Chapter 10
Riley’s expression changed. “What are you saying?”
Tears quickly gathered in her eyes. “Nathaniel, you bastard! You’re the one who made me like this! You’re the reason I can never go back home! My parents and my brother died saving you! And now you’re saying you won’t marry me? You’re just going to abandon me?”
Nathaniel’s grip on the diary tightened, his heart heavy with an overwhelming sense of guilt.
A year ago, he had treated a patient only to discover the man was a wanted gang leader. So Nathaniel had reported him to the police.
Days later, the gang leader was sentenced to death. The police, fearing retaliation against Nathaniel, suggested he leave the country temporarily.
But Nathaniel had used himself as bait, hoping to draw out other gang members.
What he hadn’t anticipated was that the gang would act immediately. A police officer died protecting him on the spot.
That night, law enforcement raided the gang’s hideout, but their leader had already dispatched several men to the police officer’s home for revenge.
By the time Nathaniel reached the officer’s house, the man’s wife and son were lying in pools of blood.
The dying wife clutched his hand desperately, her breathing shallow as she pleaded, “For the sake of Officer Jordan who saved your life… please take care of my daughter… Her name is Riley… Promise me you’ll look after her… please…”
Then she died in his arms.
It was all because they had saved him-the police officer’s wife and son had died right before his eyes.
A storm of blood seemed to engulf him. The sound of ambulance sirens wailed outside, and someone tapped his shoulder, but he felt nothing. His throat constricted, yet he couldn’t cry.
Until three days later, he saw the girl-Riley-kneeling before the memorial, looking so frail it seemed she might collapse at any moment.
He knelt beside her. Riley sobbed as she pounded his chest: “It’s all because of you! It’s all your fault! You killed them…”
The guilt in his heart was beyond words. He could only hold Riley tightly, his eyes reddening.
Candlelight illuminated the memorial hall. Every time he looked up, he saw the three lives lost because of him-three human lives weighing heavily on
his shoulders.
The next morning, he finally returned home to find a cake on the table. Scarlett had fallen asleep waiting for him all night.
His heart instantly softened. He walked over and hugged her tightly.
Scarlett asked, “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head, too choked up to speak.
His arms tightened around her, tears falling onto her shoulder.
Some things couldn’t be said-couldn’t be put into words.
But he knew that he and Scarlett were done.
This was perhaps the last embrace they would ever share.
The diary in his hand felt cold as ice. He had thought that if he broke up with her cruelly enough, he would be the only one to suffer.
But if this was the result-if this was how it would end…
Nathaniel lowered his eyes to the diary and said painfully, “Perhaps everything was wrong from the start.”
Chapter 10
“What was wrong?” Riley’s voice trembled.
Nathaniel’s gaze finally moved from the diary, calmly settling on her face. He didn’t speak.
Riley suddenly raised her voice: “What was wrong?! Would my parents have died if it weren’t for you? Would I be unable to retu for you? I really want to hate you, but… Nathaniel, you can’t do this to me! Even if Scarlett is dead, what does that have to do with me this! Nathaniel! You owe me, and you can never repay that debt!”
“Besides,” she demanded through tears, “weren’t you the one who first suggested we should date?”
