His Obsession Began After Losing Her-Chapter 61: I Will Protect You in This Life

"What are you saying?" Shuri's voice cracked. "You can't die! I won't let you die again—"

"Rin, I didn't die back then..." Noran cut her off, his anguished eyes locking onto her tearful ones. "You were the one who died and left me..."

His words struck her like a blow.

"I... I left you..."

The realization crashed over her like a tidal wave.

Shuri had never considered her own death, always consumed by anxiety over his safety.

She didn't realize the enormous pain her death had caused him.

He held her gently but firmly, his hands trembling as he leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder.

His voice was raw and broken as he muttered, "... And now you want to leave me again. W-Why, Rin?"

At that moment, Shuri didn't know how to respond.

She realized that her repeated nightmares had blinded her to his perspective.

She was constantly terrified of losing him, not realizing he had already endured a life where she was gone.

Then it suddenly dawned upon her.

Her beloved Ran must have lived a miserable life after her death; it must have been like hell.

"I'm sorry... Ran..." Shuri sobbed, her arms wrapping around his neck. "You must have endured so much."

Indeed, he had endured more than she could ever imagine.

But he couldn't bear to tell her that.

He didn't want her to know how he had lived after she died, turning into someone he barely recognized.

She would hate him if she knew he had become a cold-hearted murderer back then, wouldn't she?

Noran replied softly, "It's not your fault. I was the one who couldn't protect you."

"That's not true..." Shuri murmured, her voice trembling as she shook her head.

Her eyes glistened with tears, reflecting a deep, unspoken pain and fear.

Her lips quivered, caught between the urge to cry and the struggle to remain composed.

"If that's not true, what else could be the reason you left me?" Noran asked gently, cupping her cheeks, his touch warm and tender.

His thumbs brushed away her tears as he gazed into her eyes, which were filled with pain and confusion. "I know you died protecting me, Rin."

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in surprise at his words.

Before she could respond, Noran whispered tenderly, "Let me protect you in this life, alright?"

Shuri's resolve melted under his earnest gaze.

For some reason, she found herself unable to refuse him as he leaned in slowly, his lips finding hers in a soft, tender kiss.

It was a kiss filled with longing, regret, and unspoken promises.

Shuri's heart pounded in her chest as she closed her eyes, melting into the kiss.

The warmth of his embrace and the sincerity of his words gave her the assurance she needed, making the world around them fade away.

...

At New Valley Central Hospital.

In the VIP ward, Roy lay bored on the hospital bed, grumbling, "I've been here doing nothing for three days. How much longer do I need to stay idling like that?"

Leo, his older brother, looked at him with a displeased expression. "Do you prefer to stay in prison then?"

Roy sighed deeply. "Do they still suspect me? Even after all the efforts to clear my name using the media? Didn't you expose Anne's affair with those photos and messages? Besides, the Powell family has made many public enemies. I'm not the only one in a legal battle with them."

"But you're the only one who was found at the crime scene lying next to her corpse. Besides, you have a clear motive since you're facing a divorce settlement with Anne."

Roy was speechless for a moment before clicking his tongue in frustration. "I'm sure the Carter Group is behind this. That bitch must have been upset that I didn't give in to her demands and planned to use me to pull Paragon down."

Leo nodded in agreement. "We suspect that too. Only the Carters could set up such an elaborate trap."

"They were clever enough to plant moles on Clifford's end," Roy replied bitterly. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Carters approached Anne before and made a deal with her to mess up my life with the divorce settlement before killing her off when she became useless."

The more Roy thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

Earlier that day, Ethan informed him they found evidence that his bodyguard, Benson, was a mole sent by the Carter Group.

Benson had taken photos of Roy and Maylin and informed the Carters about his whereabouts.

Clifford felt very guilty about the incident since he was the one who recommended Benson to Roy.

Paragon was now in a mess as the acting CEO wanted to review all employees and eliminate those who seemed suspicious.

Roy wanted so badly to get back at the Carters, but he couldn't do anything in his current state.

