The night grew deep.

The night grew quiet.

The night fell asleep.

And yet, the night was so lonely.

...

Cassian Jennings clutched a liquor bottle, staggering down the main road as he drank, walking without a destination.

’This... this was truly the best form of revenge.’

’Amelia Avery, you’ve won. You’ve well and truly won.’

If last night he’d suddenly realized he wasn’t repulsed by Amelia Avery’s body—in fact, he quite liked it—then it was only now that he was beginning to deeply understand that his feelings for her were something he could never let go of.

His eyes held a demonic charm as he let out a cold, self-mocking laugh. "Amelia Avery, you are truly cruel. Did you plan to make me fall in love with you, only to leave me forever and ever?"

"If you wanted this, if you wanted me to live with guilt for the rest of my life, then I’ll tell you what—you succeeded! You succeeded!" ’But please, can you come back? Can you please not leave this world...’

Cassian Jennings leaned against a large tree by the roadside and sank to one knee. His eyes were devoid of emotion as he simply tilted his head back to gaze at the night sky.

He thought he could see Amelia Avery smiling at him. He slowly curved his lips into a smile in return and reached out to touch her, but his hand met only empty air. He laughed at himself again, his tone bitter and heavy with pain. "My little troublemaker, aren’t you scared all by yourself? If you’re scared, then come back." ’No matter what you ask for, I’ll never refuse you again, okay...?’

Just then, someone shone a flashlight in Cassian Jennings’s face. Sheldon Rhodes’s surprised voice rang out, "Young Master, Master Jennings is over here!"

Hearing this, Tristan Grayson opened the car door and stepped out.

He closed the distance to Cassian Jennings in a few quick strides and looked down at him, his voice cold. "Get up!"

"What are you doing here?" The image of Amelia in front of Cassian had vanished because of what Sheldon Rhodes did, and he spoke with a trace of anger and displeasure.

"Cassian Jennings, get the hell up!"

Hearing Tristan Grayson’s grim and ruthless voice, Cassian Jennings staggered to his feet. He shoved Tristan away and barked coldly, "Tristan Grayson, stay out of my business."

"You think I enjoy meddling in your damn affairs? Cassian Jennings, if your parents hadn’t called me, do you think I’d want to come looking for you?"

"Heh..." Cassian Jennings gave a self-deprecating laugh and tilted his head back for another big gulp of liquor. He looked at Tristan Grayson with those bewitching eyes, but the smile on his lips was heart-wrenching. "Tristan, what do you think I should do?" ’He wished he could be like Amelia, just up and leave without a thought for the consequences.’

’But if he left, what would his parents do?’

"Cassian Jennings, you might not be able to accept what I’m about to say, but I have to say it anyway. Since it’s already happened, all you can do is accept it. Marry Amelia Avery." Before coming here, he had visited Aiden Avery in the hospital, and Aiden’s composure had been hard for him to believe.

Cassian Jennings looked up at Tristan Grayson in surprise. "Tristan?"

Tristan Grayson frowned slightly, his tone cool. "Cassian Jennings, I’m only making a suggestion. The final decision is still..."

But before he could finish, Cassian Jennings cut him off urgently. "Fine! I’ll marry her! I’ll marry her!"

’This was the only solution he could think of. If Amelia Avery wasn’t dead, she would definitely show herself if she heard he wanted to marry her. And if she *was* dead... then no matter how much the Avery Family blamed him, they couldn’t possibly refuse his proposal in the end.’

...

After Tristan Grayson and the others took Cassian Jennings back to the Jennings Family estate, they returned to the hospital.

He leaned against the door, watching the woman sleeping soundly in the hospital room, his handsome brows knitted tightly together. ’He should be grateful to her. Grateful that she was still alive, grateful that she hadn’t left...’