At the End of the Road, We’re Strangers

The car window shattered instantly, and I was thrown hard to the side by inertia.

In my blurry vision, Adrian Grant was holding Rebecca Banks tightly, using his body to shield her from the shattered debris.

He even whispered to her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

My forehead hit the sharp glass, and blood immediately gushed out, staining half my face red.

As consciousness faded, I suddenly remembered the car accident a year ago.

That was when we had just confirmed our relationship. It was the same intersection, the same sudden oncoming truck.

My seat, facing the direction of the truck’s impact, was mine.

In that critical moment, Adrian swung the steering wheel without hesitation, allowing his side to bear the greatest impact.

The front of the car was severely deformed, and he was trapped in the driver’s seat.

Blood soaked his white shirt, but he managed to maintain consciousness and gently stroked my cheek. “It’s okay, I’m glad you’re safe.”

The firefighters took a long time to free him.

That time, he nearly lost his life to me.

But now, in the same car accident,

the difference was that the person he instinctively wanted to protect was no longer me.

I woke up in the VIP ward of a private hospital. Adrian Grant sat beside me, looking at the bandage on my forehead with a complicated expression.

“Zara, the situation just now was too critical. I must ensure Rebecca Banks doesn’t get hurt. You know, the partnership between the Grant and Banks families is crucial to the future of the entire group. If she’s disfigured, this project will fail.”

“You can be angry, or blame me; I accept it. Just don’t ignore me like this.”

I lay quietly, unresponsive.

All my emotions died the moment I saw Adrian protect Rebecca without hesitation.

My chest felt empty, as if something important had been emptied out, leaving only the howling cold wind.

Adrian continued his explanation, then suddenly, as if a thought occurred to him, a glint of light in his eyes. “By the way, Zara, your birthday is next week. I’ll give you a gift in advance, how about it? Whatever you want, money is not a problem.”

Hearing this, I finally slowly turned my head to look at him. “Then please book me a plane ticket. I’ll fly to Crestfall the day after tomorrow.”

“Crestfall?” He frowned. “You’re going back home?”

I nodded gently without saying anything more.

Adrian didn’t ask any further questions. He immediately took out his phone and booked a flight right in front of me.

After booking, he said,

“The company has had an important project to deal with recently, so I may not be able to accompany you. You should go back and see your family first. I’ll pick you up when I’m done with this.”

“A plane ticket is no big deal for a birthday gift. When you come back, I’ll definitely give you a big surprise.”

“This gift is enough,” I closed my eyes, my voice as soft as a feather. “It’s more precious than anything else.”

The day I left, I woke up earlier than usual. Six hours before my flight, I dragged several large suitcases one after another to the gate and was about to call a taxi when Adrian suddenly appeared.

Seeing the suitcases lined up at the gate, his expression changed instantly, and he took two steps at a time to block my way.

“What do you mean?”

My expression was calm: “Didn’t I tell you I was going back home?”

But this explanation clearly didn’t convince him.

“It’s just a trip home, so why bring so much luggage? Are you planning to move?”

I shrugged: “Girls always need to pack extra clothes when they go out.”