The Returning EX (John and Sophia) novel Chapter 1688

Chapter 1688 Take Care

Bryce glared at Ian for a long while, but he simply looked away without losing his temper in the end. Bryce had been much more hot-tempered in the past—he would have lost his mind if Ian had said that to him when they were younger. However, after staying alone in the hospital for such a long period of time, he realized how his attitude and mindset had altered hugely.

Throughout this period, Sean was the only person who dropped by to visit Bryce. Moreover, Bryce could tell that Sean only paid him visits out of a sense of duty. Bryce would’ve thought that it was the other person’s problem if it were just a few people who ignored him, but he knew that he had to reflect on his own actions when he realized that everyone around him didn’t seem to care about him.

When Bryce put some thought into what Ian had said, he saw where Ian was coming from. He’s right—I did end things with Aurora because I found a new love. I had so many women back then, and Aurora was just one of my girls. I got rid of her after I got bored of her—it had nothing to do with her straightforward personality at all. Bryce let out a long sigh as he nodded. “Yeah. I think you’re right.” With his eyes narrowed, he glanced out the window as he recalled memories from the past.

He had so many women around him back then that there were only a few that he could properly remember. Although Aurora’s face was imprinted in his mind, he could barely recall what he had been through with her in the past. Bryce was silent for a long while before he spoke again. “When I think about it now, I realize that I owe your mom a huge apology. She has been cursed and criticized for years, but I think she didn’t do anything wrong. She was already rich when she was with me, so she didn’t get any financial benefits when she dated me. If anything, she lost her entire music career after being with me.”

Ian was surprised to hear this. Since when did Bryce ever reflect on his own issues? He has always been the sort of person to put the blame on others. Perhaps he woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Is that why he’s picking on his own faults for once? Ian’s face remained hard and cold as he tightened his grip around Cindy’s wrist.

Cindy pursed her lips. She couldn’t figure out what Bryce was trying to do. When I saw the articles about Bryce, all of them described him as a really arrogant man, but now that I’m looking at him in person, I think he’s just a really complicated person. He appears stern and solemn, yet he has a warm and kind side to him. He isn’t exactly like what others describe him to be in the news, but I do agree with some points.

Ian no longer had much to say to Bryce, so he got to his feet after a while. “You seem well and fine, so I guess I’ll leave now. I’ll let Sean know before I drop by for my next visit. He’ll probably inform you beforehand.” Ian didn’t even want to contact Bryce personally.

“Sure. You should go ahead if you’re busy,” Bryce said as he raised his head to look at his guests. Ian wasn’t actually busy—he simply had nothing else to say to Bryce.

“Okay,” Ian muttered as he led Cindy out of the room. Right as Ian was about to shut the door behind him, he saw Bryce turning to gaze in his direction. Ian hesitated for a moment as he held onto the door without shutting it completely. “Take care of yourself,” he uttered. That was the kindest thing Ian could bring himself to say to Bryce. He couldn’t do anything more than that.

Ian continued holding Cindy’s hand as they exited the hospital. She felt bad to pull her hand away from him, so she allowed him to pull her along. He didn’t let go even after they reached the car park. Cindy couldn’t take it any longer when her palm began to sweat. “Look… Alright. You don’t have to hold my hand anymore.”

Ian lowered his gaze to look at their intertwined fingers. Instead of letting go, he squeezed her hand even more tightly. Cindy felt her cheeks burning. I’ve already reminded him to let go of me, yet he’s not doing it. What does this mean? In the end, Ian only let go of her once they arrived at the car.

Cindy hastily wiped her hand on her shirt to dry her sweaty palms. Meanwhile, Ian didn’t get in the car immediately. Instead, he stood by the side and reached into his pocket for his cigarette pack.