A piece of paper fluttered out from the file...

Puzzled, Ashley Grant picked it up. She smoothed the paper out in her hand, and when she saw the words on it, her heart clenched painfully.

The paper was covered in densely packed writing—it was the name "Annabelle Linton," written over and over again in various sizes...

On the back of the paper was a sketch.

It depicted a woman looking down with a serene, gentle smile.

The woman in the drawing was none other than Annabelle Linton...

Underneath, a short passage was written.

[I thought the deepest love was this: after you left, I started living as you did.

No matter how the storm rages outside, it cannot wet you inside the room. I am the storm, but you are still you.

I never meant to bother you, but Annabelle Linton, I’m sick. Could you come and see me...?

Fine, I admit it. I came to the hospital just hoping to see you. Can you come? Just once. Just for a moment. That would be enough.

Because I miss you so much.]

Ashley Grant’s eyes instantly reddened, welling with tears.

’So, my brother’s normal behavior these past few days was all just an act.’

’She knew her brother had feelings for her sister-in-law, but she never realized they ran this deep.’

’She understood her brother’s personality better than anyone. He was proud, arrogant, and thought the world of himself. Whatever he wanted, he would stop at nothing to get it.’

’Then why isn’t he fighting for his sister-in-law if he likes her so much? Why isn’t he trying to win her back?’

’Is it because he doesn’t love her enough, or does he just want her to be happy?’

’Instinctively, she felt it was the latter.’

’She didn’t know how to describe their relationship.’

’She knew her brother had been cruel and had gone too far in the past, but seeing him like this, she couldn’t help but feel her heart ache for him.’

’Her sister-in-law was about to get engaged to another man; he must have already known.’

’So how must he be feeling right now?’

Ashley Grant wiped away her tears, planning to put the paper back and then wake Leona Grant up for his meal.

But just as she lifted her hand to return the paper, Leona Grant suddenly grabbed her wrist and whispered, "Don’t go..."

Ashley Grant froze, turning her head to look at him.

Leona Grant’s grip on her wrist was incredibly tight as he mumbled, seemingly unaware, "Don’t go. Don’t be with another man..."

The tears Ashley Grant had just wiped away began to fall again. "Brother..." she cried, her voice filled with pain.

"Don’t go, don’t go..."

Leona Grant was completely unconscious, muttering woodenly, "I know I was wrong... Don’t leave me..."

Her heart aching, tears streamed down Ashley Grant’s face as she choked out, "Brother..."

"Don’t go... Don’t you go..."

After muttering incoherently for a while, Leona Grant seemed to fall asleep again and went silent. But an unnatural flush had crept onto his face.

She touched his forehead and realized her brother had a fever. His face was frighteningly hot.

’So, he wasn’t asleep—he had passed out.’

’He must be dreaming about his sister-in-law.’

Ashley Grant called for a doctor, who gave him an injection to bring down the fever.

She kept vigil by his bedside all night, losing count of how many times he murmured, "Annabelle Linton, don’t go. I was wrong."

He murmured it all night long, his expression a complex mask of pain.

’Is loving someone supposed to feel this sad?’

Ashley Grant buried her face in the bedding of his hospital bed, her eyes red.

Her heart ached for her brother, and for herself too.

’Her brother was so in love with her sister-in-law, yet they couldn’t be together. If she married Ryan Linton in the future, they would inevitably run into her sister-in-law and Aaron. What would her brother do then?’

’And Ryan Linton... what would he choose?’

Leona Grant called out for Annabelle Linton all night, and all night, Ashley Grant cried.