?Chapter 114:


    A resounding thud split the air.


    Surprisingly, Rachel experienced no pain. It felt as if her fall had been softened by something below. Using her hands to steady herself, she swiftly sat up.


    Panic surged through her when she discovered Brian beneath her on the stairs, and she quickly assisted him. “Brian, are you alright?”


    Brian was silent, only nodding slightly as she helped him to a seated position on the steps. Around them, the crowd moved continuously, yet Rachel saw only Brian.


    The silence from him and his deeply furrowed brow made her anxiety worsen. Her voice quivered as she pleaded, “Please say something. Don’t leave me in suspense like this.”


    She gently shook his arm, growing more frantic as he remained mute. Fear gripped Rachel, the possibility that he might have a serious head injury looming in her mind.


    She remembered stories of people who initially seemed unharmed after idents butter faced grave consequences due to brain injuries, which only fueled her fear further.


    She scrambled to find her phone and hastily dialed the hospital for emergency assistance.


    Right as the call was about to go through, a firm hand sped hers. “I knew it, you still care about me.”


    “You’re alright?” Relief washed over her as she heard him speak.


    “I’m okay. It’s a bit painful, but nothing serious.”


    Rachel, initially relieved, quickly became annoyed when she noticed the smirk on his face. She gave him a light punch on the chest. “Do you find this amusing? You have no idea how terrified I was. I thought you were seriously hurt, that you might even die!”


    As she spoke, her initial fears began to creep back.


    Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look even more vulnerable.


    Ga lno vel s . takes you into new worlds


    This sight deeply moved Brian. He couldn’t resist pulling her into aforting embrace.


    “Let me go!” Rachel protested, still upset, trying to pull away from him.


    “No way I’m letting you go—not ever!”


    “And who decided I’d spend forever with you?”


    His grip on her waist tightened, and he asked with a hint of annoyance, “So, who do you n to spend your life with if not me?”


    “A lifetimemitment should be with someone who genuinely loves me, not someone whose heart is upied by someone else.” Rachel spoke firmly, and in response, Brian seized her wrist, cing her hand over his heart.


    “What are you trying to prove?” she questioned, puzzled.


    Brian touched his chest. “Feel this. It beats solely for a woman named Rachel Marsh.”


    “I don’t want to hear it,” she replied, pulling her hand back. She believed the woman in his heart was always Tracy.


    “If you refuse, then I’ll listen to your heartbeats,” Brian replied, lowering his head to her chest with a cheeky smile, closing his eyes as though relishing the moment. The footbridge was alive with foot traffic, and curious onlookers cast nces their way.


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