《Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford》全部章節：第 641 章 - 第 650 章

Rebecca's voice wavered. "You should head back. I'm fine."That image flashed through her mind again—Vance lying in that hospital bed, his face drained of life yet still forcing a weak smile at her and Josette. The memory hit her hard, making her emotions surge.In the warm glow of the setting sun, the young Vance reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "It's not that big a deal. We'll get there, one way or another."She instinctively stepped back.He simply opened his palm, revealing a tiny scrap of paper. "It was stuck in your hair.""Oh, thanks." She had misunderstood him.He waved. "I've got to get back to work. See you tomorrow."She stood there, eager to ask what he meant by "one way or another," but he kept urging her to leave. "Go home before it gets dark. Let's talk at school tomorrow."He turned and jogged back toward the bakery. She watched him disappear through the shop door, then turned and headed to the subway station."Fine. We'll talk later," she muttered...

It was destined to be a sleepless night.The four were excited to see each other and sat down to chat. Josette brought out snacks and fruit. The atmosphere was even livelier than during the holidays.Rebecca had built a deep bond with Kaitlyn and Gabriel during her years abroad. Seeing them again made her incredibly happy, but she couldn't stay up talking forever.She had classes tomorrow, so Josette eventually shooed her off to bed.The next morning, she woke up to the sound of conversation in the kitchen. Josette kept urging Kaitlyn to rest, but the latter insisted on staying."These are memories from my childhood. Nostalgic! I haven't had your pasta with meat sauce in years," Kaitlyn gushed.Rebecca thought of the kitchen in Paris and chuckled. Despite having chefs, the two would still cook hometown dishes together.Kaitlyn spotted her. "Becky, come eat. After breakfast, Gabe will drive you to school.""It's fine. I can go by myself," Rebecca replied.It was still early. Sh

Blake Horton was a retired doctor who had returned to work. This time, he reviewed more test results with Irene and laid out the surgical plan."This condition usually doesn't show obvious symptoms. By the time you notice something's wrong, it's often late stage. You're quite lucky that we caught it early. Surgery should give you a good prognosis," he said.Irene's eyes lit up with hope. "Really? Can cancer be cured?""We don't have to fear cancer anymore," Blake said. "Whether it can be cured depends on many factors, but we can say the prognosis looks promising.""You mean you can't guarantee the result?" Irene began to waver again.Blake patiently explained the pathology and surgical plan in detail, including the risks and possible outcomes after surgery.Irene understood doctors couldn't make absolute promises. After hesitating for a long time, she decided that she would have the surgery.If it didn't go well, she would leave this world earlier and not burden Vance. But if sh

Irene had arranged everything herself for the morning surgery. The caregiver was ready, and she paid the hospital and surgery fees in advance.When the caregiver asked why her family wasn't showing up, Irene waved it off. "They're all busy. It's a minor procedure. I don't want to trouble them."The caregiver sighed, knowing this was hardly a minor procedure. Without another word, she helped the nurse wheel Irene toward the operating room.At the door, someone waited. Irene recognized him as Vance's classmate, Darren Horton."Child, what are you doing here?" she asked, then remembered the doctor had the same last name. "Is Dr. Horton your...""He's a relative," Darren replied. "I found out from him that you're having surgery today. Vance is my friend. I know you have your reasons for not telling him. I'll stay and keep you company."Irene's eyes grew moist. "Thank you, but you should go to class.""It's fine. Vance's grandma is my grandma, too. Go on in," he said, taking her hand

Vance eventually ran into Rebecca on campus. By then, his grandmother had been recovering for a week.He looked noticeably worn out. Irene was the most important person in his life. Even with a caregiver, he visited every day, eager to spend more time with her and bring her the things she could eat.School, part-time job, and hospital visits stretched him thin. He had never been talkative, and now he was even quieter.Still, things were different this time. Rebecca remembered how, in the original senior year, he had been consumed by gray despair.The person she loved most in the world was about to pass away, and there was nothing he could do. Rebecca could fully understand that feeling. In her own life, her grandma and she had only had each other.That was why she had secretly helped him back then. Now, although he looked tired, there was no dead-eyed hopelessness in his gaze.It was raining that day. They met on the stairs of the teaching building. Vance hadn't brought an umbrel