Faded love 24

Chapter 24 

“You can hear me, can’t you?” 

My voice shook. 

“Do you dare open your eyes?” 

He didn’t move. 

But a tear slid from the corner of his eye. 

I broke. 

I fell against the rail, clutching his hand and sobbing. 

“If you keep this up, I’ll really forgive you- 

do you hear me?” 

The machines droned in a steady line. 

His fingertips twitched again. 

The next morning, the headline read: 

“Z Group in Turmoil: Acting President Sybil Takes Over. 

Criminal Investigation Opened Into Wendy’s Alleged Identity Fraud.” 

Yuanzi burst in, shaking with anger. 

“They’re insane! 

This was my setup against you!” 

I glanced at the paper and smiled faintly. 

“Madness was never his alone.” 

I folded the page and went to the window. 

Outside, the light was thin and white. 

Softly, I said, 

“Yuanzi- 

check something for me. 

If he doesn’t wake up, 

can all Z Group shares be transferred to Sybil?” 

She stared. “Are you out of your mind?” 

“I just don’t want him waking up and living under a weight of guilt.” 

She grabbed my arm, tears spilling. 

“You can’t keep sacrificing.” 

Faded love, I don’t want it anymore 

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I smiled. 

“This isn’t sacrifice. 

It’s payment.” 

Night fell, and the door flew open. 

A nurse rushed in. 

“The patient is responding!” 

I spun around. 

Doctors swarmed the bed. 

The monitor spiked and dipped. 

I hardly dared blink. 

At last, those eyes-closed for so many days- 

opened. 

He looked at me; his lips moved. 

I leaned close, tears brimming. 

“You’re awake…” 

He smiled faintly, voice raw. 

“I heard.” 

“Heard what?” 

“You said- 

‘the mad live, the rational die.” 

I burst into tears. 

He lifted a hand and brushed my cheek with a fingertip. 

“So I came back.” 

Flashes burst in the corridor outside. 

Yuanzi stormed in. “Bad news! 

Z3 C85) 

Sybil brought reporters-she’s holding a press conference here, claiming you attempted murder!” 

I stared. 

His fingers tightened around mine; his gaze went cold. 

“I’m not dead,” he said softly. 

“So she has no right to call herself a victim.” 

In that instant I understood: 

Chapter 24 

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madness isn’t always the fall. 

Sometimes, 

madness is the way back. 

6:4 

The hospital corridor blazed a sickly white under the flashes. 

When Yuanzi opened the door, the roar of voices stung my eyes. 

A crush of people, cameras, lenses- 

all pointed at one woman: 

Sybil. 

She wore an ivory suit, her makeup flawless. 

Her voice was gentle, as if telling a sad, respectable tale. 

“That night Mr. Zhou drove after Mrs. Gu… 

because I lost control. 

No one could stop me. 

He was hurt trying to save me. 

It was my impulse that nearly caused a tragedy.” 

When she finished, she dipped her head. 

A perfect tear slid down. 

The flashes erupted like a storm. 

I stood at the edge of the crowd and listened. 

Every word pricked like a needle. 

I never imagined 

there would come a day I’d be described as pitiful again. 

in her mouth, I wasn’t a person- 

just a madwoman allowed to live by someone else’s grace. 

Yuanzi grabbed me. “Don’t go-it’s a trap!” 

I slipped free. 

“He’s awake,” I said. 

“I can’t run anymore.” 

I pushed open the conference room doors. Cameras swung toward me all at once. Magnesium light flickered; the air went still. 

Chapter 24 

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