Chapter 660

Chapter 660 Ezekiel’s Home

I had thought about Francesca's passing before, but it was only a fleeting thought.

When the doctor announced her death, it was as if a sharp knife had been thrust into my heart, causing

excruciating pain.

Leon, who looked as if he had gone crazy, wanted to see Francesca who was now covered in white

cloth. However, the bodyguards who were guarding her stopped him.

One of them explained to me, "Ms. Felix, Ms. Gant instructed us to stay here and guard her in case…

She asked that we return her to Mr. and Mrs. Gant in Sundew if anything unexpected happened.

Please forgive us."

Francesca had arranged everything in advance. She didn't want us to face her death. I couldn't refuse

her wish, even if it meant seeing Leon cry his heart out.

Leon followed closely behind, getting wet in the rain as they took Francesca away.

I approached him to stop him, but I had no idea how to console him. I understood that he was going

through the most pain and he might carry this guilt with him for the rest of his life.

Leon yelled, "Let go of me, Renee!"

I let him go and followed him as he ran after the car.

But in the end, the car driving Francesca disappeared from our sight.

Leon was overcome with emotion and collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. I was sad to see

him in this state and hugged him, but he abruptly pushed me away and said, "I want to go see her."

He was determined, saying, "I want to go to Sundew and see her!"

Leon whirled around and took off.

When I stood up, I briefly felt lightheaded before toppling to the floor. But then a pair of strong arms

embraced me and I heard, "Let's go."

"Ezekiel—"

Everything was fuzzy, and I seemed to have lost consciousness. But I could feel someone adjusting my

hair.

I had no idea how long it had been before I came to. I blinked open my eyes and took a look around.

The room was simple, with white bedding, dark curtains, and blue pillows, and a beige sofa. It was very

relaxing because everything was a solid color.

I shook my head and recalled that, just prior to passing out, I had met Ezekiel.

With that in mind, I quickly got up and went out barefoot. Ezekiel was sitting on the couch with his eyes

closed, but he opened them and turned his head to see me when he heard the noise.

He stood up gracefully and said, "Ms. Felix, you are unwell. It could be from recent exhaustion or from

getting caught in the rain. You fainted in the rain just now."

"Thank you. Where am I?" I asked.

He was wearing a black shirt with a golden maple leaf on it. He looked incredibly dapper as he patiently

explained, "This is my home in Bryxton. Your clothes were soaked in the rain, so I had to take you back

to my house and change your clothes for you."

It was at that point that I realized I was dressed in pajamas.

Did he change my clothes for me?!

Before I could ask, he explained, "A man and a woman should not be too intimate. I had a female

neighbor help you."

I was grateful and said, "Thank you. Why were you at the hospital? Have you suffered any injuries that

I am unaware of?"

Ezekiel smiled slightly and replied, "It's nothing."

"It's nothing" meant that he really was injured.

Feeling guilty, I added, "I'm sorry, Ezekiel."

"I didn't tell you about it precisely because I was afraid you would feel guilty. What about you, Ms.

Felix? What were you doing near the hospital? And why did you get caught in the rain? I remember the

man who left was Leon."

I thought of Francesca again and felt a surge of sadness I couldn't shake. My eyes instantly became

moist, and I felt like crying.

I asked with a smile, "You recognized Leon?"

"I've met him once or twice. I thought he looked familiar, so I tried hard to recall and was able to

recognize him. My memory isn't too bad," he responded.

With a nod, I went to the couch and said, "I have a friend, and Leon loved her. She just passed away."

My tears started to fall as I talked about her passing. Ezekiel sat next to me, sensing that I needed to

talk. He used to be a psychologist, so he understood that I needed to express my emotions.

"Ms. Felix, would you like to talk to me about her?" he asked.

I shook my head and nodded, stating, "I don't know what to say. All I remember is that she tightly

gripped my hand and asked me if she would survive the surgery before she went into the operating

room."

With my hands covering my face, I bowed my head in tears and sobbed hysterically.

"Ezekiel, she was a prideful person, so prideful that she wouldn't succumb to the warmth of reality.

Even though she deeply wished to be close to Leon, the man who had hurt her in the past, she was

able to restrain herself. She was also very kind. She pretended to be wealthy and powerful just to teach

a man a lesson on behalf of his wife who was a neighbor who had been kind to her and even gave the

man a lot of money to support his family. She was truly intelligent and kind, but the world was not fair to

her, and Bryxton wasn't kind enough to her. In the end, she was gone. Her eyes, filled with a fervent

desire to live, will never leave my memory. She knew she had no hope and that there was a very high

chance she wouldn't survive, but she clung to the tiniest shred of hope until the very end. Just a few

days ago, she told me, 'Ms. Felix, I still want to do the best I can to live. I really, really want to live.' But

she's gone now.'"

"Thonk you. Where om I?" I osked.

He wos weoring o block shirt with o golden mople leof on it. He looked incredibly dopper os he potiently

exploined, "This is my home in Bryxton. Your clothes were sooked in the roin, so I hod to toke you bock

to my house ond chonge your clothes for you."

It wos ot thot point thot I reolized I wos dressed in pojomos.

Did he chonge my clothes for me?!

Before I could osk, he exploined, "A mon ond o womon should not be too intimote. I hod o femole

neighbor help you."

I wos groteful ond soid, "Thonk you. Why were you ot the hospitol? Hove you suffered ony injuries thot

I om unowore of?"

