Clara was pretending to be asleep. Was it to avoid the awkwardness? Or maybe she just did not want to see more of him.Wilson took a deep breath in, almost as if inhaling her scent. His chest felt heavy, and his body became a little stiff. He felt lost although Clara was right next to him. He had no idea what to do with her. Was he still in love with her?Wilson could not imagine their future. Were they doomed to divorce and separate no matter what? Or would he be forced to make another choice eventually? What should he do? Especially when he could not help but fall in love with her. He could barely resist her attraction!Wilson slowly turned to his side in the darkness, his eyes fixed on Clara's face. He could faintly see the contours of her face in the dim light, but it was more than enough to make his eyes glisten with tears.He had been dreaming about having her by his side, even if it was just a vague outline of her!-Coco packed everything she needed for the visit to her p
It was a quiet car ride to the grave. Coco kept her head low the entire time, making it hard to know what she was thinking.Lucas parked the car at the parking lot in front of the entrance. Coco suddenly spoke when they came to a complete stop. "I-I just think it's unlikely for you to fall in love with someone else. Even if you do, it won't be me. So, I…" Coco said, unable to finish her sentence. Maybe it was a sign of her inferiority complex.Coco and Lucas belonged to two different worlds, after all. They had many differences—their family background, financial status, and everything else.Lucas studied her for a moment, his smile fading. He unfastened the seatbelt and leaned over slightly, trailing his thumb across her jaw. "Do you have so little confidence in yourself?""I...""Then you'd better listen to what I'm saying now." Lucas' lips parted as he declared, "Remember this. It's been many years since I've decided to try to fall in love, and you're the one I've chosen. If I
Lucas was just so fine, standing there like a statue chiseled from marble. Coco was sure her parents would be amazed to see Lucas if they were still alive.They would find it unbelievable that she had found such a wonderful boyfriend! If only they were still alive. How wonderful it would be! Tears welled as the wave of sadness washed over her."Feel like crying?" Lucas had probably sensed her sadness.Coco sniffled. "You know, I caused my parents' death," she said abruptly. "That's why Aunt Clementine and her family called me a jinx. They think I'm the cause of their misfortune." Coco had always buried the thoughts in the heart and never told anyone. This time, she suddenly felt the urge to pour out her feelings. "You're not a jinx. Don't put the blame on yourself," Lucas comforted."But I'm the one who caused the tragedy. I insisted on going to Grelin Valley although my dad wasn't feeling well that day and had to take cold medicine before driving Mom and me there. The cold m
Lucas turned to Coco. "You don't always have to thank me," he said. "Do you have anything planned for later?"Coco shook her head. "Nope. I have nothing planned for today.""Then accompany me to a place," he said."Where?" she asked."You'll see," he said, checking the time. "If we leave now, we can have lunch there."The two got back into the car, and Lucas drove off in a northward direction. After half an hour of driving, Coco's face contorted with discomfort. She recognized this road and remembered it correctly. It was the road to Grelin Valley. This was where the tragic accident had happened. The road to the north of the city had appeared hundreds of times in her dream! "Lucas… Where are you taking me?" Coco murmured, her face so pale."Grelin Valley."When she heard the answer, her face turned ashen. "No! I don't want to go!" Grelin Valley was a nightmare for her. It was where she had committed the unforgivable sin. She had insisted on going there as a kid and cried c
"Don't... Don't... Don't die, don't die..." Coco cried out like she was broken inside. The next moment, a pair of arms pulled her in a warm embrace."I'm sorry. I didn't realize you'd react so strongly. Sorry!" A familiar voice rang in her ears.Who was holding her? Was it mother?"Don't be afraid, Coco. You'll be fine. I'm right here, and it's gonna be okay. So don't be afraid…" The familiar voice continued to ring in her ears.Warmth flooded through her, and she glanced up to see a handsome face. He was usually cold and stern, but this time, he had a mixture of worry and anxiety across his face.It was Lucas.Coco stared at him blankly and wondered to herself. Who was he so worried and anxious about?"Coco? Coco?!"Lucas anxiously called out her name. He had brought her to Grelin Valley, hoping it would help her grieve her parents' death, but he never realized the true extent of her trauma. Halfway through the drive, Coco began to show trauma responses and reacted adversely.
Lucas grabbed some tissues and gently wiped away the tears from Coco’s face. "I had no idea you would react like this. It seems that I was too presumptuous to bring you here. Let me take you back now," he said, starting to make a U-turn. "Don't." Coco placed her hand on Lucas’s hand, which was on the gear shift. Taking a deep breath, she looked straight ahead and decided. "I... I want to go to Grelin Valley." She wanted to finish her vacation that had ended abruptly years ago.She had never dared to come here for so many years. She still hadn’t moved on from the ghost of her past. She knew Lucas wanted her to let go of this burden, and she knew that it was time for her to move on.Her parents in heaven might be happier to see her being happy too. Lucas looked at Coco’s red and swollen eyes. "Are you sure you want to go there?""Yes. I want to see Grelin Valley, and I want to see it for my parents," Coco said.His eyes flickered slightly, and he agreed after a moment of contemplati
Soon, the family of three walked off in another direction. It was such a heartwarming scene.Coco stared at them blankly, remembering how her father had used to carry her on his shoulders when she was little. She always felt so tall when he did that!Suddenly, a small fish swam past Coco's feet. Instinctively, she bent down to catch it but lost her balance and fell forward.Just as she was about to plunge face-first into the water, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her up.Lucas sounded exasperated, "What are you doing?"Startled, Coco turned to see Lucas’s slightly pale face. "I-I just wanted... to catch a fish.""Catch a fish?" He looked down at the little fish swimming in the creek and then noticed others around them also bending down to catch the fish. Then, he realized what was going on. "Did you think that I was trying to drown myself?" Coco asked. "Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that. My parents fought hard to keep me alive. I should live happily so that their effor
Lucas booked a luxurious suite that had a picturesque view of Grelin Valley. The room had several sections, including two bathrooms."The bathrobes are in the bathroom. A staff member will come to collect your wet clothes and shoes for cleaning and drying. We should be able to return to the city by tonight," Lucas said."Okay," Coco replied. "I'm sorry for dragging you here and causing you to get all wet.""It's not your fault. You don't need to apologize to me," Lucas said. "Go take a shower quickly or you'll catch a cold."Coco then walked into one of the bathrooms.Lucas felt complicated. He didn’t know what had happened to him. His mind had gone blank when Coco almost fell into the creek just now, and he had instinctively rushed into the water to catch her.He knew that the creek was shallow and that she wouldn't be seriously injured even if she did fall. Yet, his body reacted differently on its own. He wondered if he was starting to care about Coco. He had indeed had a good imp