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Chapter 5
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Before I Leave Chapter 6
Stella's head snapped up, noticing Ethan was standing in the doorway. She had no idea when he arrived.Her heart dropped."Did you drug my orange juice?" Her voice trembled with anger. "What the hell are you trying to do?"Ethan gave a cold laugh and walked over, gripping her chin roughly. "I should be the one asking you that—why did you drug Rachel?"You decided to humiliate her in public just because she broke your mother's piece by accident?"She's just a kid! How could you be so vicious?"Stella stared at him in shock. "What are you talking about? I never drugged Rachel!"Ethan shoved her away. "Stop lying! The only thing she drank today was that glass of water you gave her. Who else could it have been?"It hit Stella then—what it meant to be completely unloved. Ethan never questioned everything Rachel said, yet he sentenced Stella on the spot."Unbelievable," she laughed bitterly.She struggled to grab her phone and call an ambulance, but Ethan stopped her."What are yo
Before I Leave Chapter 7
Ethan's expression finally changed."Stella? What the hell are you doing?!"Stella ignored him and stabbed her thigh repeatedly. Her white evening gown turned crimson in seconds.Ethan stood frozen.Stella would rather hurt herself than let him lay a hand on her? That thought hit him hard. An indescribable feeling rose in his chest."Stella!" he roared, grabbing her wrist.The scissors clattered to the floor. Pain shot through her body, but oddly, her dazed mind began to clear.Just then, applause erupted from downstairs. The guests were waiting for the birthday girl to speak.Stella wrenched free from Ethan's grip and walked out, clutching the banister as she made her way down the stairs.Gasps filled the room the moment she appeared in her blood-soaked dress.However, Stella looked calm. She held her chin high, the crimson blooming across her dress like wild roses clinging to a cliffside.She raised her glass and smiled at the crowd."Happy twenty-ninth to me," she said.
Before I Leave Chapter 8
Rachel froze.Ethan's expression darkened instantly. "Stella, what the hell are you saying? I'm her uncle!"Stella smirked.There it was. Only the guilty react this fast."Or someone else will do," she said lightly. "I'm not wearing it anyway."Ethan frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?""I've been very clear." Stella looked up, her voice steady and cold. "I'm not marrying you; I won't be showing up to the wedding tomorrow.""You're just playing hard to get—"He started to snap back, but when he met her frosty stare, his words caught in his throat.His eyes dropped to her thigh, bandaged tight from last night's self-inflicted wounds. The memory rushed back, of how she had stabbed herself just to avoid physical contact.Irritation crept inside Ethan's chest."The wedding is tomorrow. Stop acting out over a little jealousy."Ethan had thought Stella was just sulking because he had been distant lately.Once the tantrum passed, she would be thrilled to marry him again."A
Before I Leave Chapter 9
Stella sneered and forced herself to move, crawling despite her injured leg, with everything she had.She no longer trusted a word Ethan said; she had to save herself.When she finally made it downstairs, the flames had devoured most of the first floor.Ethan was clearing a path to the exit. When he saw Stella, his expression changed."I told you to wait for me!"Of course, this was not the time to argue. He turned to help Rachel out when she suddenly screamed."Watch out!"A burning beam snapped and came crashing down.The first one fell straight toward Stella."Stella!" Ethan's expression twisted, and he rushed toward her.However, in the next second—Crack!Another beam dropped right above Rachel.At the very last moment, Ethan shielded Rachel with his body.The flaming wood slammed into his back. He let out a muffled grunt.At the same time, the other beam struck Stella across her shoulder and back.Blinding pain exploded through her. As her vision blurred, she saw
Before I Leave Chapter 10
Meanwhile, at the wedding venue, guests had begun to take their seats.A union between two of Harbouria's most powerful families drew a huge crowd.Behind the scenes, however, chaos ruled.Ethan's father stood with a stormy expression."Ethan, have you reached Stella yet? The wedding starts in fifteen minutes! We Shaws will become the biggest joke in Harbouria if she doesn't show up!"Ethan's expression looked just as grim.He called Stella again, but all he heard was the cold mechanical voice that went, "Sorry, the number you have dialed is unavailable."Bang! Ethan slammed his phone onto the table."What the hell is she doing? Had she not been excited for this wedding? Had she not schemed for the wedding? Had it not been her childhood dream to become my bride?"Where the hell are you, Stella?!"On the other side of the room, Ethan's mother had just gotten off the phone with the hospital."Stella has already been discharged, but she's not even here. Could it be—she doesn't
Before I Leave Chapter 11
Ethan froze for a second, then let out a breath of relief.He knew it. Stella would never skip out on their wedding; she loved him too much. She was probably playing hard to get, again.The thought irritated him. He was just about to scold her for being childish when he looked up.He stopped cold."Rachel? You…"His eyes widened even more when he saw what she was wearing."Why are you dressed like that?"The bride who had just walked in with the wedding staff was Rachel.She wore the wedding gown she had designed herself. When she heard Ethan's question, she blushed and lowered her head, speaking in a soft, timid voice, "Uncle Ethan, I heard Stella still hasn't shown up. There are so many guests here. Without a bride, the entire Harbouria will laugh at the Shaws."So I put on the dress and came. If Stella's not coming, then let me be the bride. Let me marry you."As she finished, she suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with determination, as if she had summoned all the cou
