Chapter 1768

chapter1768

Fifteen years had flown by, and this place had changed so much, yet it still felt oddly familiar. Nellie leaned against the car door, her eyes reflecting a lifetime of stories as she gazed out the window. She never imagined she'd come back. She'd resigned herself to a life of carrying burdens, destined to face the end alone. But the chance to see him one last time before her time was up felt like a small mercy from the universe.

An hour later, her car rolled up to the hospital entrance. Standing there for a moment, she took a deep breath before heading inside. The hospital was eerily quiet, save for a nurse at the desk, nodding off in her chair. Nellie moved quietly, hoping to go unnoticed. The soft chime of the elevator doors opening jolted the nurse awake, but she missed seeing Nellie slip inside. The nurse shrugged it off— she was used to the night owls on the fifteenth floor, who seemed to drift around like ghosts in the dead of night.

Nellie rode the elevator to the thirteenth floor, then took the stairs up two more flights. When she reached the fifteenth floor, her hand hesitated on the doorknob before she finally swung the door open. She'd expected someone to be standing guard, but the hallway was empty. With a cautious glance, she moved toward Jim's room.

The door creaked open with a gentle twist. Nellie took a deep breath, stepped inside, and saw Jim lying there, peaceful without the respirator he'd removed earlier that day. The machines around him beeped softly, the only sound in the room. She pulled down her mask, revealing a face that seemed untouched by time. Standing by his bedside, she softly called out a name she hadn't spoken in years. "Jim..."

Meanwhile, a sleek sports car tore through the Davis estate, its engine a roar that shattered the night's peace. It came to a halt in front of a villa behind the main mansion. The villa was ablaze with light, and the doors were thrown open, flanked by two rows of staff in matching Davis uniforms, giving the welcome a formal flair.

Penelope, clad in a black leather jacket, stepped out, her boots hitting the ground with a confident thud. She removed her helmet, her long black hair spilling out like a dark waterfall, her presence commanding the space around her.

"Miss Penelope, welcome back," the butler at the door said with a respectful nod, reaching for her helmet. She nodded back, barely pausing before striding inside with purpose. s

As she entered the main hall, Jaime greeted her with a with a warm smile,

wrapping her in a brie

brace. ?s s Find_Novel(.)net

"Penelope, 'you're back." s.net>

"Jaime."

Penelope had a striking presence, her features bold and defined, a legacy of her mixed heritage. Her eyes a deep and intense black,

were

impossible to ignore, brumming with strength. s

"It must have been a long journey from the South; you must be worn out," Jaime said with a gentle sigh.

"I'm alright," Penelope replied, shaking her head slightly, her eyes clouded with worry. "What's going on with Zach now?"