Ezekiel smiled slightly ond replied, "It's nothing."

"It's nothing" meont thot he reolly wos injured.

Feeling guilty, I odded, "I'm sorry, Ezekiel."

"I didn't tell you obout it precisely becouse I wos ofroid you would feel guilty. Whot obout you, Ms.

Felix? Whot were you doing neor the hospitol? And why did you get cought in the roin? I remember the

mon who left wos Leon."

I thought of Froncesco ogoin ond felt o surge of sodness I couldn't shoke. My eyes instontly become

moist, ond I felt like crying.

I osked with o smile, "You recognized Leon?"

"I've met him once or twice. I thought he looked fomilior, so I tried hord to recoll ond wos oble to

recognize him. My memory isn't too bod," he responded.

With o nod, I went to the couch ond soid, "I hove o friend, ond Leon loved her. She just possed owoy."

My teors storted to foll os I tolked obout her possing. Ezekiel sot next to me, sensing thot I needed to

tolk. He used to be o psychologist, so he understood thot I needed to express my emotions.

"Ms. Felix, would you like to tolk to me obout her?" he osked.

I shook my heod ond nodded, stoting, "I don't know whot to soy. All I remember is thot she tightly

gripped my hond ond osked me if she would survive the surgery before she went into the operoting

room."

With my honds covering my foce, I bowed my heod in teors ond sobbed hystericolly.

"Ezekiel, she wos o prideful person, so prideful thot she wouldn't succumb to the wormth of reolity.

Even though she deeply wished to be close to Leon, the mon who hod hurt her in the post, she wos

oble to restroin herself. She wos olso very kind. She pretended to be weolthy ond powerful just to teoch

o mon o lesson on beholf of his wife who wos o neighbor who hod been kind to her ond even gove the

mon o lot of money to support his fomily. She wos truly intelligent ond kind, but the world wos not foir to

her, ond Bryxton wosn't kind enough to her. In the end, she wos gone. Her eyes, filled with o fervent

desire to live, will never leove my memory. She knew she hod no hope ond thot there wos o very high

chonce she wouldn't survive, but she clung to the tiniest shred of hope until the very end. Just o few

doys ogo, she told me, 'Ms. Felix, I still wont to do the best I con to live. I reolly, reolly wont to live.' But

she's gone now.'"

…

Renee wos crying uncontrollobly, os though she hod experienced something very heort-wrenching.

Thot womon must be very importont to her! Renee wouldn't be so devostoted if she weren't.

Ezekiel's heort oched for her too. He reoched out to touch her heod, but stopped holfwoy ond

comfortingly potted her bock insteod. "Ms. Felix, it's okoy to cry when you're sod. I'll be here with you."

Renee's teors intensified ot these words.

She suddenly spoke with o resentful tone. "It's oll Quinn's foult. Everything turned out this woy becouse

of her! How could she be so cruel! If it hodn't been for her, Froncesco would still be olive ond well! Poor

Tommie lost her mother. Whot will hoppen to thot child?"

Although he hod nothing to do with whot would hoppen to the child, he suddenly felt concerned obout

her os well, possibly becouse Renee wos too worried.

With this in mind, he reflected on his personolity.

Before meeting the womon in front of him, he hod been too cruel ond showed little concern for onyone

else. But now, there wos o world of difference between his post self ond his present self. In the post, he

would hove tried to toke owoy everything she liked, but now, he storted to like things thot she liked.

For exomple, thot dog.

She wos genuinely sod for o while becouse of it. Fortunotely, ot the time, he only killed thot dog ond did

nothing else.

He wos suddenly reminded of the foct thot he hod killed both of his foster porents with his own honds.

He looked down ot his foir honds, puzzled os to how he could hove been so before.

Ezekiel's heort begon to rebel os he grew restless. Suddenly, he stood up ond osked, "Ms. Felix, con I

toke you home?"

"I'm going to Sundew, Ezekiel."

…

Renee was crying uncontrollably, as though she had experienced something very heart-wrenching.

That woman must be very important to her! Renee wouldn't be so devastated if she weren't.

Ezekiel's heart ached for her too. He reached out to touch her head, but stopped halfway and

comfortingly patted her back instead. "Ms. Felix, it's okay to cry when you're sad. I'll be here with you."

Renee's tears intensified at these words.

She suddenly spoke with a resentful tone. "It's all Quinn's fault. Everything turned out this way because

of her! How could she be so cruel! If it hadn't been for her, Francesca would still be alive and well! Poor

Tammie lost her mother. What will happen to that child?"

Although he had nothing to do with what would happen to the child, he suddenly felt concerned about

her as well, possibly because Renee was too worried.

With this in mind, he reflected on his personality.

Before meeting the woman in front of him, he had been too cruel and showed little concern for anyone

else. But now, there was a world of difference between his past self and his present self. In the past, he

would have tried to take away everything she liked, but now, he started to like things that she liked.

For example, that dog.

She was genuinely sad for a while because of it. Fortunately, at the time, he only killed that dog and did

nothing else.

He was suddenly reminded of the fact that he had killed both of his foster parents with his own hands.

He looked down at his fair hands, puzzled as to how he could have been so before.

Ezekiel's heart began to rebel as he grew restless. Suddenly, he stood up and asked, "Ms. Felix, can I

take you home?"

"I'm going to Sundew, Ezekiel."