Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Nicholas drove Stella back to his company.

Stella packed her things quickly, and in the end, everything fit into just one small suitcase.

Inside were a few changes of clothes and some small things she had prepared for the baby.

They were the only things she still cared about in this city.

Nicholas wanted to help carry her suitcase, but Stella refused.

"No need, I can manage. It's not heavy."

Stella wore a smile on her face.

Her smile was faint but carried a hint of relief, as if she had already let go of all her burdens.

Nicholas looked at her, his heart full of reluctance.

But in the end, he said nothing and just drove her to the airport.

At the airport, Stella parted ways with Nicholas.

"Nicholas, thank you for taking care of me these past days, and thank you for bringing me to the airport today. Take good care of yourself from now on. I hope you find your own happiness soon." She said it gracefully, there was no hesitation or attachment left in her eyes.

"You too." Nicholas looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Take care of yourself and the baby. If you run into any difficulties or trouble out there, you must call me. Even if we can't be family, I can still be someone you can count on."

Stella nodded, then turned and walked into the airport.

She didn't look back.

She was afraid that if she turned around, she might see Alexander, and then she would soften and not be able to leave.

The airport was crowded and bustling, with people coming and going.

Stella dragged her suitcase to look for a quiet place to sit and wait for boarding.

She took out her phone, unlocked the screen, and opened Alexander's Instagram.

Alexander rarely posted. Most of his posts were about work.

Occasionally, there were a few landscape photos, and one photo of them together.

It was taken when they were on a business trip together by the sea.

Of course, Stella had secretly taken this photo, and later, when Alexander discovered it, he saved it to his Instagram.

He had set it so only he and Stella could see it.

Stella didn't know how she had discovered this little secret—she had just stumbled upon it by chance and kept it in her heart.

She scrolled through Alexander's Instagram, looking at the photos one by one. As she looked, tears fell uncontrollably again.

Thinking of all the moments she and Alexander had shared, thinking of Alexander's somewhat awkward tenderness, Stella's eyes reddened.

But things didn’t turn out the way she had hoped, and they had still reached this final step.

After a while, the airport announcement came on with a boarding call.

It was for her flight.

Stella wiped the tears from her face, put away her phone, took a deep breath to steady herself, and dragged her suitcase toward the boarding gate.

At the same time, at the airport entrance, Alexander stumbled in.

After hanging up the phone, he had escaped from the hospital.

Alexander didn't care about his abdominal wound or his physical weakness—he took a taxi all the way to the airport.

He randomly bought a ticket for a flight just to get inside.

But along the way, Alexander's wound had reopened from all the rushing and desperate running.

Blood soaked through the bandages, staining his undershirt, even seeping through his outer shirt and dripping onto the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Sharp pain from his abdomen came in waves, like something sharp was twisting painfully inside him.

Every step he ran made Alexander break out in cold sweat on his forehead.

His face was pale as paper, but he forced himself not to stop.

Alexander was terrified that if he was even a step too late, he would lose Stella forever and never see her again.

He ran while calling Stella's name, his voice hoarse but carrying a hint of hope.

"Stella, where are you? Answer me if you can hear me."

People at the airport stared at the bloody scene, turning their heads one after another.

People looked at him in confusion and surprise, all frowning.

But Alexander didn't care about others' stares at all.

He only focused on what was ahead, only Stella's figure.

Stella was slowly moving with the line to check her ticket, preparing to pass through the final checkpoint.

Her steps were slow, one by one, as if she was quietly saying goodbye to the city.

Meanwhile, Alexander, due to his severe injuries and exhaustion, was running slower and slower.

His legs felt heavy and hard to move.

Each step required enormous effort. The sharp pain in his abdomen made his vision darken repeatedly, and he nearly fell to the ground several times.

But Alexander still gritted his teeth and held on stubbornly.

On one side was Stella, about to leave, step by step, approaching the jetway.

On the other side was Alexander, desperately chasing, step by step, moving forward.

The distance between them seemed close yet unreachable, forming a stark contrast.

Stella walked up to the flight attendant and had just taken out her passport and ticket when she suddenly stopped, as if she sensed something.

She turned to look behind her.

Her gaze passed through the bustling crowd, looking toward the entrance.

But the distance was too far—she couldn't see anything.

A flash of disappointment crossed Stella's heart, but it was quickly followed by acceptance.

She let out a long sigh, saying a final goodbye in her heart to this city and to Alexander.

Alexander, goodbye.

I hope your life is peaceful and goes well for the rest of your life.

And may we never meet again in this lifetime, each of us living well.

Stella hesitated no more, handed her documents to the flight attendant, and walked into the jetway.

She didn't look back again and naturally didn't see the figure in the distance.

Alexander rushed forward as fast as he could.

When he reached the boarding gate, Stella was standing at a bend in the jetway.

Seeing that she was about to board the plane, Alexander's heart leaped.

The moment he saw that familiar figure, his eyes instantly burst with brilliant light, like he had found his last chance.

"Stella, Stella!"

His voice was heart-wrenching as it echoed through the boarding gate.

But the figure on the jetway seemed not to hear his calls.

Stella didn't turn around.

And Alexander could only watch helplessly as Stella disappeared from his sight.

The other passengers waiting to board also went in, and the airplane door slowly closed.

At that moment, Alexander felt like his entire world had completely collapsed.

His body went limp, and he nearly fell to the ground.

Several airport security guards immediately rushed forward and pinned him down, afraid he might do something extreme.

The cold floor pressed against Alexander's body, and his abdominal wound was struck again, blood gushing out and staining the ground beneath him.

His blood pooled on the floor, striking and alarming to look at.

Alexander lay on the ground, his gaze fixed on the plane.

Watching the plane slowly taxi toward the runway, Alexander strained to see but could not.

His eyes instantly lost all their light, leaving nothing but emptiness and despair, with a tear sliding down from the corner of his eye.

[Stella, how could you leave me behind?]

[No matter what, you must take good care of yourself. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you to come back...]

[I love you, Stella, forever and always.]