Gone Quiet, Gone Love novel Chapter 12

Claudia's words pierced straight into the chaos of Nester's heart like a sharp knife.

He stood where he was, colors draining from his face inch by inch.

Seeing the look on his face, Claudia felt a sudden pang of pity. She softened her voice to speak, but every word struck deep.

"Before Sab left, she told me that if you come looking for me, I should tell you that there's no greater sorrow than a dead heart. She didn't even have the strength to hate you anymore."

Nester jolted as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He staggered back and slammed hard into the cold wall.

"There's no greater sorrow than a dead heart. She didn't even have the strength to hate you anymore."

Did that mean he didn't even have the right to be hated anymore?

Claudia gave him one last look, then turned and walked away.

Nester stood frozen for a long time. It was only when his legs began to numb that he moved slowly back to his car.

He didn't go home since he couldn't face that empty villa. Instead, he drove aimlessly through the city until he ended up by the river.

Sitting in the car, staring out at the dark river surface, Claudia's words wouldn't stop replaying in his head.

"Are you searching for her like a madman now because you've suddenly realized you love her, or because you were used to her presence? And now that she's gone, you're just not comfortable with it?"

Did he love Sabrina?

He had no idea. All he knew was that for the past month, he felt like he had lost his soul. Whenever he ate, he would remember the varied breakfasts she made every day.

When he slept, he would recall how she always snuggled close in his arms. When he worked late into the night, he would be reminded of the warm glass of milk she would quietly set beside him.

She was everywhere and in every corner of the house.

The kitchen bore marks from when she burned her hand learning to make soup. The bookshelf in the study hid the stomach medicine and handwritten notes she had slipped him when he wasn't looking.

The couch in the living room had her most often used blankets, still carrying her faint scent.

He used to find her annoying and clingy. To him, her world revolved entirely around him, and she had no self of her own.

Now that she was gone, he realized that the house was empty, and so was his heart.

When he took out his phone and opened his cloud album, it was filled almost entirely with photos of Della. From her teens to her 20s, she took up nearly everything in the space.

Photos of Sabrina were scarce. The few that existed were mostly her back or a blurred side profile.

Like an obsessive madman, he desperately scrolled down until he found a video in a forgotten folder named "Miscellaneous".

The video was from five years ago, taken on the night before their wedding. It was shaky, as if it had been recorded in secret.

The camera was aimed at Sabrina in her pajamas. She stood before a mirror and repeatedly practiced.

"Nester, I do."

"Nester, I do."

"Nester, I—"

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