Chapter 314

---- Chapter 314, Giselle stood motionless before the bed. Her gaze fixed on Donovan, who lay there. Her throat tightened and her breathing quickened. She could barely form a word. Perhaps sensing her familiar presence, Donovan slowly forced his eyes open and locked eyes with her. His gaze was frail and unfocused. Meeting his frail, weary gaze, Giselle was at a total loss for words. She just stood there, frozen, and stared at that all-too- familiar face without blinking. Before she came in, she had imagined herself softening at the sight of him.

She imagined that she would set aside all resentment, shed a few tears, and whisper something tender to comfort him. But when the moment finally arrived, her heart refused to yield. Confronted with the broken man before her, she couldn't bring herself to lean down and hold his hand, let alone say anything affectionate. All she could do was stand stiffly and stare at Donovan in silence. At that moment, a nurse gently reminded Giselle that she only had two minutes left. That broke her out of the heavy stillness.

She drew ina quiet breath and flatly asked, "Now, do you see ---- me?" "Yes," Donovan replied. His reply was faint but clear. "Do you recognize me?" she asked. "Ido." "Good," Giselle checked off in her mind. He wasn't blind, hadn't lost his memory, and wasn't paralyzed or disfigured . Then, forcing herself to sound cold, she said, "As long as you're not dead, that's all that matters. Just focus on getting better. I'll be going now." After saying her piece briefly, she turned and walked away without so much as touching him. It was as if her visit were merely a formality.

Donovan was already used to her indifference. Fresh out of a coma, he didn't have the strength to think too deeply about it. He simply watched her leave the room. Then, he closed his eyes again, exhausted. Outside the emergency ward, Giselle plopped down a chair heavily. She was reluctant to leave. No matter how detached she pretended to be, the truth was clear-she couldn't let go of her concern for him. She lingered around the hospital for more than two hours until she saw Ethan and Grace return. Only then did she force herself to go home.

She struggled to find a vein to inject a cat with vaccines and nearly got bitten again during a dog neutering. In short, everything she did went wrong. Her mind was a mess, and her work and life were falling apart. After five agonizing days of emotional turmoil, Giselle's phone lit up with a message from Donovan. "I miss you. Come see me." Those few simple words felt both like a command anda desperate plea. She stared at them, lost in thought for what felt like an eternity. But in the end, she never replied.

After spending a stifling morning at home, while restless at home, Giselle's mind circled back again and again to the night of the accident. She remembered how it had started. On that day, she had been bitten by a dog. Out of concern, Donovan insisted on driving her to the hospital. ---- To get there quickly, he'd taken a shortcut -a narrow, poorly lit road. But for some reason, sitting in the passenger seat, Giselle had goaded and provoked him. In the end, his attention slipped, and the car collided with a truck hidden in the shadows.

Yet, in that critical moment, he had chosen a path akin to suicide... all to save her life.