Chapter Sixty One

Sophie was on her way to see a patient when a short man in a police uniform stepped into her path. Without a word, he handed her a small yellow envelope and walked away.

She sank onto a bench beneath a tree. The leaves rustled overhead, a few drifting down to land on the ground and over her shoes. A cool breeze brushed against her short, curly hair, tossing strands across her face.

Her palms grew damp as she turned the envelope in her hands, her heartbeat pounding in her chest. The air felt too sharp against her skin, chilling her to the bone until her stomach churned. Slowly, she broke the seal and drew out a neatly folded sheet of white paper.

She let out a heavy sigh as she opened it. One glance at the handwriting, and she froze. Alex.

Her breath caught.Had he found out about me?

The letter trembled in her hands as she began to read:

“Dear Sophie,

First, I want to ask how you’ve been. I’m sorry for everything you went through because of me—and sorry for forgetting you completely. I buried you in my heart because it hurt too much to think about losing my sister, not knowing if she was dead or alive.

And I’m sorry about Mom and Dad. They died a painful death before my eyes, and I couldn’t do anything to save them. The fire swallowed the house, turning them to ashes, while through the window I saw the man in a black cap, smiling like it was a movie he was enjoying. That pain never left me. I couldn’t bear to see his family live happily. I had to avenge our parents’ deaths. Even if time reversed and it happened again, I would do the same.”

Tears ran down Sophie’s face, her hands trembling violently as she kept reading.

“I know I broke your heart and disappointed you—and Mother too. I’m sorry for all of it. Sorry for now, because by the time you’re reading this, I’ll be gone to the other world.”

Sophie dropped to her knees, shaking her head. Her lips trembled, her face blotched red, her nose running as sobs shook her chest.

“I have only one wish, Sophie. Bury me under a blossoming tree, where the breeze will stir the leaves to keep me company. I’ve been lonely all my life. I don’t want to be lonely in death too. I know you’re strong. I know you’ll keep going. That thought lets me die in peace, knowing I have a beautiful sister to carry on our bloodline. Tell Isa I loved her. I only wish we could have died together. Maybe, if there’s an afterlife, we’ll find each other again. Please, don’t let sorrow weigh you down. Live, Sophie. Enjoy every moment. Don’t take a single breath for granted.

Your brother,

Alexander."

Sophie’s chest tightened, her head grew light, and a wave of dizziness swept over her. “You can’t do this!” she cried. Before she realized it, she was on her feet, running—nowhere in particular, only forward, as if her legs could somehow chase him back. She crushed the letter in her fist, her heartbeat thundering in her ears, hot blood rushing through her veins.

Tears blurred her vision. Just wait for me a little longer…

Her hair whipped behind her as she shoved past strangers, the world around her fading into nothing. Only Alex remained—Alex hanging, Alex bleeding, Alex slipping away.

“Please!” Her cry tore from her throat, raw and desperate. “Just a little longer!”

The policemen found Alex hanging from a rope tied to the ceiling, a stool toppled beneath him. His body swayed gently, head slumped forward, tongue protruding with blood dripping from his mouth.

One officer cut him down, pressed two fingers to his icy neck, then shook his head at the others. Alex was carried out. When Sophie heard the news, she collapsed to her knees, biting her fingers until they bled. Her colleagues stayed with her, holding her, whispering words of comfort.

When Chris and Isa received the news, shock struck them as hard as everyone else. Chris shut himself in his room for hours, lying stiff on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as if life had drained from him.

Now, he stood before Alex’s grave. Isa was beside him, Sophie beside her. Blossom-pink leaves stirred in the branches overhead, petals falling like rain onto the grave.

Chris’s eyes fixed on the tombstone where the name was carved: Alexander Anthony. He exhaled a long, heavy breath, tilting his head back to the rustling leaves above. Shafts of morning light broke through the branches, striping his face with light and shadow.

He should be happy, right? he thought, his chest rising with a weary sigh. He turned his gaze to Sophie. Her face was swollen, streaked red from tears, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, her lips cracked and dry.

Then his eyes shifted to Isa. She bit her lower lip, her eyes rimmed with tears, cheeks flushed. His brows furrowed as he remembered her once saying Alex deserved what happened—but now…

When Isa turned to him with a bittersweet smile, Chris swallowed hard. For a moment, he wondered if she was thinking the same as he was. He gave her a small smile in return, slid his hand into hers, and laced their fingers together. His chest tightened when she squeezed—hard enough to sting—but the pain swelled into something tender. He turned back to Alex’s grave.

In his mind, he pictured Isa in Sophie’s place—standing over his own tomb. The thought sent a sharp ache through him. He inhaled deeply, eyes fixed on the name carved in stone.

He never imagined his doctor, a man he believed had everything—a calm aura, a kind smile, and those sly little grins that hinted he always knew more—would end up here. Chris remembered that final night, the sinister smile Alex wore with a gun in his hand. His gut had been right all along. If the police hadn’t arrived in time, he and Isa might have been the ones in the ground instead.

Surely, he swallowed, I’ve been given a second chance at life.

He tightened his grip on Isa’s hand, drinking in her warmth as though to anchor himself. She had never left his side, caring for him in the hospital. And Sophie…. A heavy sigh escaped him. She had sacrificed her brother to protect him.

If he chose death, he thought, he would be no different from Alex—letting despair consume him, losing control. Alex had chosen revenge over love, darkness over light. If Chris gave up now, he’d be making the same choice: loneliness over life, pain over love, when both were still within reach.

Chris looked at Isa’s profile, a faint smile tugging at his lips, his eyes bright with unspoken promises. I’ll stay. Right here. By her side.

Not far away, Ryan leaned against a tree, watching Sophie, Isa, and Chris before Alex’s grave. A crossbody bag hung from his shoulder, his hand clenched tight around the strap.

I’m sorry, Alex. I should have protected you.

He sniffled, rubbed his nose, and stood there for several minutes. Then he slid on his sunglasses, pulled his cap low, and turned away.

Thank you for reading!