Married a Secret Billionaire novel Chapter 1448

"Chris, you..." Lena asked him in a murmur, "What are you saying?"

Chris' heart clenched, but his words could not be taken back. He did not regret revealing the truth—he was just afraid of seeing the disappointment in Lena's eyes.

That look was as if her unwavering beliefs had collapsed, and the light she had always trusted had suddenly gone out. She had thought she was not alone in this world, but it was all a joke now.

"Lenny..." Chris licked his dry lips. "I'm sorry, I..."

Under Lena's gaze, he could not even say a complete sentence.

Lena's ears were buzzing. When Renee had exposed her as Nicholas' illegitimate daughter earlier, she had been angry and afraid—angry that Renee had revealed her secret and afraid that she would lose Lina and Nicholas.

Now, Chris was saying that she was not from the Thompsons.

She felt hopeless. It was like stepping into an abyss. There was nothing left in her world to support her.

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed.

"Lenny!" Chris panicked and reached out to catch her.

Lena went limp as she curled up in his arms as if she had been drained of all her strength. Her eyes lost focus, and she closed them weakly with a flutter of eyelids.

-

Lena felt like she was walking on an endless road. She was all alone on this journey, facing venomous creatures and wild beasts, sharp stones cutting her feet, scorching sun and freezing cold. Everything she encountered, she faced alone.

She thought her heart had become hardened and could withstand anything, but when she saw their faces one by one—Lina, Chris, Nicholas, Linda, Cordelia, Zephyr, Zuko, and Toph… her heart softened.

She rushed toward them eagerly, but these people instantly disappeared when she got close.

Lena shouted, waving her arms, tears streaming down her face.

Lina stayed by her side, wiping the sweat from her forehead, and looked worriedly at the doctor. "How long will it take for her to wake up?"

"The reason she fainted suddenly might be due to excessive mental stress," the doctor said. "Let her rest, and she will recover soon."

Zuko's hand rested on Lina's shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"It'll be okay," he said softly. "Lena is a strong person. She will get through this."

Chris sat on the side, watching Lena's pale face with an aching heart. She only wanted a family...

He covered his face and took a deep breath. He could give her that family, but the family he could provide was different from the one she wanted.

-

As the doctor had said, Lena recovered quickly. However, it seemed like her consciousness was still stuck on the day her true identity was revealed. She became less talkative and less inclined to smile. She had always been quiet, to begin with, so now she was even more withdrawn.

Most of the day, she sat quietly in a corner by the window, staring outside without really seeing anything.

She still responded to Chris' careful care, but the feeling of it had changed. She continued to cook and make soup in the kitchen, still serving him food, but her movements were mechanical as if someone had programmed her to do these things.

When Chris suggested getting everyone together, she did not say anything, but her eyes showed her refusal.