Virelle tried to conceal the panic on her face as she hurried forward, her steps unsteady.
“Grandpa, it’s not like that.”
“Then what are those things on the internet?”
Her grandfather looked at her intently, as if trying to see through the disguise she had been hiding behind all these days.
“They’re all fake, grandpa.”
Virelle spoke each word quickly, only to be cut off.
“Is it because of me, Virelle?”
Her grandfather’s voice faltered, hoarse and strained.
“Because of me, you had to do those things, didn’t you?”
“Because I’m a burden, because I dragged you down..."
"And your life was ruined, wasn’t it?”
His aged face twisted in pain, tears streaming down as Virelle hurriedly reached out to wipe them away, her own eyes reddening.
“Wait, grandpa. Trust me, it’s all really fake.”
“Someone set me up, they used AI to fabricate everything.”
She clasped his hand tightly.
“I’ll deal with it soon, don’t worry.”
Virelle tried to reassure him, and her grandfather fell silent, as if he truly believed her.
“As for Grayson, I and he...”
“Miss Ashen.”
A knock sounded on the hospital room door, the doctor’s calm voice coming from outside.
“Your grandfather’s medication needs to be collected immediately. Please come with me for a moment.”
Virelle’s gaze froze as she looked at her grandfather, a sudden unease rising within her.
“I...”
“Go on, Virelle. I’ll wait here for you.”
Her grandfather smiled gently as he held her hand tightly, warmth passing into her. He even reached out to stroke her hair, just like when she was little.
“Then wait for a moment, I’ll be back and continue.”
“But don’t believe what’s on the internet, it’s all fake.”
Worried, Virelle kept reminding him. Her grandfather nodded, smiling gently and kindly.
Virelle let go of his hand and stepped outside.
...
When she returned, her heart thudded violently.
The moment the door opened, she saw her grandfather sitting on the balcony, his frail figure clinging to the ledge, so thin it seemed a single gust of wind could sweep him away.
“Grandpa...”
The bag of medicine slipped from Virelle’s hand, hitting the ground with a dull sound, but she paid it no mind. Her breath caught as she rushed forward in panic, the sound of her heartbeat pounding loudly in her mind.
Her grandfather smiled warmly as always, yet tears silently streamed down his aged face.
“Live happily, Virelle.”
“With me no longer as your burden, you must live for yourself, truly happily.”
“I love you.”
“No!”
The sense of dread surged stronger, her whole body turning cold as she forced herself to run faster, the cry of panic tearing from her throat.
But it was too late.
The distance of only a few steps had become a distance she would never be able to cross.
At the very moment Virelle reached out her hand, her grandfather leaned back, his frail body falling straight down, disappearing from her sight.
After that, there was no sound at all.
But her heart felt as though it had been hollowed out.
Her vision blurred as Virelle stood frozen in place, as if rooted to the ground, unable to react. Her hand remained outstretched, grasping at nothing but empty air.
Her throat tightened, not a single sound able to escape.
Her world had collapsed.
The pain seeped in with that fall, little by little, penetrating her skin and bones, leaving Virelle’s mind utterly blank.
She did not know what to do next, only standing there, motionless, like an empty shell.
...
On the day of her grandfather’s funeral, the rain poured relentlessly. Thunder roared across the sky, yet the ceremony itself unfolded in silence, with only Virelle in attendance.
Standing before the gravestone, she could not cry, as though her tears had already run dry.
Her heart felt hollow, as if it no longer beat, her gaze dim and lifeless.
She remembered the gentle way her grandfather used to hold her in his arms.
That soft smile was always there to reassure her, no matter what happened.
The egg he would always give her when she was little was the most delicious thing in the world.
And so many other things...
In the end, there was nothing left.
“Grandpa...”
She clenched her fists. Thinking of the terrible and horrifying things her grandfather had endured before his death, a surge of hatred rose within her.
A man so kind, yet in the final years of his life, he had not only been tormented by illness but also forced to endure devastating emotional shocks.
“Grayson and Selene, I will not let them go.”
"I will make them pay everything, lose everything."
She ground out each word through clenched teeth, the hatred etched deep into her very bones.
If not for those two despicable people, her grandfather would not have left in such bitterness.
And she would not be left alone in this world.
...
After the funeral, Virelle boarded a plane and left, without leaving behind a single trace.
As she watched the city shrink beneath her gaze, she let out a quiet sigh, countless fragments of memories flashing through her mind.
At the same time, at the airport.
“Boss, I’ve finished investigating what happened back then.”
The urgent voice came through the phone, making Dominic stop in his tracks, his hand tightening around the handle of his suitcase.
“The one who saved you in Solvang, it really was Ms. Ashen.”
“The time she stayed in Solvang matches exactly with when you had your accident.”
Dominic’s grip tightened until his knuckles turned white, his lips trembling slightly.
It was her.
The one who pulled him out of the freezing water, the one who saved him from despair... was her.
The one he had been searching for all these years.
It truly was her.
His heart began to race uncontrollably as Dominic breathed unevenly, speaking in haste.
“Where is she now?”
There was a hint of hesitation from the other end.
“Boss, she’s already left.”
A second of silence passed.
Dominic’s gaze turned cold as his grip on the phone tightened further.
“Prepare the car.”
“No matter where she is, I will find her.”
