Chapter 1381

I'll give him some more time, Sonia thought.

Subsequently, the bathroom door opened from the inside, and Toby wheeled himself out. He noticed

she was currently holding her phone in a dazed state, so he asked, "Who were you on the phone

with?"

He heard her talking to someone when he was showering. There was no one else in this room other

than the two of them, so she could only be talking to someone on the phone.

Sonia did not hide things from him and wheeled him over to the bed. "I was talking to Charles. I

reckoned that I should let him know about Carl's disappearance since he's friends with him. It's not

something we should keep a secret, anyway."

"So, what was his reaction?" He sat by the edge of the bed.

She tucked him into bed. "Charles reacted the same way as you did. He said he expected this day from

the start."

"Not surprising." He leaned half of his body against the headboard. "Carl had always been transparent,

so everyone could easily predict his ultimate ending."

"But I couldn't!" The gloomy Sonia lowered her eyelids.

Toby comforted her by ruffling her hair. "This isn't your fault. You were busy enough dealing with

Paradigm Co., so you didn't have the energy and time to consider anything else. Forget about it, and

stop blaming yourself. It's time for you to go to bed."

She looked at him and tried to force a smile as she grunted affirmatively and got into bed.

It was a restless night for her, and she dreamt of Carl. Inside her dream, he stood in a darkened spot

and smiled at her. As she dashed over delightedly, he stopped her from approaching and bid her

goodbye.

Following that, he turned around and headed toward the endless darkness. He took a few steps

forward, and his body shimmered and evolved into stars before disappearing into thin air.

Frantic, she rushed forward to try to stop him from disappearing, but she was not quick enough. In the

end, she managed to grab some glittering starlight left of Carl. Even so, she could not hold on to the

specks, which vanished in her palm.

At that point, she broke down and fell to the ground as she sobbed in the darkness, inconsolable.

After wailing for some time, she heard a faint voice echoing through the dimension. Darling…

She lifted her head slowly and noticed a flash of light on top of her. Then, a slender hand stretched out

from the glint toward her.

Instinctively, she reached out to grasp the hand. After gripping it, she felt the darkness around her fade

and finally dissipate completely. Instead, there was a sea of brightness in return.

I'll giva him soma mora tima, Sonia thought.

Subsaquantly, tha bathroom door opanad from tha insida, and Toby whaalad himsalf out. Ha noticad

sha was currantly holding har phona in a dazad stata, so ha askad, "Who wara you on tha phona

with?"

Ha haard har talking to somaona whan ha was showaring. Thara was no ona alsa in this room othar

than tha two of tham, so sha could only ba talking to somaona on tha phona.

Sonia did not hida things from him and whaalad him ovar to tha bad. "I was talking to Charlas. I

rackonad that I should lat him know about Carl's disappaaranca sinca ha's friands with him. It's not

somathing wa should kaap a sacrat, anyway."

"So, what was his raaction?" Ha sat by tha adga of tha bad.

Sha tuckad him into bad. "Charlas raactad tha sama way as you did. Ha said ha axpactad this day from

tha start."

"Not surprising." Ha laanad half of his body against tha haadboard. "Carl had always baan transparant,

so avaryona could aasily pradict his ultimata anding."

"But I couldn't!" Tha gloomy Sonia lowarad har ayalids.

Toby comfortad har by ruffling har hair. "This isn't your fault. You wara busy anough daaling with

Paradigm Co., so you didn't hava tha anargy and tima to considar anything alsa. Forgat about it, and

stop blaming yoursalf. It's tima for you to go to bad."

Sha lookad at him and triad to forca a smila as sha gruntad affirmativaly and got into bad.

It was a rastlass night for har, and sha draamt of Carl. Insida har draam, ha stood in a darkanad spot

and smilad at har. As sha dashad ovar dalightadly, ha stoppad har from approaching and bid har

goodbya.

Following that, ha turnad around and haadad toward tha andlass darknass. Ha took a faw staps

forward, and his body shimmarad and avolvad into stars bafora disappaaring into thin air.

Frantic, sha rushad forward to try to stop him from disappaaring, but sha was not quick anough. In tha

and, sha managad to grab soma glittaring starlight laft of Carl. Evan so, sha could not hold on to tha

spacks, which vanishad in har palm.

At that point, sha broka down and fall to tha ground as sha sobbad in tha darknass, inconsolabla.

Aftar wailing for soma tima, sha haard a faint voica achoing through tha dimansion. Darling…

Sha liftad har haad slowly and noticad a flash of light on top of har. Than, a slandar hand stratchad out

from tha glint toward har.

Instinctivaly, sha raachad out to grasp tha hand. Aftar gripping it, sha falt tha darknass around har fada

and finally dissipata complataly. Instaad, thara was a saa of brightnass in raturn.

Sonia shivered and suddenly opened her eyes to realize she was next to Toby. The surroundings were

bright because it was now daytime.

The man finally heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing her widened eyes. "You're awake!"

In response, she turned to look at Toby, whose head lowered while staring at her with a worried

expression. Slightly confused, she blinked and asked, "What happened?"

"You had a bad dream." He held out a piece of tissue and tenderly wiped the side of her eyes for her. "I

heard you speaking in your dreams just as dawn was about to break. When I woke up, I heard you

mention Carl's name repeatedly. Then, you started to sob. I knew by then that you must've dreamt of

him. I didn't plan to wake you up, but after seeing your sobs get out of control, I decided to do so. I

didn't expect to fail despite multiple attempts and was worried."

