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Chapter 17
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A Love That Fades Chapter 18
"Is there really no chance for us?"Ian still didn't want to give up.Selena didn't answer, but her silence was already an answer in itself.It wasn't that she couldn't reject him. She just didn't know how to say goodbye without hurting him. This silence was the last bit of kindness she could offer him."I understand." Ian lowered his head and finally let go.Selena helped him up and took out a cassette tape from the pocket of her lab coat.Ian recognized it instantly. It was the first gift Selena had ever given him, a tape with his favorite songs recorded on it.Back then, when he had ended things with Selena to be with Vanessa, he had returned both the tape and the recorder to Selena, wanting to sever all ties with her completely.It was the decision he regretted the most.Later, when he couldn't find the tape in the recorder, he assumed Selena had burned it along with everything else. But now he realized she had kept it with her all this time."I should have burned it," Se
A Love That Fades Chapter 1
"Mr. Langley, I've decided to turn over my patent to the government and join the National Medical Research Institute."The principal, Edward Langley, stood up excitedly."That's wonderful, Miss Carter! Your patent will save hundreds, if not thousands, of patients. "But this is a top-secret national research institute. You'll need to go incognito for at least three years. The journey starts in ten days. Are you sure you don't need to discuss this with your boyfriend or family?""That won't be necessary."Selena Carter gave a bitter smile.That place was no longer somewhere she could call home.Last year, her family had been sponsoring an underprivileged student, Vanessa Johnson. After Vanessa's parents died in a car accident, Selena's father took her in.Unlike Selena, who always kept to herself and focused on her work, Vanessa was good at winning people over. In less than a year, she had become the heart and soul of the Carter family.Not only did Selena's father treat Vaness
A Love That Fades Chapter 2
At some point, Selena lost consciousness. In her dazed state, she had a dream.She dreamed of the time in middle school when an article she had written was published in a medical journal.Excited, she brought the journal home, but no one in her family could understand it. They glanced at it briefly before tossing it aside.Only her mother read it for a long time. In the end, she stroked Selena's head, eyes filled with love, and praised her.Curious, Selena asked, "Mom, can you understand medical journals?"Her mother shook her head and said in a gentle voice, "I don't understand what you wrote, but I recognize the spot where your name is printed."Even after many years, she still remembered that afternoon.Now, her articles were published in one journal after another. But the person who used to stroke her head and praise her was no longer there."Mom–"When Selena woke up, there were still tears at the corners of her eyes.The first thing she saw was a young man looking at he
A Love That Fades Chapter 3
Selena's hollow gaze met Ian's.His gaze wavered for a moment.But then he thought of Vanessa, who was also in the hospital. Clenching his jaw, he turned and left without hesitation.Henry watched in shock.He had secretly liked Selena for a long time. But after hearing that she had a childhood sweetheart and that their relationship had always been strong, he had forced himself to suppress his feelings.Once, he had been so jealous of this man he had never even met.Yet, he never would have thought that in Selena's moment of greatest need, this man would leave her to care for another woman.Selena's wound was still bleeding, but she seemed completely numb to the pain. Her eyes looked lifeless.Henry's heart ached so much that his lips trembled. He couldn't imagine how deeply Ian must have hurt Selena to turn his once bright and cheerful senior into this hollow shell."Selena, I'll go get some gauze and dress your wound."After her wound was treated, Selena asked Henry to help
A Love That Fades Chapter 4
Selena's gaze was filled with mockery.Now that she was thoroughly disappointed, she no longer had any expectations for Ian. She calmly uttered two words."Got it."Ryan, however, looked at her in disbelief. "Ian took such good care of you all these years, and that's all you have to say? Selena, ever since Mom passed away, you've been acting so strange."Vanessa nearly lost her life because of you, and you haven't even shown any concern for her. I get it now. You blame Vanessa for stealing our family's love from you, and deep down, you're hoping she dies, aren't you?"She's already suffered so much, yet you're still jealous of her? When did you become so evil?"Hearing this, Selena suddenly found it laughable.If Vanessa had truly intended to take her own life by overdosing, then why was the dosage so precisely controlled? Why was it just enough for her to be found by the Carter family in time?For years, Vanessa had been using such despicable tactics to slowly steal the affect
A Love That Fades Chapter 5
Selena's phone buzzed.It was a post from Vanessa, letting everyone know she was fine. "Thank you all for your concern. I'm okay now. And thank you, Ian, for always being by my side when I need you. I'll use the rest of my life to repay you."The attached photo showed Vanessa lying in a hospital bed, her fingers intertwined with Ian's as he sat beside her. They looked like the perfect couple.Selena barely glanced at it before locking her phone and tossing it aside.She and Ian were over.Whatever Vanessa's intentions were—whether to flaunt her victory or provoke her—Selena didn't care. She would feel neither joy nor sorrow.That night, she made herself a warm dinner and went to bed.For the first time in years, with the house empty, she finally slept soundly.The next morning, she brewed herself a cup of hand-ground coffee, sat in a wicker chair in the yard, and listened to the morning radio as she stretched.For the first time, free from the weight of family burdens, she t