Before I Leave Chapter 12
Rachel immediately turned pale."Why? Haven't you always liked Rachel?" Ethan's father was stunned.Ethan, without looking at Rachel, calmly replied, "Switching the bride to Rachel might solve today's problem for now, but what about after that?"The Shaws have so many business deals with the Walkers. Even though Stella has left matters to her managers, she still decides."She didn't show up today, but do you really think she'll be happy to see me marry Rachel instead? What if she was just throwing a tantrum and decided not to come, only to find out later we replaced her? What do you think she'll do?"What if she gets angry and pulls all our business deals?"On top of that, changing the bride at the last minute will make people question our reputation."Ethan laid out the consequences clearly and calmly, convincing his father."You make a good point. But what do we do about today's wedding—""It's not that hard to handle," Ethan interrupted. "Didn't the Walker Villa catch fire
Before I Leave Chapter 13
The professor's response stunned Ethan."Where did she go?"The professor honestly replied, "She went to join a classified aerospace research project. She left this morning."Ethan froze.Stella ran off on a business trip just to avoid the wedding?He was livid."When will she be back?" he asked.The professor, who also knew Ethan was Stella's fiance, looked even more puzzled at this point. "She didn't tell you? This is a top-level classified project. There is no exact return date—maybe ten years from now."Ethan's face turned pale instantly.…Meanwhile, at the Northwest Aerospace Base.A private helicopter landed. Stella stepped off, and a senior researcher came up to greet her."Nice to meet you. I'm Mia Ragen. I'll be responsible for guiding you from now on."She led Stella to her dorm, gave her a full tour of the cafeteria and work areas, and then asked, "I heard you're the daughter of the Walkers. Life here is simple. Will you be okay with that?"Stella smiled. "It'
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Before I Leave Chapter 25
Stella followed Ethan's mother to the hospital where she finally saw Ethan, lying in a hospital bed, barely hanging on.She was confused. Ethan had lived into his fifties in his previous life until a car accident took him then. At this moment, however, his body looked completely broken as if it had given out far too early."What happened?" she asked quietly.Ethan's mother choked on her words, wiping her tears, and replied, "After you left, he stopped caring about himself. He threw himself into work, never rested, and barely ate. We tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen."His body couldn't take it. He has end-stage cancer."Stella stood silently, watching the man she once loved fade into someone unrecognizable.When Ethan lost her, he had lost everything. His health had simply followed.On the bed, Ethan gave her a weak, tired smile."You came back," he whispered."I once told myself, after everything I did to you in the previous life… if I got another chance, I'd wait for
Before I Leave Chapter 24
Ethan froze where he stood.Stella, calm and steady, looked him in the eye and spoke clearly, "Ethan, imagine this: Someone breaks your heart for over twenty years, and you die in the end because of their selfishness."One day, you're given a second chance at life. Would you really waste even one more minute on that person?"Ethan's face went pale. He could not speak a word.Stella gave a quiet sigh and continued, voice soft but firm."Your expression tells everything. That's why I hope you can understand me."Ethan, please stop looking for me."Without another word, she turned and walked away.Ethan stood there, rooted to the spot, as if all life had drained from him.He had always thought that dream was unusually vivid. He finally knew why.Everything he saw in that dream—her pain, her heartbreak, her death—it was all real.Ethan crumpled to the ground as despair overtook him. His body shook as he buried his face in his hands.That dream was never a warning; it was a memo
Before I Leave Chapter 23
Stella finally understood what was happening.She frowned slightly and whispered, "Sir, I think I'd better head back to the lab. I still have some work to finish."Before she could walk away, Ethan reached out and grabbed her arm. "Why are you walking away the second you see me?"She calmly pulled her arm free. "I'm not avoiding you.""Yes, you are," Ethan said, his voice rising. "If you really don't care about me, why won't you even look at me?"Stella sighed, finally meeting his eyes directly—steady, quiet, and composed."I'm looking now, aren't I?" she said plainly. "I'm just done wasting time on you. That's all."Stella meant it.She had enough of all the waiting and disappointment.She wanted to spend the rest of her life on herself and her future, not chasing after a man who only realized her worth when she was gone.Ethan's expression shifted, hurt flashing in his eyes."I'm sorry, Stella," he said, his voice almost a whisper.The once-proud man stood before her, hea
Before I Leave Chapter 22