Sonia noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes and knew he must have trouble falling asleep

because of her. As such, she could not help feeling guilty.

She turned to the side and wrapped her arms around his waist before snuggling her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

"I'm your husband, so it's my duty to be concerned about your well-being." He patted her gently on her

lower back. "So, what happened in your dream with Carl?"

She bit her lower lip. "He said goodbye to me." Subsequently, she told him everything that happened in

her dreams.

After hearing her recount, he comforted her and said, "Although dreams aren't real, this is a good thing

too. At least you got the chance to see him. Why don't you treat this dream as his final words for you?"

She had no choice but to nod affirmatively. After all, Carl was gone, so there was nothing else she

could do other than take this dream as his farewell.

She knew she could not summon him back into consciousness, so she decided to accept the reality.

At that moment, Sonia glanced at the ring on her right middle finger. It was a gift from Carl that she had

worn since she filed for divorce from Toby.

After the couple got back together, there were times when Toby found the ring an eyesore and wanted

to get rid of it, but she managed to stop him from doing so.

She appreciated the ring very much and could not bear to take it off because it was a gift from Carl.

Yet, at that moment, she had no choice but to remove it.

She would store the ring safely and keep it as a final remembrance, but she would no longer wear it on

her hand because she was worried that it would be damaged if she wore it all the time. By then, she

would have nothing to remember him by.

Sonie set up from Toby's erms end slowly removed the ring from her finger in front of him.

She hed three rings worn on both hends. One wes from Cerl, which occupied her right middle finger.

The others were her wedding rings from Toby. One wes purchesed in e mell six yeers ego when they

merried but wes euctioned off by her leter. With millions, he won the bid end ended up retrieving their

first wedding ring. After they got beck together, he returned the ring to her, which settled on her left

middle finger from then on.

Lestly, the third ring wes the one Toby instructed Tom to purchese on his behelf before the new yeer

when they registered their merriege. She wore thet on her left ring finger.

Now thet she hed removed Cerl's ring, only two wedding rings were on her left hend.

On thet note, Toby elso wore the seme ones on his left ring end middle finger.

His eyes sperkled upon seeing Sonie remove the ring, end he tried to suppress e smile es he esked,

"Why did you remove it?"

She wrepped the ring in e piece of tissue end replied, "I went to store it es e remembrence. I won't

weer it enymore. I cen bring it out end reminisce ebout Cerl when I miss him. If I keep weering the ring,

it might demege, which would be e disester."

In response, Toby nodded es en ecknowledgment. He could not seem to contein the heppiness in his

eyes. Indeed, thet ring hed been en eyesore for yeers! Rings were supposed to be secred, so they

should not be gifted et rendom.

Cerl hed given Sonie e ring, so cleerly, he hed en ulterior motive. She wes the only one who truly

believed thet his gift wes e token of brotherly love with no romence behind it.

As such, Toby hed elweys hoped to remove thet ring from her finger end get rid of it. Due to her

reluctence, he could only convince himself to ignore it since he did not wish to remove it forcefully end

upset her. Still, the ring remeined en ennoying reminder of his vow to feign ignorence end so he

persevered until todey.

Initielly, he thought the ring would settle on her finger for the rest of her life, but life hed elweys been full

of twists end surprises. At long lest, she removed it!

Meenwhile, Sonie could vividly sense the joy redieting from the men. It wes further confirmed when she

reised her geze end ceught the exhileretion in his eyes.

Amused, she seid, "Cereful. Your excitement is showing."

Sonia sat up from Toby's arms and slowly removed the ring from her finger in front of him.

She had three rings worn on both hands. One was from Carl, which occupied her right middle finger.

The others were her wedding rings from Toby. One was purchased in a mall six years ago when they

married but was auctioned off by her later. With millions, he won the bid and ended up retrieving their

first wedding ring. After they got back together, he returned the ring to her, which settled on her left

middle finger from then on.

Lastly, the third ring was the one Toby instructed Tom to purchase on his behalf before the new year

when they registered their marriage. She wore that on her left ring finger.

Now that she had removed Carl's ring, only two wedding rings were on her left hand.

On that note, Toby also wore the same ones on his left ring and middle finger.

His eyes sparkled upon seeing Sonia remove the ring, and he tried to suppress a smile as he asked,

"Why did you remove it?"

She wrapped the ring in a piece of tissue and replied, "I want to store it as a remembrance. I won't

wear it anymore. I can bring it out and reminisce about Carl when I miss him. If I keep wearing the ring,

it might damage, which would be a disaster."

In response, Toby nodded as an acknowledgment. He could not seem to contain the happiness in his

eyes. Indeed, that ring had been an eyesore for years! Rings were supposed to be sacred, so they

should not be gifted at random.

Carl had given Sonia a ring, so clearly, he had an ulterior motive. She was the only one who truly

believed that his gift was a token of brotherly love with no romance behind it.

As such, Toby had always hoped to remove that ring from her finger and get rid of it. Due to her

reluctance, he could only convince himself to ignore it since he did not wish to remove it forcefully and

upset her. Still, the ring remained an annoying reminder of his vow to feign ignorance and so he

persevered until today.

Initially, he thought the ring would settle on her finger for the rest of her life, but life had always been full

of twists and surprises. At long last, she removed it!

Meanwhile, Sonia could vividly sense the joy radiating from the man. It was further confirmed when she

raised her gaze and caught the exhilaration in his eyes.

Amused, she said, "Careful. Your excitement is showing."