?Chapter 1426:


    He couldn’t die. He couldn’t leave her like this.


    “Ah… ah…” When no sound came, she struck herself twice across the face in frustration, as if the pain could force her voice back.


    And somehow, through sheer will and heartbreak, she found it. “Don’t die… don’t die, Morse!” she cried, her voice raw and desperate. “You can’t leave me without my say-so. You belong with me—and you’re not allowed to die until I say so!”


    Her words came out between sobs, her face streaked with tears, every syble trembling with emotion.


    Out of everything she said, the only part Morse truly caught was that he belonged with her. A faint smile curved his lips, warmth spreading through him like sunlight in the cold.


    Even if he misunderstood her meaning, those words were enough—they were everything.


    “Chloe…” He lifted his hand once more.


    This time, she caught it, pressing his palm firmly against her tear-stained cheek. “Don’t… don’t speak,” she stammered through her tears. “Just listen to me.”


    Her heart was in chaos, a storm of love and fear threatening to tear her apart. She was terrified that death would separate them before she could say what she needed to say.


    Taking a trembling breath, she fought through the sobs, forcing the words out that had been locked away for far too long. “Morse… I like you… I really like you… a lot… I’ve liked you for such a long time…”


    “You’re not dying. I can’t… I won’t let you leave me. Please, just hold on! I want us… together… growing old, watching every sunrise, every sunset… together. There’s so much I have to do with you. I can’t lose you. I really can’t… Stay with me, please, Morse… Please, for me… stay alive! I won’t let this happen. I can’t lose you!”


    Chloe shook all over, tears pouring down her face, her whole body trembling as if she might copse at any second.


    She stared at Morse—pale, still, fragile—and her fear exploded inside her chest, a panic she couldn’t swallow.


    The idea of losing him wed at her. Life without him was unthinkable. Her chest ached, her lungs burned, and her heartbeat hammered against her ribs.


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    Morse blinked at her, dazed, his mind empty, frozen in a haze that made the world feel unreal.


    For a split second, he wondered if this was a dream—or a cruel trick his dying body yed on him.


    And somehow… even in that chaos, it felt beautiful, fragile, like a moment stolen from a dream. A small, helpless smile escaped him.


    “Why are you smiling?!” she screamed through her sobs. “Is that a joke? I told you I like you! And you mock me? Even if you don’t like me, you can’t mock me.”


    Her words trembled, her voice raw with fear and anger. How could he smile when she thought he was slipping away?


    Morse froze, his eyes fixed on her, heart pounding, trying to decide if this was reality—or some cruel mirage.


    “I…” His voice caught. A metallic taste filled his mouth, and he coughed, hot blood spitting across his lips.


    Darkness crept over his vision. His hand fell, limp and heavy. He couldn’t tell what was real anymore. Every second reyed in his head like a cruel loop, unrelenting.


    Even as consciousness slipped, Chloe’s voice reached him, raw and desperate, fading like a distant echo.


    The world blurred, sound melting away. His mind let go. And then—ck.


    In Apresh, Dn’s phone rang, shattering the quiet.


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