bChapter /b484

    The piece of paper was a little wrinkled, but it had been folded neatly–a sign that whoever prepared it was meticulous and earnest.

    “What’s this?” Alessia took it, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

    “Susannah Holt asked me to give it to you.”

    She unfolded the note. The entire page was covered with her own name, written over and over in careful, even script. Each letter was pressed just enough to leave a faint indentation, the kind that showed real effort.

    “Did she say anything else?” Alessia asked, her voice gentle as she kept her gaze on the page.

    “She told me to wish you a good recovery, and that she’ll work hard in school, be someone remarkable, ande find you one day.”

    Alessia nodded quietly. She reached for a book on her nightstand and tucked the note carefully inside. Since being admitted, her friends and family had refused to let her work, and they never discussed business in front of her. With little else to do, she passed the time reading.

    “Susannah’s mom has a rare blood type–she donated blood for your surgery. I gave them three million dors and promised not to treat them like a backup blood bank,” Cole exined.

    Alessia nodded again, understanding the unspoken reassurance in his words.

    “Could you help me find out where Mia is? Once I’m discharged, I’d like to visit her.”

    “Of course.”

    “For now, just rest. You still need time to recover.‘

    Obediently, Alessia agreed. The medication soon pulled her into a deep sleep.

    She ended up spending nearly two weeks in the hospital. After onest check–up, Alessia was finally cleared to go home. Apart from her arm, which would still need some care, she was mostly healed.

    But there was no wee–home party waiting for her at the door–instead, she was met with an endless parade of hearty homemade stews.

    York moved in under the pretense of taking care of Alessia, and he quickly made

    10:41

    Chupa ARA

    himself at home in the Morton family house. Ivan didn’t mind at all; aside from their asional yful rivalry for Alessia’s attention, the two got along surprisingly well.

    The Morton brothers were all back to their usual routines. One interesting development: after that phone call on the reality show, several brands wanted both brothers to appear together, even offering to write them custom scripts for future

    appearances.

    Liam, overwhelmed by the attention, declined, insisting he wanted to focus on his music. Tristan, on the other hand, seemed to thoroughly enjoy the situation. He was a natural at ying along with these “buddy” storylines–he’d even started casually showing off online, dropping hints about Liam cooking for him or identally including Liam’s face in his livestreams. He was having a st, even if Liam was the only one who seemed to suffer,

    Ethan and Zachary remained as low–key as ever, though their talents hardly allowed them to fade into the background. Ethan had already be the lead partner at hisw firm; Xander had gradually handed over the medical practice to him and Six, now spending his days in the garden with music and pastries.

    Without realizing it, everyone had found their ce, growing into their own responsibilities. Alessia, however, suddenly found herself with nothing to do.

    With Vera and Joyce running thepany perfectly well, there was nothing pressing at work. Whenever a new product wasunched, she’d hear about it only after her brothers had already brought samples home. The Mortons, meanwhile, took turns inventing new ways to spoil her, making sure she had everything she needed to

    recover.

    Max started dropping by more often, and on slow afternoons, her girlfriends would show up for tea,ughter filling the house.

    It seemed that everyone had finally moved on from that terrible ordeal. Life, atst, was returning ito /inormal.

    But Alessia knew: some people would never leave the past behind.

    On a bright, cloudless day, Cole drove Alessia out to a quiet cemetery. As they arrived, she noticed a couple standing by a headstone, preparing to leave.

    b10.41 /bN