Chapter 21
Reed returned home, to the house that had once belonged to them.
The air seemed to still carry her scent.
Every corner of the house once held her presence.
He stumbled inside.
The living room was so quiet he could hear only his own breathing.
On the living room sofa, he seemed to see Avery holding Sugar, looking at him tenderly.
Her hair fell softly over her shoulders, her face wearing the smile he knew so well.
“Reed, why do you look so tired?”
Her voice was still so gentle.
Sugar poked his little head out of her arms, barking “woof woof” at him twice, wagging his tail happily.
“Avery?”
Reed stood frozen, then smiled-smiling until tears rolled down his face.
“Avery, I miss you so much. Didn’t we agree? Next month for our anniversary, we’d take Sugar hiking?”
Avery continued smiling. Sugar licked his little nose, tilting his head to look at Reed.
Reed reached out trembling hands, wanting to embrace her.
But just as his hands were about to touch her, Avery’s image instantly dissipated like mist.
The sofa was empty.
“Don’t go! Avery, don’t go!”
He lunged at the sofa, vainly clutching at air.
In his ears echoed his own past vows:
“Avery, I will love and protect you forever, never betraying you.”
“You are my whole world, my reason for living.”
“I swear, in this life, apart from you, I will never love anyone else.”
“Avery, you can only ever be mine alone.”
Those vows he had once made to her now became the sharpest blades, slicing his heart.
Reed knelt on the ground, clutching his head, sobbing uncontrollably.
He frantically searched the entire house, desperate to find any trace of her.
Chapter 21
He suddenly remembered his assistant had found that before leaving, Avery had dumped everything that had witnessed their love into the sea.
At the thought of this, Reed went to the shore and plunged into the water.
He wanted to retrieve everything they had shared.
One day, then another.
Reed moved like a walking corpse. Besides necessary eating and sleeping, he spent all his time in the cold seawater.
Searching for those intangible memories in the sea became the only obsession keeping him alive.
Until their wedding anniversary, when Reed jumped into the sea once more.
Today’s seawater was exceptionally clear, sunlight casting dappled shadows through the surface.
But after a day of searching, he still found nothing.
Just as he was about to surface, he saw a golden object gleaming.
It was… the gold portrait he had melted down with his own hands.
In the portrait, Avery nestled beside him, her smile radiant, while he looked completely content.
He had said it symbolized their unbreakable bond, as enduring as gold and stone.
How could an object that no longer existed appear here?
Reed’s long-dead heart suddenly began to beat violently.
The non-existent portrait had appeared.
Did that mean his Avery… might return too?
The golden portrait wavered slightly, beginning to sink slowly toward the deeper, darker seabed.
Reed, like a madman, used every ounce of strength to dive deeper, chasing that sole light.
His oxygen was nearly depleted. He reached out, finally grasping the corner of the portrait.
The substantial weight convinced him this wasn’t a hallucination.
He clutched the portrait tightly, as if holding the world’s most precious treasure.
At that moment, he saw a figure-
It was his Avery!
She wore the dress from when they first met, standing in the light, smiling and beckoning to him.
“Avery!”
Wild joy surged through Reed-Avery had really come back!
He swam toward her.
This time, he would never let go of her hand.
He would love her properly, never betraying her again…
Chapter 21
We’ll be together forever.
Three days later, Reed’s assistant received a call from the police-
Reed’s body had been found by the sea, already recovered.
In his arms, he was still tightly clutching a piece of reef rock.
The assistant rushed to the scene, looking at that face-swollen from seawater yet still recognizable-and sighed deeply, shaking his head.
From the day Avery passed away, he had anticipated this outcome.
If Reed loved Avery enough to follow her in death, why had he pretended to lose his memory and been with Victoria, pushing Avery into the abyss with his own hands?
People always realize what they cherish only after they’ve lost it.
But unfortunately, for some mistakes, there is never a chance for redemption.
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