?Chapter 1358:
He admitted it with a tight grip on her hand.
The thought of his daughter being in danger drained him, stealing both his appetite and his peace of mind. He had already lost her once; he couldn’t let it happen again.
“I understand, Dad,” Christina said softly, taking his hand and giving it a gentle pat.
Tears welled in Hurley’s eyes, but he smiled with visible relief as they slipped down his cheeks.
“I am not crying, it’s just that stupid dust…” he muttered, his voice catching slightly.
Christinaughed softly, knowing he was simply too embarrassed to admit he was crying.
She decided not to call him out and smiled yfully. “Yeah, it’s just stupid dust. Always finding its way to you, huh?”
Hurleyughed out loud, his heart swelling with affection. She truly was his precious girl.
Inside the hospital room, father and daughter talked andughed together, filling the air with warmth and love.
By afternoon, Christina finally convinced her family to go home. Once they were gone, she quietly slipped into another hospital room.
The moment she stepped in, Dn pulled her into a tight hug, holding her as if he’d never let go.
“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” Dn’s voice trembled with leftover panic, his heartbeat still racing against her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” Christina murmured, her eyes filled with guilt. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
Dn took a good look at her. Pale lips, tired eyes, and a face that had clearly been through too much. The sight tore something inside him.
“What did the doctor say?” he asked, worrycing every word. “You fainted, Christina. You coughed up blood. That’s not nothing. What the hell is going on? Maybe you need to slow down… take a break from work before it kills you.”
Resting against his chest, Christina spoke softly. “It’s not serious… not physically, at least. I just got lost in the past again. I thought I’d moved on, but I haven’t. Dn… do you know what it’s like to watch someone die saving you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it?”
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Her voice shook as the memories poured out. “I tried to save her, Dn. I pressed on every wound, begged her to hold on, but there was so much blood. Too much. She was slipping away right in front of me, her body turning cold while I just sat there crying, useless. I cursed the world, begged whatever god was listening to take me instead, but nothing happened.
“There are no miracles… not for people like us. No matter how much I begged or screamed, nothing changed. When she finally stopped breathing, I just… broke.
“For months, I kept thinking that if she’d never met me, she’d still be alive. Maybe that’s what hurts most—knowing I was the reason she died.
“People thought she was cold, mean, even heartless… but she wasn’t. She just didn’t show her feelings. She had such a soft heart, and I ruined her life by being in it. I hated myself for it. I wanted to give her life back somehow, but that wasn’t possible. So instead, I pushed myself harder, until I was strong enough to take revenge for her. It was all I could do.”
“You know what’s funny? When I finally got revenge, I didn’t feel better. I just felt empty, like I’d already died with her.
I started doing crazy shit after that. Extreme sports, risky missions… anything that might get me killed. I thought if I died identally, maybe it’d make her sacrifice mean something.”
Dn didn’t say a word. He just pulled her closer, his jaw tight, his chest heavy with the weight of her pain.
His throat burned as he finally spoke. “You idiot. She wouldn’t want you to torture yourself. She sacrificed herself because she wanted you to live… for both of you.”
When Christina heard that, she broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I know… I know,” she cried. “But I can’t forgive myself. She died because of me. How can I ever be happy after that? Every time I smile, I feel like I’m betraying her memory.”
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