Chapter 271 Injured Again

Chapter 271 Injured Again

A few short, cold sentences completely cut off all of Lucas's escape routes.

His hand, still holding out the gifts, froze mid-air. The light in his eyes gradually extinguished, and the grievance and unwillingness he'd suppressed for days surged violently within him.

Suppressing his emotions, he tried one last time to humble himself.

"Aria, just once—one last time, please? I know I was wrong. I apologize for all my foolish behavior. I accept every punishment, but our relationship meant so much for so long. We can't just erase it all."

"Aria, I've been with you for so long. You can't be this heartless. I promise I'll never doubt you again. I'll just quietly stay by your side, only supporting you from behind. Please, give me one more chance?"

Aria lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze calm yet resolute.

"No. You've crossed my boundaries countless times. It's too late."

That single icy rejection became the final straw that completely shattered Lucas's sanity.

His humble plea utterly failed. All pretense instantly collapsed.

The flowers and gifts in his hands fell to the ground. The delicate packaging split open, desserts scattered everywhere, and the pristine balloon flowers were stained with dust—a pathetic mess.

Just like all his efforts, all the devotion he considered precious, dismissed by Aria with one casual sentence.

Lucas's head snapped up sharply. The tenderness in his eyes vanished entirely, replaced by extreme madness and obsession.

His emotions completely spiraled out of control. Unable to maintain his humble, repentant façade any longer, he stared at Aria intensely, his voice suddenly rising in a hysterical roar, every word an accusation of injustice.

"Why not? Aria, tell me why! What have I done wrong? Haven't I given enough? What gives you the right to treat me this way? What gives you the right to turn your back on me after achieving success and glory?"

All the grievance and self-pity he'd accumulated erupted in this moment.

Eyes reddening, face contorted, he enumerated all his sacrifices over and over, every word dripping with anguish, verging on madness.

"Have you forgotten? When you couldn't sleep, when you doubted yourself night after night—who stayed with you? Me!"

"When your left hand was badly injured, when everyone told you to give up the stage, give up music—who accompanied you through countless rehab sessions? Who stayed with you through every episode of pain and breakdown after training? Me!"

"When you made mistakes on stage repeatedly, when you hit rock bottom—who stayed up all night reviewing performances with you? Who practiced with you until your fingers bled? Who helped you withstand all the gossip? Me!"

"For you, I turned down special invitations from top orchestras in other cities! I gave up better career prospects! Countless opportunities to break out on my own, to gain fame and fortune—I rejected them all! My time, my future, my heart and soul—I invested everything in you alone! I gave up everyone and everything. You were all I saw, all I thought about. But what about you?"

"You're ungrateful! You're burning bridges! You used my companionship to get through the hardest times, to reach the highest stage, and then you kicked me aside! Why does Larry saving you once outweigh all my years of companionship? Why can't my devotion match his single act of protection? How can you face yourself after everything I sacrificed for you these three years? How can you face all the opportunities I gave up for you?"

He screamed hysterically, his entire body trembling violently, his eyes twisted with possessive obsession.

In his world, because he'd given so much, sacrificed so much, Aria was obligated to be grateful forever, to stay by his side forever.

She couldn't grow, couldn't excel, couldn't break free from him, and certainly couldn't choose to leave.

Every moment of her glory should include him, should repay his devotion.

Once she chose to let go or leave, it was cruelty, it was betrayal!

Aria stood in place, bombarded by his crazed accusations, her emotions churning, her chest tightening painfully.

These past few days she'd appeared calm and composed, but in reality she'd been wound tight with tension.

Countless worries pressed down on her heart. She'd been forcing herself to hold on, not daring to relax for a moment, her body and mind in a state of exhausted depletion.

Now, assaulted by Lucas's manic emotions, her head felt heavy and her chest so constricted she could barely breathe.

She didn't want to argue with him, didn't care to debate right and wrong in their relationship.

All explanations seemed pointless after love had completely died.

She simply took a deep breath, forced herself to stay calm, turned and walked away, wanting to completely escape this insane entanglement.

"You're beyond help. I'm done talking to you."

She turned and stepped forward, her only thought to quickly get to the rehab center for today's physical therapy session and calm her terrible mood.

But with her emotions in turmoil and her nerves stretched to the breaking point, her condition had already deteriorated.

During training, she lifted her left hand according to routine movements, trying to use it for leverage to stabilize her body and continue the rehab exercises.

But with that habitual exertion, her nerves—stretched to their absolute limit—suddenly snapped. Her left hand's old injury flared with a sharp, bone-piercing pain in the tendons.

Her body instantly lost balance, her center of gravity shifted violently, and she fell straight sideways!

A dull thud.

She crashed heavily at the edge of the slope, her body colliding with the hard ground. Her elbow, waist, and knees all transmitted intense pain.

Most serious was her left hand—instinctively bracing slightly during the fall, the old injury completely relapsed. Excruciating pain shot up her arm through her entire body, so severe that her vision went black and her body went limp. She couldn't even stand.

Agonizing pain swept through her entire body. Combined with too much emotional suppression, she completely collapsed on the ground, face deathly pale, forehead breaking out in a fine layer of cold sweat.

Lucas, who had followed her, saw her suddenly fall and curl up in pain. The madness in his eyes receded, replaced by a flash of panic and helplessness.

He instinctively wanted to rush forward to help her up, but Aria, enduring the intense pain, looked up coldly, her eyes full of disgust and rejection, forcibly stopping him in his tracks.

The rehab therapist and doctor immediately rushed out upon hearing the commotion, quickly helping Aria up and urgently examining her injuries.

After a thorough examination, the results were not optimistic.

The old injury to her left hand had suffered secondary damage from the sudden exertion error and heavy impact. The tendons were strained and inflamed, directly worsening the injury.

Additionally, Aria had minor bruising on her waist and multiple soft tissue contusions on her body.

The doctor finally gave clear medical orders.

In the short term, she must completely cease all hand training and rehearsals, prohibiting any forceful movements with her left hand.

Aria needed long-term rest and recovery; otherwise, there was a high probability of permanent damage that would completely end her music career.

This outcome was undoubtedly a devastating blow to Aria, who had just reached the peak of her career with a bright future ahead.