Hearing the girl\u2019s words become more and more absurd, Rebecca couldn\u2019t help but cut her off sharply..\u00a0<\/p>\n
She frowned, rummaging in her bag for a tissue to wipe the\u00a0<\/p>\n
tears from Lillie\u2019s face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lillie shoved her away, wiping her face messily with the back of\u00a0<\/p>\n
her hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop pretending to care. I don\u2019t need it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s tone was unusually serious, tinged with heaviness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYour brother and I.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She spoke very slowly, making sure Lillie could hear every\u00a0<\/p>\n
single word clearly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were never together, and we never expressed any feelings\u00a0<\/p>\n
for each other. Do you understand?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lillie froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The anger and sadness on her face froze, as if she hadn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
understood the words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2026 did you say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After what felt like a long time, she spoke in a daze, her voice trembling slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is that possible? My brother\u2026 he was so obviously in love with you. The way he looked at you\u2026 it was different from how he looked at anyone else.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Leo\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice was a little tight. \u201cHe might have had some feelings for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mentioning the man who had once left such a deep mark on her life still made Rebecca feel uneasy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m also very grateful to him. If he hadn\u2019t pulled me out of that\u00a0<\/p>\n
abyss, the Rebecca you see today wouldn\u2019t exist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She gave a bitter smile, quickly composed herself, and looked\u00a0<\/p>\n
up to meet Lillie\u2019s eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Lillie, we weren\u2019t together. And I never thought of myself as\u00a0<\/p>\n
your sister\u2013in\u2013law.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She watched the color drain from Lillie\u2019s face as she continued to explain, her voice filled with endless exhaustion and sorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, I did struggle with what Leo meant to me. Was it a love that I had mistaken?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca shook her head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Lillie. My feelings for him weren\u2019t romantic love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, there was no betrayal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And no being ungrateful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She would never forget the kindness Leo had shown her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Madeleine returned, she only saw the complicated looks on their faces. Holding a Bubble Tea, she walked over quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The atmosphere felt a little off. Madeleine naturally walked over\u00a0<\/p>\n
to Rebecca\u2019s side, warily watching the girl across from them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl didn\u2019t look very old, and she was crying her eyes out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If this had been before, Madeleine might have actually\u00a0<\/p>\n
suspected Rebecca of bullying the young girl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, don\u2019t worry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca whispered to Madeleine, and fearing\u2018 Lillie might do something irrational in her emotional state, she pulled Madeleine\u2019s hand to get her to step behind her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Madeleine\u2019s gaze remained locked on Lillie, and this wariness made Lillie\u2019s heart inexplicably flutter with panic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She subconsciously took half a step back, her sobs catching in her throat. Only her shoulders were still trembling slightly, making her look a bit helpless and pathetic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo home, Lillie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked at her, feeling a bit helpless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing between your brother and me, when I have time, I\u2019ll\u00a0<\/p>\n
explain it all to you properly, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She raised her hand and glanced at her watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s getting late. I\u2019ll call a car for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 276\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lillie\u2019s voice was hard as she stared fiercely into Rebecca\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, next week is my brother\u2019s death anniversary. I just\u00a0<\/p>\n
hope you haven\u2019t forgotten that day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After saying this, Lillie turned and ran off quickly. As she ran,\u00a0<\/p>\n
you could see her raise a hand to wipe away her tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine just stood there beside Rebecca, quietly, without\u00a0<\/p>\n
making a sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She glanced at Rebecca. Although she didn\u2019t know the whole story, she guessed something from their fragmented\u00a0<\/p>\n
conversation and expressions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had heard Roderick mention the story about Rebecca and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That young girl, it seemed, was Leo\u2019s sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine placed a hand on Rebecca\u2019s shoulder, her tone\u00a0<\/p>\n
gentle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca quickly composed herself, smiling as she turned her head to take the Bubble Tea from Madeleine\u2019s hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me try it, see if it\u2019s good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She lowered her head and clumsily stuck the straw in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It tasted great, a sweet flavor melting in her mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Rebecca\u2019s mind was a mess, and she couldn\u2019t taste\u00a0<\/p>\n
anything at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Livingston father and son were eating at the dining table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin was a little unhappy that his mom couldn\u2019t come back to\u00a0<\/p>\n
eat with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, are you sure we don\u2019t have to wait for Mom to eat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick gave a faint reply and went over to roll up Kevin\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
sleeves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s eating out with Aunt Rebecca.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin looked as if his world was ending.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom\u2019s eating with Aunt Rebecca, why didn\u2019t she take me\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick frowned. \u201cWhy would she take you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom used to take me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore, your Aunt Rebecca wasn\u2019t dating anyone, and their topics of conversation weren\u2019t so inappropriate for kids.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 276 Hearing the girl\u2019s words become more and more absurd, Rebecca […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29573\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}