Chapter 262
Chapter 262
Alex wearily closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat’s headrest.
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It wasn’t just that the girl was lying. Ellie was lying to him too. She had told him she was chasing the girl because she had stolen her wallet. But the truth was, she was also searching for the necklace.
Late at night, on the second floor of Encounter Bar, in a private room, Whitney stared across the table at Alex. “I remember I mentioned this to you before.”
Alex’s elbows resting on his knees as he leaned slightly forward.
He clenched his fist and pressed it against his forehead, murmuring in a low voice, “I didn’t hear clearly.”
At that moment, he knew Ellie had gone abroad because of him. He had been completely out of it.
The worst part was, he had been wearing a Bluetooth headset, and Layton had been rambling on endlessly on the phone.
If it weren’t for Lacey telling Layton about Ellie, mentioning how Whitney had talked to Ellie about it when they were chatting, he wouldn’t have known. He didn’t realize that Whitney was also in the loop.
“Actually, I don’t know much,” Whitney had said. “I only know that because of that time when she saved someone, Ellie’s father lost a leg, and his lungs got infected. He’s been relying on medication just to stay alive ever since.
Alex couldn’t remember how he made it out of the bar. His mind was consumed by those few words Whitney had said. He felt like a walking corpse, his soul seemingly ripped away, leaving only a hollow shell.
The moment Alex got into Layton’s car, the cold wind rushed in through the partially lowered window, but it couldn’t chase away the suffocating weight that pressed down on him. He just sat there, numbly staring ahead.
Noticing Alex’s grim expression, Layton awkwardly spoke up. “Alex, right now, Ellie is probably feeling the same way you d She wants the truth, and you both are just so close to it. But you’re both scared.”
Alex didn’t reply. He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply.
“Even without the necklace,” Layton continued, “the truth is already out there. It’s just that neither of you want to face it. Ellie won’t admit it, and you won’t accept it.”
Layton’s voice softened. “You should talk to Ellie. I’m not worried about you, Alex. I’m worried about whether Ellie will be able to handle it when the time comes. After all…”
Layton paused. “After all, her father lost his leg for you, and her family is ruined. She fell in love with you without knowing what she was getting into. It wasn’t just a few days or a couple of years; it was seven whole years.
“Alex, not many women get seven years in their lifetime. But what has Ellie gotten from you? Only hurt and humiliation.
“If she ever finds out that in order to save you, she will never be able to have children, I don’t know if she’ll be able to handle it. It might drive her crazy.”
Alex could no longer hear what Layton was saying. His mind was a blur.
By the time he returned to The Warren Manor in the dead of night, his body was exhausted.
08:55 de, 11 Feb
Chapter 262
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Standing in front of Ellie’s door, he lingered for what felt like an eternity, but he couldn’t bring himself to knock. He even tried to move quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence.
He leaned weakly against the wall outside her door, slowly sliding down to sit on the floor, his head hanging low.
Closing his eyes, his mind raced back to that day when Ellie had just returned to Jaslands from Jinerity.
It had been over three years since they last met. He had gone to find her, and he had said, “Ellie, if you help me find her, I’ll grant you one wish.”
Ellie had refused, over and over. She had avoided him, pushed him away, and he had confronted Aaron, pressuring her to submit, waiting for her to soften.
That one night, she stood in the pouring rain outside the hotel, right next to his car, holding an umbrella. She cried and apologized to him, saying, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I won’t do it again…”
She had cried so helplessly, so painfully. She must have still liked him back then.
Alex pressed his hand to his chest, gasping for breath, as if the very air had been knocked out of him.
A feeling of suffocation washed over him, and he felt like he was falling, plummeting into an endless abyss.
