Chapter 871:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

I quietly tiptoed over, picked up the blanket draped across the back of the chair, and gently spread it over him.

Then I crouched beside the sofa and carefully took his hand.

His fingers were ice-cold, so I wrapped both of my hands around them, hoping to pass a little warmth to him.

I understood every bit of his coldness and irritability. If I had been in his position, buried beneath that same despair, I might have said things even harsher than he had. I never blamed him. The only thing I hated was my own helplessness.

I had planned to steal one quiet look at him before slipping away without waking him. But just as I reached the door and was about to leave, a hoarse voice came from behind me. “What are you doing here?”

I turned around and found him sitting upright. The blanket had slipped from his shoulders. His eyes were still clouded with sleep, yet beneath them lingered an unmistakable coldness and distance.

The atmosphere froze instantly.

He straightened his back and said in a hardened voice, “Who let you in? Get out.”

Even though I had prepared myself for those harsh words, they still pierced straight through my heart. They felt like a needle sinking into the softest place inside me, not deep enough to be fatal, but painful enough that I couldn’t ignore it.

𝗠оѕt 𝗿e𝖺𝖽 t𝗁i𝘴 𝗐е𝗲𝗄 𝗼𝘯 𝗴al𝗇𝗈𝘷𝘦𝗹s.𝖼𝗈𝘮

Holding back the tears burning in my eyes, I did my best to keep my voice calm. “I ran into Noah downstairs. He told me you were here, so I came up to see how you were doing.”

“Have you seen enough?” His voice remained devoid of warmth. “If you have, then leave.”

I parted my lips, wanting to say so much, but in the end, every word died in my throat. All I managed was a quiet reminder. “Get some rest, and don’t forget to eat.”

Then I turned, opened the door, and walked out.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I leaned against the wall in the hallway and tilted my head back, trying to stop the tears from spilling over. The corridor was completely empty, the bright ceiling lights glaring down at me.

When I returned to my office and closed the door, every ounce of strength I had been holding onto collapsed.

I slumped over my desk, buried my face in my folded arms, and silently let the tears fall.

I knew he didn’t truly mean those things. I knew this was simply how he was coping with his grief. I knew I should understand him and put myself in his shoes.

But my heart bled all the same.

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