By the end of the whole farce, Cherry had lost her name. Shutters flashed nonstop, capturing her the moment of her defeat.
She refused to the very end, her head shaking wildly as she was taken away by the police.
With the culprit being exposed and carried off to prison, the action had died down and there was nothing left for the reporters. One by one, they left—lugging their equipment as they murmured to one another, none of them giving noticing the car where Sam was.
When everyone had gone, he opened the door. Anne darted out and stood, looking at Kevin from a distance. The weight of her gaze made him turn and their eyes met.
Kevin made no move to come to her. Was she here to laugh at him? It wouldn't be too far-fetched. It was her who colluded with Cherry to set him up.
These thoughts left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he could not help but look at her face.
For a moment, the world around them seemed to have stopped as both of them waited. Then Anne took a step, then another, and another as Kevin watched her, rooted to the spot. She stopped right in front of him, and Kevin saw the angry mark blooming on her cheek.
His eyes widened as he asked in restrained anger, "What happened to your face? Who slapped you?"
His voice hid nothing of his worry, and guilt sank in Anne's stomach. She shook her head and grabbed Kevin's hand. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kevin. This was all because of me!"
Kevin was knocked backwards in disbelief. He searched her face, looking for answers. Anne took a deep breath and went on to tell him all about going to Sam's hospital. Kevin listened carefully, then his eyes went to his friend.
Sam only shrugged. "At the end of the day, it all worked out." Kevin nodded despite his confusion. It was true. What mattered the most now was that they were able to resolve things.
"I'm sorry," Anne repeated. "The drug... It turned me into someone else. My actions were the complete opposite to what I was feeling. It all makes sense now. I'm sorry for what you had to suffer from me. You must've been so confused. I..." Her voice choked up, as if unable to continue, but she couldn't stop now. "Kevin, you can blame me for this. Could you wait a little longer? After the effects are gone, I'll make it up to you, I promise." Anne's voice shook as she looked at Kevin's face. She fought against the sudden recoil that passed through her body.
Right now, it was impossible. No matter how much she wanted to make things right, her own body would not obey her. She had to wait until the drug was completely out of her system. Otherwise, she would just hurt him more. She steeled herself for his resentment. Anne would accept all of his grudge if it meant there would be another chance for them.
But Kevin only smiled softly. Slowly, he reached out and lightly trailed his fingers over the mark on her face, soothing the burn. "Anne, I won't blame you for this. To be honest, I just feel relieved and happy that you came to me."
His words sent another burn to her throat. Anne's eyes were hot with tears. She knew that she must have deeply hurt him, but once again, just as he had done so many times in the past, Kevin always protected her feelings, holding them tenderly in his hands.
She took a long and deep breath. "Kevin, I have something to ask." Her eyes were on his as she spoke.
"Anything," Kevin answered.
"I want to see Kim." Kevin's expression shifted uneasily at her request. Anne knew that Kim was behind all this mess. And she wanted to see him now?
Seeing the question in his eyes, Anne went on to explain,
"I want to ask him something. I want to know why he injected me with the drug, and why he forcibly changed my mind... I need to hear his answer from his own mouth." There was no fear or hesitation in her. Anne's eyes burned with anger at the man who almost took everything she loved away from her.
Kevin nodded quietly. Out of all of them, Anne was the one who had been most affected. It was no surprise that she demanded answers.
Truth be told, Kevin had the same questions. Kim had a distorted view on love. But was Kevin so different? He loved Anne as well. Would he have gone as far as Kim had if she had not return his feelings? Would he have been plagued by the same obsession that pushed the other man to his own detestable actions?
Perhaps hearing his answers would give Kevin more clarity. "I'll track him down and bring him to you," Kevin said. His arms longed to hold her, but he did not move.
This time, it was Anne who bridged their distance. She stepped forward and pulled Kevin to her. Kevin's body stiffened with surprise, but a pleasant warmth quickly ran through his body. Anne buried her face in his chest and breathed in his scent. "Thank you, Kevin. I'll get better, and it will be just as it was before." She looked up at him and grinned cheekily. "No drug in this world can make me lose my feelings for you."
Kevin laughed as he embraced her. The medicine was so potent that it was impossible for Anne to fight against it. It might take a long time, but for now, this was enough. She believed in him, and it was all he needed.
Sam watched the two as they held each other, and a smile tinged with pain came to his lips.
Emily's face came to his mind. Their problems had caused a rift between them. Sam sucked in a breath as he thought about the scene Emily came across, and at once he was at a loss for words to explain.
It was as if they had become strangers. Their conversations turned into a one-sided exchange, with Sam speaking and Emily just nodded absently at his words. He could see it in her eyes—she didn't believe him, and that thought crushed Sam as he watched the dull light in her wordless gaze.
If he let things go on like this, Sam knew that it would only be a matter of time before the two of them would break. That was the last thing he wanted. He loved her, and yet he did not know what difference it would make against his damnable helplessness.
Anne turned to look at Sam and said hesitantly, guilt softening her voice, "Sam, I owe you an apology too. It's my fault that things have become strained between you and Emily. I can call her to explain..."
Sam only smiled bitterly and shook his head. If Anne called her now, it would only make Emily feel worse. He was already walking on a tightrope as it was, and he didn't want to do anything to shake the delicate balance between them.
"Sam, you are husband and wife. You two should be talking things out instead of avoiding them. You need each other more than ever as support. Go home and talk to her. Are you fine with just leaving things as they are? Are you ready to lose her?" Kevin said in a steady voice as he looked at Sam.
At his words, Sam's eyes widened. The next moment, he turned around and left, without as much as a nod.
No, he couldn't lose her.
He had never been more sure of anything in his life. The thought of Emily sent a pang of pain through his chest. He had to fix this.
At Anne's request, Kevin took her to see Rose.
She was still in the hospital. Despite the trouble caused by her actions, Kevin promised the Luo Family that as long as Rose stayed in the hospital and helped them study the characteristics of the drug, he would not be filing charges.
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