Chapter 23
Holly brought her copy of “To Be Human” and sat quietly beside Connor, reading each word aloud with care, “There’s a line in this book that really like ‘Happiness and misfortune both
I
have an end.‘
“Even though we’ve only known each other for a few short months, it feels like a lifetime. Maybe it’s because I remembered every little moment we shared.
“You gave me so many things I never had before. I truly feel content. But I won’t be able to stay by your side much longer. When that time comes
you have to forget about me. Find someone better and live a happy life with her.”
Holly sighed softly with a smile as she closed the book. Just as she reached for a glass of water, a faint voice registered in her ear.
“No… I only want you…”
Connor hadn’t fully regained consciousness. He was frowning deeply as he tried to shake his head, but he lacked the strength. His eyes, misty with tears, looked at her with a heartbreaking vulnerability.
“Don’t leave me… I can’t take it…”
Holly immediately leaned forward and hugged him, but she dared not apply any pressure. She was afraid she’d aggravate his wounds.
The composure she had been holding for so long collapsed in an instant. Her lips quivered as she sobbed, “You finally decided to wake up! Do you know how scared I was?”
She quickly pressed the nurse call button. A team of doctors and nurses rushed in and gently pried their hands apart. They wasted no time rolling in machines for various examinations.
What no one expected was that the injuries once thought to be beyond repair had miraculously begun to heal during his coma. Connor’s vital signs were stable, and with a few more days of observation, he might even be discharged.
Holly was confused. The heart transplant surgery hadn’t yet taken place. How had Connor recovered so miraculously?
Looking into Connor’s bright puppy–like eyes, Holly’s heart was filled with a bittersweet emotion. But in the end, she was happy. He still had a bright future ahead of him.
Freshly awakened, Connor was especially clingy. He refused to let her leave his side. Even when his arm was still hooked to an IV, he held her hand tightly the whole time.
“As long as you’re safe, everything else is worth.” He kissed the center of her palm. “You silly guy! Don’t ever do that again. Princess is still waiting for you at home,” Holly
teased with a playful glare.
“I’m not being silly at all. No matter how many times something like this happens, I’d still stand in front of you,” Connor declared proudly
As he spoke, sleepiness began to overtake him. The medication had a sedative effect. One moment he was smiling, and in the next, he was fast asleep.
Just like always, Holly lovingly tucked him in and placed her book beside his pillow. She then went to boil him some water for when he woke up.
After finishing these small tasks, she quietly closed the door and went straight to the attending physician’s office.
The doctor was jotting notes in a chart. When he saw her enter, he sighed, knowing he couldn’t hide it anymore.
He explained with difficulty, “Actually, Mr. Price insisted on donating his heart to Mr. Larsen. He specifically asked us not to tell you.”
Holly froze in place, unable to react. Her brows drew tight. “What… do
you mean?”
The doctor went on, “We arranged their examinations and the transplant immediately after you signed the paperwork. It was done within the hour.”
H
“I’ll handle Connor’s condition myself! I don’t need anyone else’s help! Where is he now?” Holly shouted, her voice cracking.
“You came too late. He’s already gone. But before he died, Mr. Price left you a message. He said all his debts to you have now been repaid. He hoped you would live a happy life from now on.”
The hospital’s emergency alarm suddenly rang. The doctor said no more and rushed off in a hurry.
Holly stumbled out into the corridor. She found a bench to sit on in a daze. Things had taken an unexpected turn, and she couldn’t quite process it.
Earlier that day, Jasper had traveled across the world to find her. He’d looked at her with such strange intensity. Then, he left in tears….
It all made sense now.
That had been his final goodbye.
She wouldn’t grieve for Jasper because the pain and betrayal he had caused were real. The tears of pain and grief she shed for him back then had been genuine.
Still, something in her heart ached. After all the twists and turns, after more than a decade of entanglement, neither of them would have imagined that it would end like this.
But Holly believed that in his final moments, Jasper must have returned to the purest version
of himself from their youth..
Hence, Holly decided that she would forgive him …
