Adrian leaned over, planting a kiss on the corner of her lips. âHavenât you been sleeping well because I wasnât around?â
âFrom now on, Iâll take you with me wherever I go.â Adrian had been Joelleâs greatest comfort. He was always by her side.
She knew he was trying his best to be good to her, and she could feel everyoneâs care and concern.
She couldnât go on like this; she had to pull herself together.
âIâve asked Katherine to help me find a psychologist,â she said.
Adrian smiled. âThatâs good.â
Joelle fell silent for a moment before asking, âHowâs Michael holding up?â
âHeâs been drinking heavily,â he replied, his expression somber. âHis parents are coming to take him home with them in a couple of days.â
âLaceyâs passing taught me a lesson,â Joelle said, reaching up and taking his hand in hers.
Adrian nodded in agreement. It had taught him a lesson too. Life was too short to waste on regrets.
Feel the thrill at g aln ov el s . com Unless the inevitable occurredâlike aging or deathâpeople, especially lovers, should live their lives free of regrets.
Hurdles and challenges were temporary and a natural part of relationships. As long as they faced everything together, things would eventually work out.
So that if one partner were to pass away one day, the only regret would be not having enough time together, as everything else would become a cherished memory to hold onto forever.
Adrian held Joelleâs hand tightly, mirroring the intertwined hands of Michael and Lacey during her final hours in the ward.
He loved Joelle as muchâperhaps even moreâbut he felt something was missing.
The next day, they returned to Illerith.
At the airport, Joelle held Adrianâs arm, her sunglasses protecting her eyes from the harsh sunlight. Callan was waiting beside a Rolls-Royce, just as expected. However, they were unaware that someone had been following them since they boarded the plane.
News of their return to the country spread quickly online, accompanied by photos that reignited public outrage once again.
The headlines were utterly ridiculous and defamatory, painting Joelle in a negative light for what they assumed was a vacation after her sonâs death.
Thankfully, Joelle didnât go online as much as she used to, so the news hadnât reached her yet.
But Adrian could no longer ignore the damaging attack on her image.
The criticism was biased and deliberate, as though someone was purposefully trying to tear Joelle down.
âInvestigate the flood of negative articles about Joelle and have them taken down immediately. Show no mercy to anyone who refuses to cooperate,â Adrian instructed Callan once they were alone.
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