Chapter 1242
“It’s because she’s worth it! I love her resilience, and my heart aches over her stubbornness. I’ve not experienced such feelings with any other woman before. Bruce, do you know what it’s like? I hope to be her shelter from the storm and a helping hand when she’s facing troubles. It doesn’t matter even if she doesn’t love me back, as long as she can have a good life.”
“But isn’t it pathetic to hold on to a love that can never be reciprocated?” That was how he’d responded then.
However, Nicholas had only smiled. “There’s nothing pathetic about it if I don’t feel that way. Loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean having ownership over them or expecting your feelings to be returned. Sometimes, devoting oneself can also be a form of bliss.”
Nicholas had appeared to be so foolish to him.
Alas, it seemed that someone else was following in his footsteps. Nicholas’s comment about how bullish Riley could be rang true.
Bruce remained silent as Riley picked up the three candles on the floor with trembling hands and lit them up before kneeling before the headstone, staring at the burning candles.
Her eyes were filled with grief, yet she was as quiet as a mouse. Even her tears were shed in utter silence.
Riley uttered lightly after an indeterminate amount of time had passed and the candles had burned out, “Nicholas, I’ll be heading back now. I’ll visit you once I’ve settled everything, okay?”
The whistling wind of the night was her reply.
Rosalie hurriedly helped Riley up and said, “All right. Let’s go back.”
Riley made a sound of acknowledgment. Her legs had gone completely numb from kneeling too long, causing her to tip forward the moment she tried walking.
Jonathan beckoned to Rosalie, “Let me do it.”
With that, he carried Riley in bridal style and strode toward the graveyard exit with Rosalie beside him.
He was passing by Bruce, who suddenly warned, “The Griffin family territory isn’t a place anyone can have free access to. I wouldn’t want Nicholas disturbed and won’t hesitate to call the police if you ever come back here again.”
A mild tremor overtook Riley’s body, and Jonathan’s baritone rang out. “You might not want to see her, but I doubt Nicholas echoes your sentiment.”
He left with Riley in his arms without waiting for a reply from Bruce.
Jonathan placed Riley in the backseat next to Rosalie so that she could help take care of her like before once they reached the car.
Rosalie took in the wound on Riley’s forehead during their journey. “We should have it treated by the doctor and nurses once we’re back. You were too reckless today. What would you do if an accident had occurred or members of the Summer family grabbed the opportunity to kidnap you?”
“I’m sorry.” Riley murmured, “I was too desperate to see Nicholas.”
She was eager to talk to Nicholas after finally regaining some freedom without needing to be confined in the gloomy psychiatric hospital. without needing to be confined in th
Riley had been chased out of Nicholas’s funeral, and the Griffin family had forbidden her from going anywhere near it.
It resulted in her being unable to light a candle in prayer before Nicholas’s grave after his death.
“You should be more careful. After all, you still aren’t truly safe yet,” Rosalie urged.
“I understand. Thank you.” Riley expressed her gratitude. She knew that Rosalie was genuinely looking out for her.
The nurse helped to bandage Riley’s forehead wound when they arrived at the hospital. Rosalie and Jonathan only departed after overseeing Riley back to her ward.
“I felt terrible witnessing Riley at Nicholas’s grave today. I wonder what Nicholas would think if he knew of the state the woman he’d dedicated his life to protect is in now,” Rosalie muttered
“You seem to be caring more and more for Riley,” Jonathan pointed out.
“I guess it’s because I’ve searched a great deal of information about Riley and spent so much time with her for the past few days. That’s why my heart goes out to her,” Rosalie lamented. “Perhaps everything would have turned out different if Riley’d loved Nicholas back then.”
“Maybe,” Jonathan added, “But then the car accident might still have happened, and Nicholas’s death would have been even more painful for Riley.”
Rosalie wrapped her arms around Jonathan out of the blue. “Jonathan, I’m so relieved that you’re well!” She’d learned to cherish the things she had even more after her experience today.
She used to think that the heavens had given her her fair share of misery and that she had now ridden out the storm at last. Her only wish was to secure this bliss enjoyed for as long as possible.
“Of course, I’ll be fine.” He hugged her back. “I still need to protect you and the children. I won’t let anything happen to any of you.”
“In that case, you’ll have to live longer than me,” she said from beneath her breath.
His eyes flickered at that.
Yet, a thought seemed to occur to her as she corrected herself hurriedly, “That’s not going to work either. You’d be distraught if I went on before you in the future.”
After all, he’d resorted to hypnosis to prevent himself from breaking down when she’d fallen into the ocean.
Jonathan buried his face deep into the crook of Rosalie’s neck. “My hope is also for you to go before me once we’re old and our time is up to save you from grief and heartbreak.”
“What about you? What are you going to do?”
“I will stand by you,” Jonathan said in a low voice. He would accompany Rosalie into the afterlife once she’d passed on, so she wouldn’t feel lonely.
Rosalie suddenly stiffened as soon as she understood what Jonathan implied. “You…”
“I love you, Rosalie. I live my life solely for your sake. I’ll be here as long as you are and follow you when it’s time to go.”
Jonathan’s noble voice had a strangely determined quality to it.
Rosalie’s eyes turned red at once, and she held Jonathan’s face up with both hands, fixing her gaze that was blurred with tears on the man she loved deep into her bones. “Don’t you think this is too foolish?”
“The most foolish thing I did was almost lose you. Staying by your side to guard you, on the other hand, is the best decision I’ve ever made!” Jonathan murmured.
He paused briefly before gently holding Rosalie’s hand up to kiss her palm. “Rosalie, you should take good care of yourself if you wish me to live longer. Deal?”
Rosalie sobbed. “Deal.”
Riley felt as if she was in an endless dream. She’d returned to when she first met Zephyr in her dreamscape. Zephyr’s constant care and concern had moved Riley, and she’d decided to enter a romantic relationship with him.
Riley thought, “There won’t be another man in this lifetime who’ll love e another man in this lifetime who’ll love me like Zephyr. He’s the one who knows me best.”
