My legs went weak, and I staggered back, but Ryan grabbed me, pulling me desperately into his arms. He held me so tight, his voice rough and intense as he spoke right against my ear, every word rumbling up from his chest. “I’ll marry her. I’ll rise to the top. I swear, I won’t let anyone use my love for you as a weapon to hurt you.”

I buried myself in his embrace, unable to stop the tears pouring down my face.

I gripped his shirt tightly, my mind wiped completely blank, all thoughts gone.

“Ryan, we shouldn’t see each other anymore. I don’t want you spending the rest of your life with regret or resentment. It’s alright. As long as we stay apart, the Chamberlain family won’t come after me, and you… you can move on with your life,” I said, my voice steady after the panic faded.

Ryan lowered his head and pressed a kiss to my forehead, his voice rough. “From now on, life won’t ever be the same.”

I struggled to lift my head from his arms, meeting his eyes.

His eyes looked like they’d just weathered a storm, a cold glint flickering in them. He reluctantly pinched my cheek, unable to hide how much he hated letting go. “Don’t worry. I won’t stand in your way if you find someone else who loves you, Vic. I finally get it–staying alive matters more than love. No matter where you end up in this world, as long as I know you’re out there, alive, that’s enough for me.”

I blinked, my eyes stinging with tears. I looked down and let out a shaky sigh. “Why does it have to be like this, Ryan? I’m sorry. I never should’ve come into your life–all I did was bring you pain and resentment.”

Tears poured down my face as I shook my head, blaming myself. “If only we’d never met that day in Shariport, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”

“Vic, don’t say that. If I hadn’t met you, I never would’ve known what it truly means to love someone,” Ryan said, his fingers gently brushing away my tears, even though they just kept falling. He stared at his hand, now wet from my crying, and the cold glint in his eyes grew sharper, like something inside him was breaking.

“Alright, don’t cry anymore. I don’t ask for anything else—just let me see you in my dreams from time to time,” Ryan said softly, taking a step back. “If fate ever brings us together again someday, and you’re still single, I’ll be the one to rekindle what we had.”

With those words, he suddenly cupped my face and pressed a lingering kiss to my lips. “But for now, I have to return to my own battlefield.”

“Ryan…” I called out after him, my voice low and urgent, as he turned to leave.

But he was already gone, vanishing down the hallway.

My legs went numb, and I lurched toward the door, only to run straight into Jared.

Jared stared at me, baffled by how shaken I looked. “What’s wrong? Is he dumping you or something?”

“Did he go downstairs?” I croaked, my voice barely holding together.

“Yeah, he did. If you want to talk to him, I’ll call him right now,” Jared said, immediately pulling out his phone.

“No…” I stopped him, slumping against the wall, completely drained. “Jared, I want to go back to Hachester with you.”

Jared’s face lit up, pure joy flickering in his eyes. “Seriously? You’re not just trying to cheer me up, are you?”

I shook my head, my voice steady. “No, I mean it. I want to go back to Hachester.”

Jared grinned. “Deal, Ms. Murphy. Next year, we’ll just stay in Hachester.”

Jared could see how down I was, and he kept pressing me about what went down between me and Ryan. He just couldn’t figure out how I’d been totally fine a minute ago, and now it was like my soul had been sucked out–leaving me completely silent.

My head was spinning, with anxiety, unease, sadness, and despair all fighting for space inside me. Things only got worse, and by that afternoon, I ended up in the hospital. Jared never left my side, sticking with me through it all.

In the hospital room, Jared stood by my bedside, unmoving, like a statue. He kept his eyes glued to the IV drip, his brow furrowed so tight it looked like he could crush a bug between them.

After a nap, I woke up, my gaze empty as I stared at the ceiling, feeling completely numb inside.

Jared finally lost his patience, his voice rising with frustration. “Come on, just be straight with me–did he say something really stupid?”