The Light I Lost, The Love That Stayed

Sobbing and screaming, Claire crawled back and dragged him out through the thick smoke.

His shirt was soaked in blood, and his breathing was faint.

The Quinn Group bodyguards and the ambulance arrived, forcing the attackers back.

On the way to the hospital, she clutched his hand tightly, tears falling onto his face. "You can't die... I forgive everything you've done... as long as you still love me..."

In that moment, betrayal, engagement, pride, none of it mattered anymore.

She only wanted him to live.

Once they reached the hospital, Ethan was taken straight to the ICU. His condition was critical, and the massive blood loss had nearly killed him.

Without hesitation, Claire donated blood three times. Even after showing signs of anemia herself, she still insisted on giving more blood for Ethan.

After Ethan was out of immediate danger, Claire stayed outside his room day and night.

At last, the attending physician gave a nod. "You may go in for ten minutes only. He's not awake yet, so keep quiet."

Claire took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open.

He lay in the hospital bed with his eyes closed, his face ashen, his left shoulder wrapped in thick bandages.

Claire's eyes stung as she stepped forward, wanting to touch his face.

"Ethan!" Sophie rushed into the hospital room. The moment she saw Claire, her face hardened. "What are you doing here? You're not welcome."

Claire frowned at Sophie, but remembering that Ethan needed rest and quiet, she stepped out of the room.

Sophie said bluntly, "Don't come back again. Ethan and I are getting engaged next week. I don't want any trouble before the wedding."

Claire felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Ever since Ethan saved her, she had wanted to ask whether he was really going to marry Sophie.

But now she no longer had to ask. On Sophie's hand was a dazzling diamond ring, a pear-shaped stone set in a platinum twisted band.

It was the very ring she had pointed at in a jewelry store window five years ago when she told Ethan, "When we get married one day, I want this one."

Back then, he had smiled and ruffled her hair. "Okay. I'll save up and buy it for you."

Now that ring was on Sophie's finger.

Sophie blocked her path and refused to let her near Ethan's room. "He needs peace and quiet. And we're getting engaged next week."

Staring at the ring, Claire's voice trembled. "How... how do you have that?"

"Because he gave it to me, of course." Sophie lifted her hand and deliberately showed it off. "He said this was the design he picked out five years ago, and he'd been waiting all this time to give it to me."

Claire went rigid.

All at once, she found it laughable.

So he had remembered every word she ever said, only the person beside him had changed to Sophie.

"Congratulations." She said it softly, then turned and walked away without looking back.

A little over ten minutes later, Ethan finally woke up.

As the nurse changed his dressing, she said with a sigh, "It's a miracle you survived, especially after losing that much blood. You owe a lot to Ms. Sterling. She donated blood three times in a row and nearly fainted in the donation room."

Ethan grabbed the nurse's wrist at once. "Claire? She donated blood for me?"

"Yes. She stayed outside for three whole days and only relaxed after the doctor said you were out of danger."

His eyes burned, and he nearly laughed with relief.

She still loved him.

She had been there all along.

He struggled to get out of bed. "Where is she? I need to see her!"

Just then, Sophie rushed in and threw herself beside the bed. "Ethan! You're finally awake! I was so worried about you!"

Ethan shoved her away. "Where's Claire?"

"She..." Sophie bit her lip, jealousy flashing through her eyes. "She left. I heard she met some rich man overseas and is already engaged."

Ethan's gaze turned icy. "Shut up."

"It's true!" Sophie threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. "Stop thinking about her! I'm the only one who truly loves you! Let's get married, okay?"

Ethan shoved her off with one sharp motion, his voice cold. "Even if Claire never comes back for the rest of her life, I would never marry you."

Sophie's face turned deathly ashen as her nails dug into her palm.

Regret hit her hard. If she had known this would happen, she should have had Claire killed outside the hospital earlier.

Claire returned to the company and calmly walked into Human Resources. "I accept the three-year Doplaytho assignment. I can leave right away."

That very night, Claire boarded a flight to Belleford.

She decided she would never be tangled up with Ethan again. Loving him had hurt too much, but hating him hurt even more. So she chose to leave him behind forever. From then on, the world was wide, the sky open, and they would never meet again.