His frustration grew because he could do nothing but lie in the hospital.

Noran had provided some instructions, but he ultimately left all the responsibilities to Clifford.

It seemed Noran had made no plans to return to New Valley to manage the crisis, much to Roy's exasperation.

"He hasn't even replied to me. What a heartless bastard," Roy cursed under his breath as he looked at the messages he had sent to Noran.

Then he realized Karlene hadn't replied to him either.

A few days ago, she'd told him she'd found someone suspicious and was tracking him down—but there hadn't been any updates since.

He had texted and called her repeatedly, but she ignored him.

Was this how she should be treating her client?

Just when he was about to call her again, a response came in.

It was from Karlene. "We finally found him. I'm on my way to look for him now."

Roy quickly replied, "Where are you going? Are you going by yourself? Shouldn't you let the police handle this?"

Karlene's response was immediate and curt. "The police are useless. I'll be going with my assistant. Don't worry. Just stay where you are and continue acting like a victim."

Roy frowned, thinking it wasn't right for Karlene and her assistant to go looking for a suspicious person alone. But he knew he wouldn't be able to convince her to do otherwise.

He sighed and asked his assistant to track Karlene's location. Then he turned to Leo, who was busy browsing through his emails on a tablet.

"Leo, can you get me out of here?" Roy asked, his tone determined.

Leo shot him a look as if he were asking something ridiculous. "If you're so eager to get into prison, you should have let us know so we wouldn't have to spend so much time and money helping you clear your name."

"It's not like that. My lawyer found someone who could help me turn the case, and I want to help her. Everyone is busy with my case. I can't just keep lying here doing nothing."

Leo raised an eyebrow at him. "Your attorney must have really hit you so hard that you suddenly develop a sense of responsibility after that blow."

"Say whatever you like," Roy said, his voice firm. "Help me get out of here, or I'll find a way myself."

Leo sighed in defeat, knowing his brother well.

If he rejected Roy's demand, Roy would likely find other means to get out of the hospital and jeopardize their plan.

"Alright, but make sure no one finds out about this. You know the consequences."

Roy shrugged, a confident grin on his face. "You can always send your men to look out for me, so there shouldn't be a problem."

Leo shook his head, exasperated. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Roy smirked. "I have always been like this, you know that."

Leo ignored his brother and made a few quick calls, arranging for discreet transportation and security.

Within an hour, Roy was dressed in casual clothes, looking like a visitor rather than a patient.

Leo's men created a diversion, allowing Roy to slip out of the hospital unnoticed.

As they drove away from the hospital, Roy's phone buzzed with a notification.

It was Karlene's location.

"Drive me there," he ordered his men, his voice tense.

They drove to a fairly remote place away from the city.

It was already close to midnight when they arrived at their destination, Roy stayed in the car and ordered his men to search for Karlene using the GPS tracker on her phone.

After half an hour of searching, one of his men rushed back, a worried look on his face.

"Mr. Roy, we found Ms. Lee's phone in the back alley," the man reported, breathless.

"Shit!" Roy cursed, fear tightening his chest. "Keep searching. She has to be around here somewhere."

He got out of the car, ready to join the search, but one of his men stepped forward, blocking his path. "Mr. Roy, Mr. Leo ordered you to stay inside."

Roy's eyes flashed with determination.

"I don't take orders from anyone. Get out of my way," he growled, pushing past the man.

The back alley was dark and narrow, littered with debris and shadows that seemed to move with every step.

Roy's heart pounded in his chest as he called out, "Karlene! Karlene, where are you?"

His men fanned out, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.

Roy's mind raced with worst-case scenarios, his fear for Karlene growing with each passing second.

The shadows seemed to close in around him, heightening his sense of urgency.

Suddenly, a loud, blood-curdling scream echoed through the alley, sending chills down his spine.

It was a sound of pure terror, cutting through the silence like a knife.

Roy's breath caught in his throat as he froze, trying to pinpoint the direction it came from.

Then, before he could take another step, a gunshot rang out, piercing the night air.