Chapter 286
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Over an hour later, Ellie stepped out of the taxi and stood on the sidewalk in front of her apartment, stunned as she gazed at
a tree.
The first snow of winter hadn’t arrived yet, and all the leaves had fallen, leaving only bare branches swaying in the cold wind.
Ellie gently patted the trunk of the tree. Some trees may look strong from the outside, but their insides are hollow. Onlookers waiting for spring may not realize that many of these trees have already given in to winter’s chill.
She wrapped her arms around the large tree and pressed her face against its cold, damp bark. Closing her eyes, tears streamed silently down her cheeks. Long ago, her brother had told her not to share her struggles with their parents.
They couldn’t help, and it would keep them awake at night. Yet, despite that, she felt she couldn’t ease her dad’s burden. As a child, she had been sent to the Warren family. She never got to grow old alongside her dad.
Many nights, she had sat under the apple tree in their yard with her dad, watching the moon. The moonlight stretched their shadows into different sizes.
In those moments, her shadow was the longer one, while Harold’s shorter shadow reminded her of his fleeting years.
Around three in the morning, with gentle rain falling, Ellie mourned her recently deceased dad, weeping against the hollow tree as if time stood still.
Across the street, Alex watched from a distance, sharing in her grief as if it lasted a lifetime.
Hours later, as dawn broke softly, Layton found Alex in the hotel suite, still drinking.
“Good heavens, call home right away. Nancy thinks you’ve lost your mind.” Layton snatched the wine glass from Alex’s hands.
Alex shook the empty cigarette pack, realizing he had run out of cigarettes.
Layton continued, “Ellie’s mother used her husband’s death benefit to cut ties with your family and keep Ellie away from you.”
Alex hunched over on the sofa, elbows on his knees, fingers digging into his hair as he bowed his head and held back all his emotions.
Leaning against the bar, Layton declared, “Everything is over now. Harold is buried, and Haley has faced her reckoning. If you want to make things right, the best thing to do is send some money to the Thompson family and then distance yourself from them.”
“I can’t do that!” Alex suddenly shouted, his red eyes shining with fear. “She might hate me, but she can never leave my sight.”
“I knew it.” Layton stared at Alex, momentarily speechless,
They fell silent for a while before Layton spoke again, “When you chased after Haley, you managed to win her over, but then you broke your promises. I knew back then that you’d regret it:
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Chapter 286
“Caught in a dilemma, you felt responsible for Haley’s inability to have children while secretly falling in love with Ellie, truth you were too afraid to admit.
“If you had realized it sooner, you might have had a chance. But do you really believe that’s possible now?
“Ellie has been through so much to save you. Think about everything you’ve done to her for Haley–could you really tolerate that kind of treatment yourself?”
Layton pointed to the tattoo on Alex’s finger. “When you got that tattoo, Ellie was right there watching. Even if you lost a finger to show your guilt, she would never forgive you.”
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Alex slowly straightened up, his gaze fixed on the tattoo on his left ring finger, horror tightening in his eyes. He remained in that position for what felt like ages.
After a long pause, he finally choked out, “To expect me to let her go would take nothing less than my death.”
Layton could only stay silent.
