing me. I'll have my family compensate you generously, so please leave me alone from now on!"Ansel staggered back a step, his eyes turning bloodshot and his breathing becoming ragged. "What do I have to do for you to forgive m