She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 217

The winter wind whipped fiercely through the plaza.

Her dark hair blew wildly around her pale face, her red lips parting in shock.

Time seemed to stretch—seconds felt like minutes, or perhaps a lifetime. She just stood there, locked in his gaze, her face drenched in tears, her lips trembling violently as they soundlessly formed his name.

Harrell.

Harrell Judson.

You're awake.

You actually woke up.

Why did it take you so long?

Though she was weeping, it was the purest tears of joy she had ever cried.

In that fleeting second, she didn't think about whether they could actually be together, or if they would grow old side-by-side. All that mattered was that her Harrell was awake. He was standing right there in the flesh, looking at her with that unfathomable, gentle warmth.

The tears wouldn't stop falling.

A fragile, devastating smile broke across her face.

She didn't run to him, even though her soul was already sprinting into his arms. She forced herself to stay rooted several yards away, and Harrell, matching her restraint, didn't take a single step forward either. He just looked at her with overwhelming tenderness. Slowly, he raised a hand and pressed it flat against his heart.

Hilda's composure shattered completely.

She knew exactly what that meant.

He had only just woken from a coma, yet he had still dragged himself all the way to Alpha City. He had risked everything just to catch a glimpse of her. He was telling her that she was in his heart. That he wanted her to wait. That he still wanted a future with her.

*But Harrell... can we really be together now?*

Hilda gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head.

Harrell's gaze remained warm and entirely unyielding.

A second later, his eyes shifted to something in the distance. Luther was walking toward them with Annie in his arms.

Harrell offered the little girl a faint, lingering look before turning and vanishing into the crowd.

*Harrell. Harrell!*

Hilda's pale fingers curled into fists. She stood frozen in the cold air as the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder behind her.

"Mommy!"

It was Annie's bright voice.

A heavy, possessive hand settled onto Hilda's slender shoulder.

Hilda's entire body went rigid. She ducked her head, frantically wiping the tears from her face before turning around with a strained smile. "You're back."

She immediately reached for Annie, burying her face against the little girl's neck to hide her unraveling composure. She kept her tone light, though a nearly undetectable tremor betrayed her. "Were the sparklers fun? Was it crowded? Did you have a good time?"

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