Erin died, leaving no trace behind, like a gust of wind that came and went, taking nothing with it, disappearing without a trace.
Stella didnât ask where his ashes were scattered, or in which country and sea, she just stared at the grave without even a memorial image, motionless for a long time.
It wasnât until the rainwater in the Imperial Capital poured down, sheltered by Andrewâs umbrella, that she slowly snapped back to reality and said, âLetâs goâ to Andrewâ¦
She returned to Arcadia and resumed her busy life, treating patients, occasionally working in pediatrics, looking after children, and taking care of Henryâ¦
She seemed the same as usual, except that she needed medication to fall asleep at night and never dreamed of Erinâ¦
Every time she dreamt, she was shooting a gun, and each shot would startle her awake, leaving her staring blankly at her own. handsâ¦
After it happened multiple times, she increased her medication to suppress these nightmares.
Slowly, she stopped dreaming. However, during a critical patient consultation, she saw Erin, elegantly dressed in a white coat, stepping out of an ambulanceâ¦
He looked just like he did when he was alive, meticulously combing his long hair back to reveal a smooth forehead. Under his picturesque brow, there were deep blue eyes that hid his emotionsâ¦
Looking into those blue eyes, Stellaâs heart suddenly stopped beating. She took hesitant steps towards the owner of those eyesâ¦
âErinâ¦â
Erin heard the voice and lowered his gaze to Stella, who was much shorter than him.â
âIâm here.â
When he said those words, his lips curled up into a gentle smile.
Seeing that smile, Stellaâs eyes uncontrollably turned red.
She rushed over and hugged Erin with all her strength, using every ounce of her bodyâs energy to hold onto him.
The doctor being embraced felt a slight stiffness, then awkwardly patted Stellaâs back.
âIâm Alex.â
Those words brought Stella back to reality. She quickly let go of the doctor she had embraced, unable to believe it. She stared at Alexâs face and, once she recognized who he was, Stella lowered her head, said âSorry,â and hurriedly ran into the restroom.
She turned on the faucet and desperately splashed water on her face, repeatedly warning herself, âStella, you donât love Erin anymore. The way you feel now is just guilt after learning the truth. Youâre hallucinating because you miss Erinâ¦â
She deceived herself like this, but suddenly felt a pair of warm hands wrap around her waist from behind and pull her into an embrace.
Startled, she turned her head and saw Erin with a both domineering and mischievous expressionâ¦
He held her tightly and slid his slender fingers up her waist until his index finger touched her chin. He applied a slight force, then curled it upâ¦
Stella, forced to look up, stared at Erin as he lowered his head. She fixated on his dark red eyes, gazing at his eyelashes, his eyes, and his skin, but she didnât dare reach out to touch him, unsure if the person in front of her was real or a figment of her imaginationâ¦
She allowed Erin to hold her without resistance, not moving or avoiding him like she used to, just looking up at him.
Seeing her behave so obediently, Erinâs mood seemed to improve. He gently touched her face, then grabbed her hand and placed it on his lower backâ¦
He leaned in close to her car, his voice hoarse as he said, âStella, effort to escape. And yet, you are going to marry another man. Is that fair to me?â
His voice sounded so wronged, as if he had been betrayed and had nowhere to vent, so he had to come to her and tell her this.
But at that moment, Stella hated that Erin had kidnapped her. Not only did she not show any concern for him, she even used her fingers to open his wound, allowing the blood to flow freely and him to suffer in painâ¦
Thinking about what she had done, Stellaâs heart couldnât bear the pain. She instinctively softened her actions and touched his wrist, asking, âDoes it still hurt?â
Erinâs crimson eyes gradually showed surprise, followed by a sense of grievance. Then, like a child, he lowered his head again and buried his chin in her neck. âRub it, and it wonât hurt anymoreâ¦â
Stella replied, âOkay,â but immediately turned around to help him rub it. However, in that split second when she reached out, she saw Erin, who had been holding her, suddenly sitting on the groundâ¦
He was covered in blood, sitting against the floor-to-ceiling window, with his upper body straight and lower body stiff. He held a gun in his hand, aimed at his own chest. The sunlight shone on him, making his skin appear white and translucent, devoid of any signs of lifeâ¦