Chapter 169 Her Piercing Cry
Blood flowed more heavily, quickly soaking through the tissues until they were completely saturated. The crimson stain pierced Emma's eyes like a blade.
"Nicholas, don't fall asleep. Let me help you inside to find the doctor!" Emma's voice was thick with terror.
"Don't be afraid. It'll pass in a moment." His voice had grown weak, yet he held her even tighter.
"I want to look at the stars a little longer."
He leaned against her shoulder wearily, his full weight pressing down on her.
His arms wrapped around her with desperate force as he asked weakly, "Emma, do you have... any wishes left?"
Her trembling voice carried a note of hopeless despair. "Nicholas, could you... not die?"
"Okay, I won't die. Don't cry..."
His breathing grew shallow, his body becoming dead weight that threatened to crush her.
Emma cried out in panic, "Charlie! Charlie!"
Charlie burst out of the house.
This night would be unbearably long and painful.
Emma drew another large vial of her own blood, sustaining what remained of his life.
The doctor put Nicholas on a ventilator while Emma sat vigil beside his bed, Charlie maintaining his silent watch just outside the door.
In the early hours before dawn, it had started snowing again, blanketing the world in desolate bleakness.
The next morning.
Nicholas opened his eyes. The slightest movement of his arm immediately woke Emma from her restless sleep.
She leaned over him, urgency barely contained in her voice.
"Nicholas, I'm here. Are you feeling any discomfort?"
His hand moved slowly but deliberately to remove the oxygen mask from his face.
He looked at her with eyes that were eerily calm.
"I'm fine. Don't worry. I feel much better today."
Emma studied his face, her heart clenching painfully.
Yes, he did seem better—his complexion even had some color.
But this... this looked like a final surge before the end.
Something twisted inside her chest with dull, persistent pain.
Suddenly, he spoke, "I heard that Skywater Peak is especially beautiful when it snows. Will you come see it with me?"
Skywater Peak—they had so many memories there. He wanted to spend his final moments in that place.
Emma nodded quickly, tears threatening to spill as she fought to keep them at bay.
"Of course. I'll go with you."
Charlie knocked and entered, carrying a pristine tailored suit.
He approached the bed, his voice carefully controlled despite an almost imperceptible tremor.
"Mrs. Harrison, I'd like to help Mr. Harrison get cleaned up and dressed."
This was the only thing left he could do for him.
Emma immediately understood what he meant. This signified that Nicholas might never come back.
She nodded and walked out.
The moment the door closed behind her, she collapsed against the cold wall, unable to suppress her broken sobs any longer.
Charlie carefully helped him wash and dress in clean clothes, finishing by meticulously shaving the stubble from his jaw with a razor.
Soon, the handsome man had returned—his face showing no trace of illness, only his characteristic nobility and distant composure.
When everything was ready, Nicholas suddenly spoke.
"I remember your family is in Skyview City."
"After you return, go directly to the Harrison Group in Skyview City as general manager. I'm putting you in charge of everything there."
Charlie's hand holding the comb froze, his eyes immediately reddening.
"Mr. Harrison, let's go back together."
Nicholas patted Charlie's shoulder, saying quietly, "Let's go."
Soon, the three of them boarded the helicopter, flying directly toward Skywater Peak.
After their departure, a pair of watching eyes hidden in the forest below immediately drove off in pursuit.
The helicopter landed on Skywater Peak's helipad.
The snow had lightened considerably, but fierce winds whipped across the mountaintop, cutting like knives against their faces.
Charlie unloaded the wheelchair.
Emma helped Nicholas into it without protest from him.
She positioned herself behind him, slowly pushing toward the cliff-side hotel.
The snow bore deep wheel tracks and a single set of scattered footprints.
Soon, fresh snowfall buried all traces.
They stopped at the cliff's edge.
Emma gazed into the distance where all of Luminous City lay draped in silver and white, like an isolated white fortress of unreal beauty, carrying an otherworldly coldness.
Memories of her time with Mr. West flashed through her mind like a film reel.
She draped a thick coat over his legs, then knelt before him.
Looking up at him, her voice was gentle but noticeably hoarse.
"It's truly beautiful. The wall is gone. If only you could see..."
Yes, that wall that had once starkly divided the wealthy district from the poor areas was now covered in pristine snow, transformed into a winding white silk ribbon lying peacefully across the city center.
He reached out, gripping her ice-cold hands tightly, his voice tender enough to melt.
"When spring comes, this city won't have rich and poor districts anymore."
"You'll see a peaceful Luminous City. When you want to visit again, no one will dare hurt you."
This was his final gift to her.
Yes, half of this city would belong to her.
Earlier, Hawk had promised him that if their plan succeeded, Luminous City would be permanently renamed Star City.
Half the treasury's wealth would go to the poor districts, the other half toward building the new city.
Her cheek rested gently against his knee like a small cat seeking warmth.
"Thank you, Mr. West."
He stroked her long hair softly. "Tell me about when you were studying in Novaria—how you used to spy on me"
His tone carried playful mischief, deliberately creating a lighthearted atmosphere.
She answered without hesitation, "The first time I saw you was in the main auditorium during your speech."
"So many girls were frantically taking photos below, chattering about how handsome you were."
"I thought, 'I'm doomed—way too much competition. I'll never measure up.' So I swore to study harder."
He smiled faintly. "Planning to win me over with your intellect?"
"No." She said, "I was researching poisonous plants at the time, so I thought maybe someday I'd slip you something to ruin that pretty face of yours—save you from going around breaking hearts."
"What a little vixen." He laughed, pulling her up to sit on his lap, holding her close.
Nestled in his embrace, she continued, "The second time I saw you was in the campus dining hall. This adorable underclassman came up with a huge bouquet of roses to confess her feelings."
"You rejected her, of course."
"You said no woman worthy of Nicholas's attention had been born yet. I was listening nearby and nearly died of rage—so arrogant!"
He paused, then guessed her thoughts. "So you wanted to poison my vocal cords that time?"
She laughed in his arms, nodding vigorously.
He chuckled, pressing kisses into her hair. "Emma, if only I had fallen for you sooner."
"Keep going... I want to hear more..."
She continued talking while he gradually closed his eyes.
Her words stopped abruptly, her heartbeat skipping.
She gripped his hand tightly, her voice beginning to shake. "Nicholas, don't sleep. Please don't sleep."
But he gave no response—his heartbeat had stopped.
Tears fell like broken pearls, landing one by one on his cold hands.
She continued speaking through her sobs, as if trying to hold onto him with her voice.
"The third time was another auditorium speech. You said many people make money to buy themselves more time, but you wanted to use research to save lives."
"I thought you were glowing that day, so I swore to develop a cure for cancer."
"FD was incredible—it saved so many people."
She wept uncontrollably.
When God closes all doors, He opens a window.
But where was her window?
She couldn't hold back anymore, clutching him and crying out,
"Nicholas, wake up..."
"Please, Nicholas, don't sleep..."
"I won't let you die—don't leave me..."
"Don't go..."
Her anguished cries echoed across the precipice as his arms slowly slipped away from her...
In the distance, a helicopter approached.