Chapter 95: The Secret He Buried

“Shhh… it’s okay. It’s not your fault. Stop blaming yourself,” he murmured, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“No… it’s all my fault from the very beginning.”

Rainee drew back slightly, cupping his face with trembling hands. “Do you remember the day I went to your mother’s office before our wedding? She made me believe you didn’t love me. She showed me that voice recording and told me you were just playing with my feelings. Before that, I never planned to ruin our wedding. Yes, I approached you with my own motives, but after spending time with you on that island, I started falling for you. When I confessed to you on that beach, I meant every word. But your mother--”

Her voice broke as she recounted everything, every detail of her plan, every moment of betrayal. Alex’s jaw clenched tighter with each word, his silence heavy but attentive.

“Then I found out the truth. I saw the footage from that day,” Rainee continued, tears streaming freely now. “I’m sorry for not trusting you, Alex. If I had just listened to you… my parents, my brother … they might still be alive. It’s all my fault, and you bore it all in silence.”

She touched his cheek, her thumb brushing the faint stubble there. “You always put me first. You’re so foolish, Alex. How could you give everything to me? Why did you, why did you give up your sight---”

“Shhh…” he whispered again, his voice fraying at the edges. “Let’s not talk about this right now.”

“No, let me speak,” she insisted, her eyes burning. “Why did you leave after the operation? How could you think I’d just move on after everything you did for me? I told you to leave because I was hurting. I didn’t want to drag you down with me. But these past months without you… they’ve shown me life without you isn’t life at all. These seven months… not a single day passed when I didn’t think of you. How could you-- you love me so much that you gave up everything for me?”

Alex took her hand and pressed it against his cheek. His touch was warm, grounding her.

“It wasn’t easy to leave you,” he said quietly. “But you said you wanted a happy, normal life, and I thought if I left, you could have that. As long as you were happy, nothing else mattered. Your happiness means more to me than anything.”

Her heart fractured anew at his words. Overwhelmed, she leaned in and kissed him.

He stiffened in surprise, but a heartbeat later, his hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss until their bodies melted into one another. Tears mingled on their cheeks, neither knowing whose they were. Seven months of pain and longing poured into that moment.

When she finally drew back, their foreheads pressed together, she whispered, “I love you… I love you so much. Please don’t leave me again. I’m begging you, Alex. Don’t leave me again.”

His hands cradled her face, his thumbs brushing away her tears. “I won’t,” he said with quiet conviction. “I promise, I’ll never leave you or let you leave me again.”

A tremor of relief ran through her at those words, but then another memory surfaced, sharp and cutting. She pulled away abruptly, her hands falling from his face.

“Why did you drive your car toward the ocean?” she asked, her voice tight with fear.

His expression darkened, the playful warmth gone. “I arranged for someone to drop my car by the ocean before the operation,” he explained slowly. “After the surgery, I left the hospital and came here by boat. But when I reached the shore, I had a terrible headache and collapsed. I guess I left the hospital too soon. Justine, found me there, and I lied to him, said I didn’t remember anything. I didn’t want anyone to know where I was living.”

He paused, swallowing hard, his fingers flexing against his thigh as though bracing himself. “There’s another reason I chose this place to live after leaving you.”

Rainee’s stomach tightened. “What is it?”

He hesitated, licking his lips nervously, then spoke barely above a whisper. “Sam is alive. He’s here… at the Fraser Hospital.”

Alex’s words landed like a thunderclap in the quiet room.

For a moment, Rainee thought she’d misheard him. Her ears rang, and her head spun as if the walls themselves were tilting. Everything around her blurred into a surreal haze. I must be dreaming, she thought, staring at Alex, searching his face for even a flicker of deception.

Her voice trembled as she asked again, more seriously this time. “W-What did you say?”

Alex exhaled, his shoulders sinking as though the weight of his secret had crushed him for years. “Sam is alive. He’s not dead.”

Rainee’s hands loosened their grip on his arms. Her fingers trembled violently as if her body no longer belonged to her. Afraid to breathe, she fought the rising wave of hope and panic threatening to drown her. My brother isn’t dead. Then why… why did Alex let me believe he was gone?

Her brows knit together, confusion written across her face. “Then… then why did you--”

“To protect him,” Alex interrupted gently. “You couldn’t see, Rainee. It was easy to make you believe he was gone.”

The words cut through her like shards of glass. Anger flared, hot and blinding, mixing with her grief. She took a step back, her chest heaving. “So just because I couldn’t see, you let me suffer the pain of losing my sixteen years old brother?” Her voice rose, cracking. “Alex, is this some kind of joke to you? Why didn’t you tell me--”

“I couldn’t take any risks,” he said quickly, his tone laced with regret. “Only Andrew and I knew.”

Rainee’s heart pounded so hard it hurt. She didn’t understand any of it, why he’d done this, why he’d hidden the truth, why he’d let her drown in agony thinking Sam was gone.

Alex’s eyes met hers, dark and heavy. “Do you think you lost your parents in a car accident?”

Her breath caught. She knew, deep down, it hadn’t been an accident. Tears spilled down her cheeks one by one as she stared at him, silently begging for answers.

“I think you already know who’s behind this,” Alex said at last, his voice like a blade. “Remember I told you that Emma's brother is a mayor? She told him to do it. To kill every member of your family… except you.”

The room swayed around Rainee. Her mind went blank, struggling to keep up with the horror of his words. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Finally, she whispered, “W-Why not me?”

To be continued