By the Time He Regretted, She Was Gone Forever

Rowan’s heart clenched. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to shield her from the weight of this loss.

But he had no rightful place to do so.

The piercing ringtone shattered the silence again.

Kinsley numbly picked up the call.

"I'm going on a business trip tonight. My mom is in the hospital. Take care of her."

Before she could utter a word, the call ended.

Rowan had overheard Enzo’s voice and fury flickered in his eyes.

"Kinsley, how can he treat you like this?"

“What happened back then wasn’t your fault. And both of you lost your fathers; doesn’t he know what that pain feels like?"

She remained silent for a long moment before speaking, her voice soft but unwavering.

"Rowan, I know you mean well."

"But I owe him. This debt will be repaid soon."

Rowan’s gaze darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the medical report she pulled from her bag.

"My doctor reviewed it. He recommends I seek treatment abroad."

"So, I’m leaving."

Rowan reached out instinctively, his fingers curling around her wrist. For a brief second, words hovered at the edge of his tongue, an urge to confess what had long been buried.

But fear crept in. If he spoke, would he lose even their fragile friendship?

In the end, he let her go.

Instead, he fished a small candy from his pocket and pressed it into her palm.

"Peach-flavored, your favorite."

Kinsley curled her fingers around it and hurried off.

Near Samantha’s hospital room, she took a deep breath, composing herself.

The moment she stepped forward, a pillow flew out and struck her.

Samantha’s furious voice cut through the air.

"Did Enzo not call you?"

"If you don’t come, who will take care of me?!"

Her sharp eyes burned with disdain, her glare ice-cold.

Quinn stood nearby, draped in a princess-style gown that looked painfully out of place.

Wrinkling her nose in irritation, she spoke with thinly veiled disdain.

"I can’t blame Auntie for being upset. Since Enzo assigned you to take care of her, you should at least do it properly."

"What’s that smell? Kinsley, when did you become so unkempt?"

Kinsley swayed slightly, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over her.

Steadying herself, she forced her legs to move and walked to Samantha’s bedside, glancing at the medical chart.

A common cold.

The sight made something snap inside her. Without another word, she turned to leave.

To Samantha, it was an unforgivable offense. Disrespect. Defiance.

Throwing off her blanket, she pushed herself forward and grabbed the hem of Kinsley’s dress.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"If Enzo didn’t stop me every time, do you really think you’d still be standing here?"

"A murderer’s daughter, how clean can you be?"

"Who knows if every penny you spend is built on the blood of others!"

The commotion spilled into the hallway, drawing a crowd. Murmurs and whispers filled the air.

Kinsley tried to wrench free, but her strength was fading fast.

She opened her mouth, but any words she had were swallowed by the rising noise.

Then, pain. Her head slammed hard against the metal railing.

A sharp, white-hot ache burst behind her eyes.

The world around her blurred, voices turning into distant echoes.

Somewhere in the haze, she heard her name.

"Kinsley! Kinsley!"