"You're injured. Don't stay on the floor—it's cold. Get up now!" Holly cautiously pulled Bryce up from the ground.He was speechless at her response. Any other woman would have happily accepted the ring and put it on.Perhaps, the woman he loved was different from the others.Going on one knee, Bryce refused to get up. He tenderly stared at Holly. "I'll get up after you agree to remarry me.""Get up now, and I'll agree to it."Defeated, he stood up, held her hand, and tried to put the ring on her finger when he was overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness. He lost his balance and collapsed forward onto her.Holly quickly held him and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"Bryce's lips parted. He wanted to reassure her that he was fine, but he couldn't utter a word. Soon after, his fingers that grasped the ring went numb. The large diamond ring dropped to the ground, spinning and clattering until it came to a stop.Panicking, Holly patted his cheek. "What's going on?"However, Bryce didn't
Sitting by Bryce's bed, Holly softly held his slender fingers as if such a move would keep him safe.She must have been exhausted or emotionally spent, as she soon fell asleep by the bed. She then suffered a nightmare, in which Bryce stood in front of her, covered in blood from head to toe. Forcing a smile, he said to her, "Holly, I can't stay by your side anymore. You need to take care of yourself and be strong."After that, he turned into wisps of smoke and vanished right in front of her eyes. She frantically reached out to hold him, but she was clawing at the air.She waved her hands madly to take hold of him and run after him. Her voice was hoarse from all the yelling. "Bryce! Bryce Gabelman!"Her shouting was futile. Jolting awake, she gasped for air. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, and her eyes were wet from crying.She noticed that she was lying in the caregiver's bed. Someone—perhaps Bryce—had carried her to the bed.Bryce managed to get out of bed and lay by her
After a vigorous round of lovemaking, Holly Sinclair was covered in sweat. Bryce Gabelman didn't hop into the shower like he usually did. Instead, he hugged her from behind so tightly that it seemed as if he wanted to press her into his body. Holly felt like she was going to melt in his arms. She was surprised, nervous, excited, and also a little disconsolate, all at the same time. They had been married for three years, but this was the first time he had ever hugged her like this. She felt deeply loved. Her heart thumped in her chest, and she turned around slowly. Then she tightly hugged him back with a sweet smile on her face. She was on top of the world. They remained that way for a long time. Bryce let go of her, then got dressed and sat up. He took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer and shook one out in a practiced motion. Then, he lit it and took a deep drag. Smoke shrouded him, and his handsome face was obscured by it. She couldn't see his expression clearly
Holly's emotions were all jumbled up, and she didn't know how to answer him.She turned around slowly and looked at Bryce. He didn't smile often, but he had a gorgeous smile when he did. It was as gentle as a spring breeze, and his eyes were as dark as ink but bright as if there were a sea of stars in them. He must be elated because he was about to be with the love of his life. Holly smiled, too, but hers was the smile of the heartbroken. "I hope you're happy, too," she said. Then, she turned and got into the car. The moment the car door closed, tears trickled out of her eyes. She felt as if old wounds had been ripped open before she could even recover from the newest blow, and it made her want to curl up in pain. The driver put her suitcase into the trunk, got in, and started the engine. Bryce watched the car speed off, and his smile stiffened as the light in his eyes grew dim.… Holly reached the Sinclair residence and entered, dragging her suitcase behind her. Pr
Holly went out. Then, she got in the car and put on her safety belt. After a few days apart, Bryce seemed to have lost weight. His face seemed even more chiseled, and he was so handsome that it was hard to look away. Holly realized that she still loved him very much. It was impossible for her to forget him. "Here. This is a present to congratulate you on starting work." Bryce handed over a beautiful, dark blue velvet jewelry box.Holly took it and opened it. It was an antique protective amulet carved from ivory. Amulets like this were known for driving away evil. The amulet was shaped like an old man dressed in a long robe. Its features were simplistic and rough-hewn. The ivory was warm and elegant and seemed to glow. It was exquisite. Holly held the jewelry box and cocked her head to one side at him. She smiled briefly. "Why are you giving me such an expensive present?" Bryce smiled lightly and looked into her eyes. "You restore ancient paintings. It's inevitable th
Samantha's pale, tiny face looked scarily similar to Holly's. She couldn't pinpoint what was similar about them, but there was an immediate resemblance. It would take a second glance to tell them apart. When she looked closely, she saw that Samantha was the frail, feminine version of herself. She had curved eyebrows, and her forehead was wrinkled slightly. She had a button nose and a tiny mouth, and her features seemed fragile. In contrast, Holly was calm and composed, and there was resilience in her. At that moment, Holly realized that she had always been a replacement in Bryce's heart. She laughed at herself. No wonder he had promised to marry her once he saw her. This was the reason. "Bryce, y-you've come, too." Samantha's mother, Quirina Habel, greeted them with a forced smile. Her gaze sharpened as it swept over Holly. Bryce inclined his head in greeting. Quirina walked over to the bed and patted Samantha's shoulder gently. "Samantha, Bryce has come to see
Bryce was used to seeing Holly's calm, unruffled side, and it was the first time he had seen her so flustered. She looked like a spooked kitten. This was new to him. His lips curved, and he teased her, "You burrowed in here yourself. I couldn't even push you away."Holly's ears reddened. "That's impossible." His smile deepened. "I'll record it with my phone next time so that you'll have no excuses."Holly was deeply embarrassed. She hurriedly turned around and began putting on her shirt. In her haste, she didn't even realize that she had buttoned it wrongly. Bryce watched her slender figure bustle around as she put on her clothes. The image of how she had looked while she was asleep rose up in his mind. He didn't know what she had been dreaming about, but she had curled up into a tiny ball, trembling. He had pulled her into his arms and patted her, but she had murmured with her eyes closed, "Abel…"He couldn't remember how many times she had done it. How much di
The tall and skinny one fell onto the ground with a hard thump. His body seemed to contort like a ragged sack. His legs kicked out, and then his eyes closed as dark blood seeped out from under his head. The dogs in the yard barked incessantly. The bald one was about to escape the commotion when the police surged up and pressed him onto the ground. They snatched the painting from him and handcuffed him.Holly's hands were still pressed to the window frame as she stared at Bryce, who had fired the gun. She had been married to him for three years, but she had no idea that he knew how to use a gun or that he was such a good marksman. In that critical moment, a tiny deviation in speed or timing would have been a deadly blow to her.Bryce threw down his gun and strode over to her. He carried her off the windowsill and carefully took care of the wound on her neck. He hugged her tightly, and his fingers softly caressed her face, which was pale with fright. He asked gently, "You mus