A Love That Fades Chapter 6
Selena wasn't planning to tell him the truth just yet."I'm a little tired. I'm taking time off from school for a few days to travel nearby. I won't go far."She turned her phone around and showed him the travel guide she had been reading.Seeing that she wasn't lying, Ian finally relaxed a little and let go of her arm. "That's more like it. I knew you wouldn't be so petty. It's just a patent. You can always come up with another one."Just then, his phone rang. It was Ryan from the hospital."Ian, where did you go? Vanessa woke up and freaked out when she didn't see you. Her condition got worse, and now she's throwing herself against the walls. She's bleeding a lot. Get back here now!"Ian rushed to leave, but before stepping out, he turned back to remind Selena, "Go ahead and travel if you want, just don't go too far from home."Selena smiled without saying a word.'Don't worry. I won't go too far. Just far enough that you'll never find me.'As he passed by the pile of burned
A Love That Fades Chapter 7
Before, Selena had once given him a light peck on the cheek in front of their friends without asking first, and Ian had been so angry that he had ignored her for days.So, it turned out Ian was never the reserved type. He was only as cold as ice when it came to her.Selena felt sick.She got up and walked toward the exit. As she stepped outside, Ian caught sight of her. Startled, he shoved Vanessa away. Only then did the others notice Selena's presence.Just as she reached the door, Vanessa caught up and grabbed her by the shoulders."Selena, it's not what you think–""Let go." Selena frowned. She was unwilling to listen to any explanation.However, Vanessa refused to let go. Instead, her grip tightened."Tell me, if I fell down right here, do you think your family would believe it was you who pushed me?"The moment those words left her mouth, Vanessa let out a piercing scream and dramatically threw herself backward, shattering the restaurant's glass wall.When the Carter f
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A Love That Fades Chapter 18
"Is there really no chance for us?"Ian still didn't want to give up.Selena didn't answer, but her silence was already an answer in itself.It wasn't that she couldn't reject him. She just didn't know how to say goodbye without hurting him. This silence was the last bit of kindness she could offer him."I understand." Ian lowered his head and finally let go.Selena helped him up and took out a cassette tape from the pocket of her lab coat.Ian recognized it instantly. It was the first gift Selena had ever given him, a tape with his favorite songs recorded on it.Back then, when he had ended things with Selena to be with Vanessa, he had returned both the tape and the recorder to Selena, wanting to sever all ties with her completely.It was the decision he regretted the most.Later, when he couldn't find the tape in the recorder, he assumed Selena had burned it along with everything else. But now he realized she had kept it with her all this time."I should have burned it," Se
A Love That Fades Chapter 17
The air was so cold it felt like frost was about to form.It wasn't until the metallic taste of blood spread across his tongue that Ian realized he had bitten through his lip.For this reunion, he had spent twelve months scouring nearly every corner of the city, completely neglecting his studies. It was only because Edward couldn't bear to see the once top student wasting away in despair that he finally told Ian where Selena was.The moment Ian got the information, he booked the next flight to get to her.He had rushed over without pause, barely stopping for a sip of water. His only thought was to see the person who had haunted his dreams.But when he finally found Selena, he was forced to face a cruel truth.She was no longer the girl in his memories, the one who had once tolerated everything and treated him with endless kindness.No matter how hard he searched, there was nothing left in her cold, dark eyes. There wasn't a single trace of warmth.They were like the mountains a
A Love That Fades Chapter 16
The stars stretched like a chain across the sky, while Henry quietly curled up on a stone bench bathed in moonlight. He rested his forearm on Selena's knee, but his gaze remained fixed on her face, unable to look away.The moonlight gathered like a thin frost on her skin, making her shine even in the dark.It wasn't until the cooling ointment touched his burn that he sucked in a sharp breath and snapped back to reality."This burn is pretty serious. If you don't take care of it properly, it'll leave a scar. You're a medical student. How can you be so careless?""It's fine. I'm a grown man. It's just a tiny scar on my arm. Who's going to care–""I care." Selena sighed, leaving Henry momentarily stunned.After applying the ointment, she looked at him seriously. "Henry, you should go back to school tomorrow. I understand how you feel, but I don't have time for romance right now, and I don't want you wasting your youth here for me."Henry opened his mouth, about to protest, but be
A Love That Fades Chapter 15
