Chapter 10
992words
"Mr. Grayson, you need to rest!" The nurse tried restraining him.
But he ripped away the IV and forced himself upright, ignoring the agony tearing through him. "Where's Ella? Where's my wife?"
"Miss Vance, she..." Hesitation flashed across the nurse's face.
Just then, Adrian's lawyer Allen rushed in, followed by two black-suited security men.
"Boss," Allen's face was grim, "Miss Ella's condition deteriorated suddenly. Fifteen minutes ago, they rushed her to the special surgical suite upstairs."
"What?!" Adrian's blood froze. "Surgery? What surgery?"
"Brain tumor removal."
Brain tumor...
Adrian remembered now—that phone call with renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Woods he'd mistaken as evidence of Ella's scheming. The doctor she'd been consulting wasn't for someone else—but for herself!
What a fool he'd been! The most hopeless fool in the world!
She'd orchestrated this elaborate charade, even letting him hate her, so she could quietly face death alone after making him believe she'd "moved on"?
"Stop them!" Adrian's eyes blazed red with fury. "No one operates on her without my consent!"
He leapt from the bed, ignoring his lawyer's protests, and bolted from the room like a madman.
"I want everything on Ethan Shaw and Julia Croft's trust meeting scheme—every shred of evidence that can destroy them—in five minutes!" he roared into his phone while racing down the corridor.
He'd make everyone who'd hurt her pay dearly!
But now, she was all that mattered!
He burst onto the top floor where the red "Surgery in Progress" light already glowed.
"Ella!" He pounded the door like a man possessed.
Dr. Woods emerged at the commotion, frowning deeply. "Adrian? What are you doing? Go back! Ella's condition is fragile—the surgical risk is extremely high. Stop agitating her!"
"Out of my way!" Adrian shoved him aside and burst through the doors.
Under the surgical lights, Ella lay quietly on the table, the anesthesiologist preparing the injection. Hearing the commotion, she opened her eyes. Seeing Adrian, her gaze held no surprise—only profound, silent sorrow.
"Why are you here?" she asked softly, her voice ethereal as smoke. "To witness my final performance?"
"Performance?" Adrian approached slowly, tears streaming down his face. He bent down, trembling, and kissed the familiar scar on her wrist.
Ella's entire body shuddered.
"You fool..." Adrian raised his head, his tears falling hot on her face. "When you took that knife for me, did you ever think how much it would hurt me? Do you know how many times I've kissed this scar? How many times I promised never to let you get hurt again?"
He pressed her hand to his lips, his voice choked beyond recognition.
"Remember our anniversary? You said you wanted no gift—just for me to learn a Windsor knot. I spent a week making a mess of it while you teased me, then fixed it yourself. In that moment, I knew I'd loved you for a lifetime and wanted to love you in the next."
"That diary you forged... you forgot that when I write 'Ella,' the tail of the 'r' always curls into a small hook. Yours didn't. Your love runs deep enough to nearly perfect my handwriting, but you forgot my love for you hides in details no one else would notice."
"Stop..." Ella begged through tears, shaking her head desperately.
"No, I must speak!" Adrian gripped her firmly, pressing his forehead to hers. "Ella, listen! I remember everything! I remember my call before the accident! You wanted to die alone and push me toward someone else? Not a chance!"
"We promised each other! In life or death, we stay together!"
"If you die on this table today, Ella, I swear I will not—will not—live without you!"
"Live!" he commanded, cupping her face with tear-filled eyes. "For me, live! Do you hear me?!"
"Adrian..." Ella broke completely under his passionate plea. She threw her arms around his neck and released a long-suppressed, heart-wrenching sob.
Her will to live reignited in that moment—sparked by his fierce, unyielding love.
***
Epilogue
Several months later.
A private seaside rehabilitation center.
Warm afternoon sunlight bathed Ella as she reclined under a light blanket. Her face remained pale, but her eyes shone bright and peaceful.
The surgery had succeeded miraculously.
Adrian approached with a cup of warm fruit tea, sat beside her, and took her hand naturally in his.
"What are you thinking?" he asked softly.
"I'm wondering if this is all a dream." Ella turned to him. The man before her—in well-tailored casual clothes, eyes calm and gentle—bore no trace of the angry nineteen-year-old he'd been.
"It's not a dream." Adrian kissed her hand reverently. "I almost lost you forever. Ella, promise you'll never do anything so foolish again."
Ella smiled without answering, simply tightening her grip on his hand.
"By the way," Adrian pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, revealing a ring with a simple setting but breathtaking diamond.
"What's this for?" Ella asked, surprised.
"To propose again." Adrian dropped to one knee, his eyes intensely serious. "Elara Vance, our first marriage began with a cold contract. This time, I want it to be only about love."
He paused, his voice tinged with nervous anticipation.
"So, would you... marry me again?"
In the golden light, Elara gazed at the stars in his eyes and slowly, solemnly nodded.
"I do."
Adrian cheered like a child, slid the ring onto her finger, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
"Oh, and Dr. Woods says once you're fully recovered, we're perfectly healthy to start a family," he whispered in her ear.
"And Ethan and Julia have paid dearly for their schemes. We needn't concern ourselves with those irrelevant people anymore."
Ella nestled into his warm embrace, his strong heartbeat against her ear, her heart overflowing with joy.
She gazed toward the vast azure ocean, where brilliant sunlight danced across the horizon.
Her future—their future together—
Was only just beginning.
