“I hate you,”Santino said,his voice cold.“And I’ll make you pay for it.”
A sudden message from the bodyguard pulled Aurelia back to reality,and she lowered her head.
[Today,Mr.Gardner went hiking with Miss Lawrence and is now on the way home.]
The moment she saw Santino’s name,a heavy ache spread through her chest.
She had stood by him for ten years,ten years that carried him from a poor,struggling young man to a medical student at a top university.Ten years that had drained every bit of her love and strength.
She sent a message to the bodyguard,telling him not to follow Santino anymore or report where he went.As soon as she put the phone down,a few drops of fresh blood fell onto the glowing screen,spreading into a startling red stain.
Aurelia quickly covered her nose,but the blood kept dripping through her fingers,no matter how she tried to stop it.She didn’t care,wiping it roughly with a tissue before tossing it into the trash.The bin was already filled with crumpled tissues stained with blood.
Santino walked in just then,and the metallic scent in the air immediately hit him.His brow tightened,and though his eyes were usually cold and unreadable,something flickered in them that she couldn’t make out.
Aurelia forced a smile,a trace of surprise in her expression as she asked,“Why are you here?”
Santino turned his face away,refusing to look at her,and his voice was cold.“I came to see if you’re dead yet.”
Her voice turned hoarse as her trembling fingers curled tightly,but she still tried to smile.“Then you’ll be disappointed.”
Hearing this,Santino paused slightly,and the coldness in his eyes grew deeper.“Good that you’re not dead.Only the living can you slowly make up for it.”
She was about to answer when the sudden ring of the phone cut her off.Santino picked it up,and a sweet,cheerful voice came through the receiver.
“Santino,I picked out a new dress.When we visit your mom this weekend,I’ll wear it…”
At those words,Santino’s face softened right away,and his voice turned warm,carrying a gentleness she hadn’t heard in a long time.
“Okay,I’ll come pick you up now,and afterward we’ll go have a late-night snack together.”
He turned to leave,but Aurelia called out to him,and the moment her voice slipped out,she regretted it.Facing his cold,distant gaze,her own voice shook.“If one day I really die,what would you do?”