Stella's hand froze.Life at the aerospace base was supposed to be cut off from the outside world to prevent any risk of leaks. Alas, it was impossible to expect researchers to survive without any contact or entertainment.They were allowed to browse the news and even shop online, though under strict guidelines.Because of that, Stella saw the news. She had read everything Ethan said about her.Her coworkers all looked at her curiously."Stella, the timing of his fiancee's disappearance lines up with when you came here. The only difference is, she went abroad to study, and you joined this base.""Yeah, seriously! If we didn't know better, I'd think you were his fiancee."Laughter broke out around the table.Stella smiled forcibly and replied, "Lots of people out there share the same name."In this base, people worked closely but rarely got too personal. Aside from Mia who had initially mentored her and had access to her background, no one else knew who Stella really was.They
Before I Leave Chapter 21
Ethan's mother stood frozen, stunned by Ethan's declaration.He clenched his fist as he firmly said, "I will bring Stella back. I will find her as long as she's still alive—no matter where she is."As long as she was alive, he stood a chance to make things right.He believed Stella loved him too deeply and would not let go without a fight. She had not stopped loving him.She had only left because he had hurt her too much. He finally understood his feelings, and he could win her back if he tried hard enough.His mother stared at him in disbelief. "Ethan, do you hear yourself? She's gone to a top-secret national project. You can't just track her down!"Ethan remained unfazed. "There's always a way. Even if I can't find her, I'll wait. However long it takes.""What?!" His mother could hardly process it.As she saw the unwavering look in Ethan's eyes, she knew she could no longer sway him.Ethan was no longer the rebellious boy who used to defy them just for the sake of it; he had
Before I Leave Chapter 20
When Ethan first woke up, he felt relieved.Stella was still alive after all. She had not died tragically because of him like in that nightmare.However, the relief only lasted a second.Stella was alive, but she was so far away that he could not reach her. The thought crushed him, the pain in his chest making him feel conflicted.After all, in that dream, no matter how twisted it had been, he had spent over 20 years with her.Reality, however, reminded him how he would no longer have a chance with her.He gasped for air, like the pain was squeezing the life out of him.His mother panicked and rushed to his side, concerned. "What's wrong, Ethan? Are you feeling sick? Do you want me to call a doctor?"Ethan's eyes were red. He slowly looked up at her and raspily croaked, "Mom… I love Stella."It felt like a burden was lifted off of him when he said it. He finally faced his feelings for Stella.His mother froze for a second, then broke into tears."I knew it," she sobbed. "I'v
Before I Leave Chapter 19
Ethan's mother's eyes turned red as she heard Ethan's words."Oh, poor boy," she said, her voice shaking. "Why do you have to do this to yourself?"She choked up on her tears."You didn't cherish her back then. Only now do you think about her day and night when she's gone. "No matter how much you dream of her, she's not coming back."Ethan frowned.He knew that dream was not just because he missed Stella. It had been far too vivid, too real.In the dream, he and Stella had also been engaged since they were young.Instead of joining the space program, Stella married him as expected.In the dream, he had never seen through Rachel's lies, nor realized how he truly felt about Stella, so he treated her poorly.They were married for over 20 years, but he never once bought her a gift or took her on a date.Even their intimacy felt like a chore. It only happened once a month, and only because Stella had asked for it a million times.Worst of all, even after marriage, he could not
Before I Leave Chapter 18
Ethan looked at the two piles in front of him.The first pile was the gifts Stella had returned to him. These were things he had given her in the past. Most of them, he had not even remembered. He had casually told his assistant to buy them.His gaze darkened.Stella had already planned to return everything before she left.He then looked at the second pile.These were gifts Stella had once given to him.He finally remembered how Stella loved giving him gifts. She would give him something for his birthday, for holidays, for every little occasion.At the time, he found it annoying. He stopped opening them and would toss them into the basement…His mother brought them out and organized them.Ethan stood there in a daze and slowly opened them, one by one. All of them were covered in dust.There was a lucky charm she spent a lot of effort to get for him during his college entrance exams.There was a scarf she had knitted for his birthday last year. He remembered seeing her pract
Before I Leave Chapter 17
Rachel panicked and quickly tried to appear the sweet, innocent girl she always portrayed herself to be, but it was too late.Ethan walked over and grabbed her by the throat.The girls in the room screamed and ran out, leaving only Ethan and Rachel."Rachel," hissed Ethan through clenched teeth, "you played me for a fool all these years."He remembered the first time he met her.Her father had just passed away back then. She looked up at him with red eyes and asked where her dad had gone.He had felt sorry for her. He wanted to protect her. That was why he decided to take care of her.At first, it was out of guilt and responsibility.As she grew up, however, she became different from the girls he knew.Those girls always had luxury bags and lived proud, glamorous lives. Rachel, on the other hand, always acted like she did not deserve anything. She was careful, humble, and insecure.That made him want to protect her even more. He had mistaken it for love.He was angry, but he
