Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 238

"Bonnie, did you know? My dad's funeral was held right here," Aiken said, looking out at the mountains with a wistful sigh. "I hate coming to this place. Every time I'm here, it's just another devastating goodbye."

"When I was a kid, my dad brought me here for a colleague's funeral. She hadn't been killed in action—she passed away from an illness, but it was brought on by sheer exhaustion from the job. I asked him back then, 'Dad, there are so many jobs in the world. Why do you have to be a cop?'"

Aiken's eyes grew glassy, as if he was recalling a sacred oath.

"He told me, 'Because someone has to do it. Why shouldn't that someone be us? Aiken, you have to remember, there are no given rules in this world about what you should or shouldn't do. But once you make a choice, you have to give it your absolute best. Because in this life, the only things that will carry you to the finish line are passion and duty.'"

Bonnie's expression softened with genuine emotion. She had never met Aiken's father, but a vivid image of the man was already taking shape in her mind.

He must have been a deeply grounded, warm, and subtly humorous father. A dedicated officer who gave his absolute all until his very last breath.

And she already had a feeling about what Aiken was leading up to.

Aiken let out a long, slow breath. "Bonnie, my dad was one step away from his dream. I'm going to spend my entire life finishing that final step for him. Even if no one supports me, I can't quit. And I won't."

To him and his father, it was a legacy and a mission. But to the family left behind, it was a source of pure anxiety and an agonizing burden.

When Aiken first applied to the police academy, his mother and sister fought him tooth and nail.

His mother had always spoiled him, but on this one issue, she was a brick wall. Absolutely not.

They didn't speak for a week. His sister was even worse. She hadn't been incredibly close to their stepfather, and she simply couldn't comprehend this romanticized passing of the torch.

He didn't know if Bonnie, after witnessing today's absolute devastation—watching Wallace's wife and child sob until they passed out, seeing four white-haired parents barely able to stand—would recoil in fear. He wondered if she was terrified that one day she would be the one standing there, living constantly on edge, spending countless sleepless nights whenever he was out on a raid.

Or maybe... she wasn't afraid at all.

She was so incredibly brave. The ultimate betrayal of an ex-fiancé and the crushing weight of public cyberbullying hadn't broken her. Maybe Bonnie had the courage to embrace a completely different kind of life.

Aiken didn't know.

And he didn't dare ask. Because asking felt like shifting the impossible burden of choice onto her shoulders.

He couldn't be that selfish. Bonnie could easily have a safe, grounded life. She could find a great guy from a similar background, someone who would treat her flawlessly. They would have stable hours, eat three meals a day together, spend the holidays visiting their parents, and safely celebrate every little milestone.