Chapter 190

Many years later, recalling that day, I realized my heart faltered the moment my eyes met Hayden's. I didn't know if I would have changed my mind if he'd asked me to stay. At the time, I hadn't realized any of this. I held my breath, the thought of knocking him unconscious flashing through my mind. Before I could act, however, Hayden cried.

His eyes were red, tears streaming down his face. He looked utterly broken in the light. I was petrified. Intense shock and uncertainty stole my breath. I never imagined someone as cold-hearted as Hayden would cry. I wondered if he'd had a nightmare.

He parted his lips, interrupting my thoughts. "Yvonne, is it really you? You're back?" His voice was choked with sobs, yet cautious and complex. I couldn't quite decipher it. I didn't answer; I didn't know what to say.

Amid the silence, Hayden reached for me. His movements were slow, devoid of aggression, yet I instinctively stepped back. Every touch from him had brought immense pain in the past; distancing myself was second nature. My retreat profoundly affected Hayden. His dark eyes narrowed, his whole being seemingly struck by shock. His hand, suspended in the air, trembled slightly.

"Right, you hate me so much. How could you ever come back? You will never come back…" he mumbled, a bitter smile twisting his lips. I stared at him intently. "Hayden, I don't hate you anymore."

"Really?" he asked, his voice trembling, like a child who had made a mistake. I had never seen him so helpless. "Yes," I nodded, sighing softly. "I don't regret any decisions in my life. I chose to love you with all my heart, and you chose not to reciprocate. I don't blame you. If I continued to hate you, my life would remain entangled with yours. Now… we can finally part ways peacefully."

As I spoke, an unprecedented peace washed over me. There was no longer raging hate, nor the searing intensity of love. Everything had returned to the beginning.

"No…" Hayden shook his head, his eyes vacant. "Yvonne, don't leave me. I don't want it to end like this! Come back to me, okay?"

I couldn't comprehend his sudden fragility. Were his words borne of guilt or remorse? However, I didn't want to understand. I had no feelings left for him. I turned and left without hesitation.

Hayden froze, then quickly caught up. "Yvonne!" Rita, returning with wine, saw him running frantically. "Mr. Parker, what happened?" she asked. "Where's Yvonne! She just went out!" Hayden shouted loudly.

Rita was stunned, then sighed. "Mr. Parker, you're drunk. Mrs. Parker didn't come back. I saw no one." Everyone knew Yvonne had jumped into the sea; Rita felt Yvonne couldn't possibly be there. Hayden refused to believe it. "No, she was just here!"

"Mr. Parker… you should drink less," Rita said, helping him inside. Hayden's eyes flickered. "Was she not here?" "Yes. You miss her too much," Rita explained.

Hayden said nothing, silently taking the wine, raising his head, and taking a gulp. "Mr. Parker! Don't drink like that, your health is important!" Rita pleaded, but Hayden ignored her. He truly believed Yvonne had returned. Even if she never forgave him, it would be fine as long as she was alive. But Rita's words shattered his hope. His heart felt ripped open, hurting intensely. He felt that if he were drunk, it wouldn't hurt so much. He thought, "Why didn't I know wine is such a good thing?"

Rita, unable to persuade him, sighed and left. Only Hayden could resolve this; persuasion was useless.

Leaving Rosy House, I saw Marlon and Dylan smoking outside their car, seemingly chatting. White smoke rose, blurring their faces. "Why are you out here? Aren't you afraid of being seen?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. They'd told me to avoid being seen, yet they were blatantly smoking in public.

Hearing my voice, they quickly turned. Dylan strode towards me. "Yvonne, you're finally out! Is everything alright?" "What could possibly happen?" I chuckled, patting my bulging pockets. "I got everything."

"That's good. You have no idea how worried Mr. Warner and I were!" Dylan sighed in relief, speaking quickly. I glanced at Marlon; he'd stubbed out his cigarette and opened the car door. "Let's go. It's getting late."

We got into the car. After driving awhile, Marlon asked, "Did anyone see you?" "No," I shook my head, omitting my encounter with Hayden. I hadn't left immediately after Rita entered the study; I'd hidden outside and overheard their conversation. Hayden thought I was a hallucination; Rita didn't believe I'd appear. To them, I didn't exist. However, I didn't know Marlon's main concern was whether I'd met Hayden.

The divorce agreement secured, I felt no attachment to this city. "When can we go abroad?" I asked impatiently. "Are you in a hurry?" Marlon glanced at me, concentrating on driving. "Hayden's getting married soon. Don't you want to see it before you leave?"