Chapter 900

Keira couldn’t accept that Jace was gone. That he had chosen to leave like this. Even though he said it was his way of taking responsibility for himself, she couldn’t reconcile it. And his illness? Keira knew nothing about it… No! She had noticed. The blood he coughed up in front of her, the nosebleeds, the repeated hospital stays, his increasingly thin frame—these were all signs. But she ignored them. She didn’t care enough, didn’t pay attention enough, and brushed it all aside.

Though the romantic love between Jace and Keira had long since faded, he remained one of the most important people in her life. He was her family. He was there as she grew up, bringing her warm sugar water when she had her first period, standing up for her and kicking bullies away without hesitation. Jace wasn’t just a past lover. He was the person who witnessed her youth, shared her life, and taught her how to navigate it.

And now, he had slipped out of her world without a word, without even a proper goodbye. Facing his absence, Keira suddenly felt unworthy of even shedding tears. If she had cared just a little more, paid more attention, she might have noticed something was wrong. She could’ve spent more time with him. But it was too late now. No amount of regret or self-reproach would bring him back. Jace was gone.

“Master Gregory hadn’t been eating much recently. I saw him cough up blood a few times… He never took medicine, though. I think he had already made up his mind,” said one of the monks who had practiced alongside Jace.

It was true. In going through Jace’s belongings, Keira found no medication, no clues about his illness. He had hidden everything from her. He probably didn’t want her to know. But how could she be so blind?

Keira called Lena. The moment she heard her voice, she broke down. “Lena, Jace is gone.”

“What?” Lena sounded stunned.

“He’s gone. He had a serious illness, and I didn’t even know…” Her voice dissolved into sobs.

Hayden gently took the phone from her, explaining the situation to Lena and sharing her thoughts. “Lena, we want to know what his illness was. Can you help us find out?”

After hanging up, Hayden held Keira tightly, letting her cry uncontrollably in his arms. Lena arrived quickly, and with her came Nate. When she saw her, Keira collapsed again, unable to hold back the flood of emotions. Lena hugged her, her own eyes red with tears.

“That Jace really did a number on you,” she said, her voice trembling with grief masked as anger. “Even in death, he’s made you suffer.”

Keira knew she wasn’t truly blaming him. She was struggling to accept his loss too. Even though Lena had despised him for betraying her in the past, she couldn’t hold onto that anger now that he was gone. And honestly, there was nothing to hate. Jace hadn’t done anything unforgivable; he had simply lost his way in love.

In their hearts, they had already forgiven him long ago. But none of them ever said it to him. And now, he had taken away the chance for them to reconcile fully, leaving them with lingering regret.

Nate handed Hayden a copy of Jace’s medical records. The diagnosis hit Keira like a hammer: late-stage liver cancer.

“He didn’t undergo a single day of treatment,” Nate said quietly. “After the diagnosis, he refused medication and never went back for follow-ups.”

“He knew how terrifying this illness was,” Lena added gently, sitting beside Keira. “So he chose not to prolong his suffering. This was his way of protecting himself.”

Her words were meant to comfort Keira, but they only deepened the ache in her chest. Jace had endured so much in silence. His decision to leave, while calm and deliberate, left her grappling with the weight of his absence and the love she could no longer express.