?Chapter 509:


    Her gaze met his—steady, clear, and heartbreakingly distant. It was as though she were speaking about someone else’s story, not her own.


    Brian felt a lump in his throat, rendering him momentarily speechless.


    Rachel, sensing his difort, shifted the topic with gentle resolve. “Thank you for managing the situation with the trending topics. I know it was the PR department, but it was your instructions that set it in motion. And I also know you did it to shield Carol from unnecessary worry. But anyway, I still owe you thanks.”


    A bitter, almost rueful smile tugged at the corners of Brian’s mouth, but his eyes were distant, betraying a deeper turmoil. “What if I told you it wasn’t just about my grandma?”


    Rachel’s confusion was palpable. “What do you mean?”


    She looked at him more intently now, searching his face for some clue, but his expression was guarded, unreadable.


    Brian’s gaze softened, and his voice took on a quiet, almost vulnerable tone. “Have you ever considered that maybe I helped you because I wanted to? And I couldn’t stand watching you get pushed around? Maybe I did it simply because I felt it was the right thing to do.”


    Rachel’s lips pressed together, a flicker of emotion crossing her face before she masked it. “You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”


    Brian’s eyes darkened slightly, but his words remained steady. “I’m not trying to make you feel better, Rachel. I’m telling you the truth. Everything I said, I meant.”


    Rachel let out a soft, hollow chuckle. “That’s not something to joke about. I’m tired, and I really need to sleep now.”


    Without waiting for a response, she turned away, pulling the nket up around herself, trying to shut out the conversation and the emotions that threatened to flood her.


    Her eyes fluttered closed, but despite her efforts to focus on the soothing quiet of the room, Brian remained there, standing behind her. His presence was too close, too palpable. The weight of his gaze felt like a quiet pressure, as if he were searching for something in the stillness of the night.


    “Rachel…” Brian’s voice broke through the silence. Rachel, unwilling to let the tension stretch any further, turned slightly, her voice calm but resolute. “I really need to rest.”


    Brian’s silence lingered for a moment before he spoke again, his tone softening, tinged with concern.


    “Rest well. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”


    “Okay,” Rachel murmured, her voice faint but steady. “I preferplete darkness when I sleep. If that’s all, I’ll turn the lights off.”


    “Alright,” Brian said with a simple nod. He turned off the lights, plunging the room into a thick, enveloping darkness. The absence of light made the world feel distant, almost unreal, the air heavy with a calm that neither of them could fully embrace.


    Rachel, finally able to breathe in the quiet, allowed her guard to slip a little.


    The moonlight poured through the window, bathing the room in a soft, silvery glow that lent a quiet beauty to the space. But even in the peaceful stillness, neither of them could sleep. The weight of the night seemed to stretch on endlessly as theyy there, each of them fully awake but pretending otherwise. The air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts.


    Then, suddenly, a soft, sharp cough broke the silence.


    Rachel coughed again, then again, her throat tightening with each breath. She sat up, pulling the robe tighter around her, but it did little to ease the difort that washed over her with each wave of coughing.


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