Outside, Amanda collapsed onto the ground. Her body was trembling with fear. She was thankful George did not see what she had done to Kelly by the river.
Kelly had no idea how long she had been unconscious. When she opened her eyes, she saw George standing outside the door, smoking.
The night wind howled and it was making the ember at his fingertips flicker on and off.
She shifted her gaze away and quickly opened her palm. Upon seeing the amulet was still there, the tension that had gripped her heart finally loosened. Through her tear-blurred vision, she noticed George's silhouette slowly stepping into the room.
"How did you fall into the river?" he asked. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? You've been unconscious with a fever for two days!"
Kelly's eyelashes trembled slightly when she asked, "Why did you give my amulet to Amanda?"
George’s face stiffened and it took him a long moment to reply, "It's just an amulet. So what if I gave it to her?"
Kelly let out a bitter laugh. "Of course. She's the one you care about most. For you to give her an amulet seems perfectly natural."
George’s eyes lingered on Kelly for a long while. His eyes looked suspiciously at her. "So … is the reason you fell into the river on purpose to get my attention because of that?"
Disgust flashed in his eyes. "Kelly, you're unbelievable. Have I not told you before? We are just like siblings. Everything I’ve done for you was out of brotherly care. "You need to stop having inappropriate thoughts about me!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, George felt a pang of regret. He had never spoken so harshly to Kelly and had no idea how she would react.
Yet, Kelly merely replied with a single word, "Fine."
George, who had prepared a long speech, was caught off guard by her quick agreement. He froze. Although he could sense something was wrong, he did not know what it was.
Before long, Kelly's voice broke the silence, "George, I'm leaving."
George's presence had taken root in her heart over the past eight years,. He had intertwining himself into her very being. This time, she was determined to cut him out herself. Though it would hurt, she would not regret it.
A sudden wave of panic seized George’s heart. "This is your home. Where could you possibly go?"
Huh? This is my home?