Beside a maple tree on the west lawn of the National Medical Research Institute, Selena found a warm spot to sit down.The lingering scent of disinfectant from the lab still clung to her nose. She unfastened her collar, taking in the fresh air outside as she scattered crumbled whole wheat bread for the pigeons.It had been three months since she arrived at the National Medical Research Institute.Once she entered the lab, she often stayed there for an entire day. The access card in her pocket had practically left an imprint on her lab coat.Such an intense workload would be unbearable for most people, but for Selena, who had endured so many hardships, it was nothing.In the lab's new drug research team, her fellow members were either renowned experts in the medical field or esteemed figures of the profession. Though she was only an assistant for now, in just three short months, she had learned more than she had in the past twenty-odd years combined.Even now, on the pillow besi
A Love That Fades Chapter 14
The dull thud of fists landing on flesh could be heard clearly in the living room.Vanessa's wails grew weaker, and her body convulsed like a fish struggling out of water. Her face was smeared with tears and snot. "I-I'm sorry, Zachary. I'm nothing but an orphan. I wanted a family so badly. That's why I lied," she choked out.Suddenly, she clutched at Zachary's clothing, getting on her knees and bowing, slamming her forehead against the floor so hard that bruises began to form. "Please, spare me. I won't lie again, I swear. Please, I'm begging you!"Zachary stared at her with bloodshot eyes. His response was another brutal swing of his fist.By the time he finally stopped, Vanessa lay limp on the floor. She was barely breathing."Dad." Ryan's voice was cold as ice. "That day of the car accident, whose blood was actually transfused into me?"Zachary's body trembled violently. His hands curled into fists before he suddenly slapped himself, over and over."It was your sister, Sel
A Love That Fades Chapter 13
Seeing that Zachary was about to toss the recorder into the trash, Ian immediately stepped forward."Wait. I want to hear what's on that tape."What the Carter family said had actually given him a reminder.Selena had deliberately placed the recorder inside a gift box and left it somewhere obvious. There had to be a reason."What's there to listen to? It's probably just some curses against us. So unlucky. We should just throw it away," Vanessa said hastily. She seemed uncharacteristically flustered.She abruptly got up and reached for the tape, her panic completely unlike the calm and composed demeanor she usually maintained."Stop." Ian wasn't about to let her have her way. He immediately stepped forward to block her.As the two of them struggled over the recorder, Ian managed to press the play button first.A burst of static crackled, followed by an arrogant voice."Selena, get on your knees and beg me. I can make Dad forgive you."On the tape, Vanessa's tone wasn't timid i
A Love That Fades Chapter 12
The twilight was blood-red as Ian stepped through the Carter family's house. His shadow stretched across the marble floor.Smack!A medical report, reeking of disinfectant, was flung hard against Vanessa's face. The sharp edge of the paper left a red welt on her pale cheek.Vanessa, who was curled up on the leather sofa, shuddered violently like a frightened fawn caught in the hunter's gaze."Your serotonin levels are normal. Dopamine receptor activity is stable. Every indicator is perfectly fine." Ian's voice was cold. "Vanessa, you were never depressed. Why did you lie to us?"The air felt dense.Ryan, standing off to the side, crumpled the report into a ball and tossed it into the trash. "Who do you think you are, checking Vanessa's private medical records? Mental illness isn't something you can diagnose with a simple blood test–""Then what about this?" Ian threw down a fraudulent diagnosis report, his gaze growing sterner. "There's no psychiatrist named Dr. Zayn. "There w
A Love That Fades Chapter 11
Those who truly wished to leave never made a scene. They simply pull on a coat one ordinary morning, push open the door, and never return, just like a fallen leaf carried away by the wind.No goodbyes. Not even a single farewell. That, too, would be a waste.Ian covered his face and broke into sobs.He should have seen this coming. He had the feeling all along.It had started when he saw Selena burning every last photo of them. That day, she had sat in the courtyard as usual, but her gaze was empty and devoid of light.If only he had talked to her then, maybe things wouldn't have come to this.No, perhaps it was already too late even then. From the moment he stood with the Carter family and forced Selena to give up her patent, she had already been thoroughly disappointed.This wasn't a sudden decision. It was the final breath of someone whose hopes had been crushed, again and again, until there was nothing left."No, I have to find her."Ian staggered to his feet. The fracture
A Love That Fades Chapter 10
"Don't go, Ian!" Vanessa's sudden scream cut through the banquet hall.Desperate to stop Ian, she staggered and crashed into the carved table corner. Blood gushed from the wound on her forehead. Shards of porcelain dug into her palms, yet she stubbornly reached toward Ian..The crowd instinctively stepped back. The only sound that could be heard was that of blood dripping onto the floor.When Ian turned around, his gaze locked onto Vanessa's bloodshot eyes.Those ever cheerful-looking eyes were now brimming with tears. Her eyelashes were clumped together with sticky blood, and her pale lips kept whispering broken pleas."Ian, don't leave me. You're all I have. I'll do anything if you just come back."Seeing Vanessa in this state, Ryan couldn't help but shed tears. "Her medicine is still in my bag. The doctor said if she gets agitated again–""Sorry." Ian hesitated for a moment. But in the end, he turned away and left the banquet hall.A suffocating sense of dread gnawed at him,
