Chapter 487 A Stranger’s Collision
Finished
“Let go of me.” Her voice dropped to ice. “Ethan, don’t make me lose my temper right here and disturb Fiona’s peace.”
Ethan froze, staring blankly at the anger burning in her eyes, and knew she wasn’t bluffing.
Amelia was genuinely furious–rejecting every touch, every inch of closeness he tried to claim.
The hand gripping hers had no choice but to let go, reluctant to the very last second.
Amelia stood immediately, putting two full steps of distance between them, and looked down at his hollowed–out expression from above.
“Figure it out on your own. Some things lose their meaning when you have to keep repeating them.”
She turned to leave.
But after two steps, something seemed to cross her mind. Her feet paused, though she didn’t look back. She left behind one last remark, light as air.
“You know, I told you a long time ago that I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes. But somehow, even now, you still can’t seem to remember that.”
With that, Amelia walked away without another moment’s hesitation, her figure disappearing with finality at the end of the garden path.
Ethan sat rigid on the bench, like a statue drained of its soul.
The night wind had turned colder, numbing the tips of his fingers.
He raised his hand instinctively and brought it to his nose. The faint trace of nicotine still clung to his skin, along with something else–the soft, clean scent of her perfume lingering from her wrist.
The two smells tangled together, completely at odds with each other.
Her final words looped through his mind, over and over again.
I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes.
And you still can’t remember.
Of course, he remembered.
dmb
In the early days of their marriage, whenever he came home from a business dinner reeking of smoke, she’d wrinkle her nose and keep her distance.
She’d told him more than once that she was sensitive to cigarette smoke, that it made her chest feel tight.
So when exactly had he forgotten?
“Ha…” Ethan let out a laugh soaked in self–contempt.
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Chapter 487 A Stranger’s Collision
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He slowly raised his right hand, stared at his own palm, and then slapped himself across the face–hard.
The crack of it rang out sharp and clear in the silent night.
His cheek stung with a scaring heat, but that pain didn’t come close to even a fraction of the regret tearing him apart from the inside.
Early the next morning, the sky hung low and gray.
Fiona’s casket was carried out to the sound of somber music, making its slow procession toward the crematorium.
Amelia followed in silence among the long procession of the Rowes.
She watched Ethan at the very front, holding Fiona’s framed portrait in his arms.
His back was ramrod straight, but overnight, the man who had still carried traces of boyish recklessness seemed to have been ground down completely and rebuilt into someone steadier–someone bearing the full weight of a family on his shoulders.
Grace was crying so hard she nearly fainted, supported on either side, barely able to walk.
The relatives–some with genuine grief, others performing it–wore perfectly measured expressions of
sorrow.
The entire process was long and suffocating.
When Amelia watched that heavy casket slide into the flames and eventually be reduced to a handful of weightless ashes, a flood of emotions crashed through her all at once.
A living, breathing woman–gone from this world, just like that. Completely and forever.
In the end, the urn was placed with solemn care in the Rowes‘ private section of the cemetery. On the headstone, Fiona smiled, warm and gentle as ever.
And with that, Amelia’s duty as the former granddaughter–in–law, here to see Fiona off on her final journey, was finally, truly complete.
The funeral ended. The crowd gradually thinned.
Amelia didn’t say goodbye to anyone. She walked alone toward the cemetery gates.
All she wanted was to leave this place as fast as possible and get back to her own life.
Just as she stepped past the gate and was about to hail a ride from the curb, a rush of hurried footsteps came from behind her, and someone slammed into her hard.
The impact sent Amelia stumbling forward. Her phone slipped from her grip, hit the concrete, and skidded across the ground.
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Chapter 487 A Stranger’s Collision
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She frowned, bent down to pick it up, and found the screen shattered in a web of cracks. She swiped across it–nothing. The screen was completely dead.
I’m so sorry! I’m really sorry!” The man who had crashed into her apologized frantically. He was a middle–aged man she didn’t recognize–probably some distant Rowe relative.
His face was flushed with urgency as he pointed toward a car idling nearby. “I’m rushing to catch a flight. I honestly didn’t see you. How much is that phone? Let me pay for it!”
He was already reaching for his wallet, and at least seemed sincere about it.
Amelia could see he was in a genuine hurry, and besides, the phone was a few years old. She’d been meaning to replace it anyway.
She shook her head and slipped the broken phone into her bag. “Forget it. It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“You sure? Thank you so much! I’m really sorry!” The man looked like he’d just been let off the hook, fired off a few more apologies, then bolted toward the waiting car and vanished in seconds.
Amelia was about to head to the curb to flag down a ride when Ethan caught up to her. He’d seen the whole thing, and his voice was rough as he said, “I’ll have my assistant go get you a new one.”
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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