Stephan didn’t explain further, but the meaning was crystal clear. It was in that fleeting glance from the high-rise, when he’d caught sight of her. It was in the helicopter, watching her grit her teeth to extract a bullet from herself without a sound, despite the pain. It was when she, bloodied and battered, crawled step by step to grasp the hem of his trousers and plead in a near-broken voice, “Mr. Russell, save me.” It was in her defiant smile, framed by a slap mark on her face, as she stood homeless and abandoned, refusing to shed a single tear. It was in her gaze, her presence, her entire being.
Sometimes, love began much earlier than one realized. It was silent and unnoticed, dismissed as irrelevant or even mocked. By the time one was aware of it, it was already a roaring storm, sweeping away everything in its path.
Stephan didn’t spell it out, but Felicia felt she understood. Covering her eyes, she lay on the bed, allowing those strange yet sweet emotions to churn within her. Then, she asked, “Can I rummage through your stuff?” “Do you even need to ask?” Stephan sounded like he wanted to knock some sense into her.
Felicia chuckled. She wanted to say more, but the unstable signal filled the line with static. Right before the connection broke, Stephan’s voice came through clearly: “The signal might cut off. Wait for me to come back.”
As expected, the call ended abruptly. Staring at her phone, Felicia felt a pang of regret for wasting the call on casual chatter, once again forgetting to remind him to stay safe. She would have to wait for next time. She buried her face in the blanket. The room was spotless—almost unnervingly so—and the bed and pillows carried none of Stephan’s scent. That clean, refreshing fragrance she was so fond of was absent.
Unable to sleep after the call, Felicia got up, grabbed some paper and a pen, and quickly jotted down a list of medicinal ingredients. The herbs required to detoxify Imogen’s eyes were rare. Since she would be staying for a few days, she decided to have the Russell family mobilize their resources to procure them. Satisfied with her plan, she handed the list to Stanley, who eagerly set off to complete the task.
By the next afternoon, Imogen had regained her energy and took Felicia on a short tour of the Russell estate. Of course, they didn’t go far; the place was simply too vast. During their idle chatter, Imogen subtly probed into Felicia’s relationship with Stephan, asking how far they had progressed and when they planned to marry. It was evident Imogen saw herself not only as a sister but also as a concerned elder.
Felicia’s responses were vague. She either avoided the question or changed the subject. Perhaps the topic stirred some memories for Imogen. Her unfocused eyes glimmered with sadness and longing as she gently caressed her belly, saying, “If only Archie were still here…”
Felicia remained silent, choosing not to comment. Imogen, seemingly lost in her own world, continued with a faint smile, “My fiancé, Archie Rosario, is the father of my baby. He died at sea, and his body was never recovered. To this day, I don’t even know what he looked like. We loved each other deeply. We were supposed to marry last year, but a month before the wedding, he died.” Her smile faltered as tears streamed down her face. Wiping them away, she sighed, “I miss him so much, yet I never dream of him—not even once…”
Felicia remained silent. Empty words of comfort felt pointless. This kind of grief could only be processed by the person experiencing it. Given her limited familiarity with Imogen, Felicia didn’t think it was her place to offer any opinions. Sometimes, saying too much only made things worse. That was a timeless truth. Fortunately, Imogen didn’t seem to need consolation, only a silent listener.
Felicia handed her a tissue. As she did so, she casually glanced upward and noticed Johanna standing by a second-floor window, watching them. From that distance and angle, she would have been able to overhear their conversation. Just now, one of Imogen’s remarks seemed to have struck a nerve; Johanna’s face was tense, her expression unusually grim. Felicia noticed it.