The orphanage fire?
Coralie stopped in her tracks, her face turning pale as the fingers hanging by her
side abruptly tightened.
The raging fire-
The screams-
The ashes-
No one had survived except her.
This was the past she never wanted to remember again.
"I know of it."
Coralie turned back, the sorrow and pain on her facepletely gone, leaving only calm andposure. "The fire five years ago burned many people to death. The news shocked the nation."
Before Juniper could ask again, Coralie continued, "But I only heard about it. After all, I''m not from that orphanage."
"By the way, why is Mrs. Schwartz suddenly asking about this?"
"Just asking." Juniper stared at Coralie intently and shook her head slightly.
"I see."
Coralie gave a faint smile, didn''t say anything more, and continued walking out with her bag.
Back in the car.
After closing the door, she slumped into her seat, clutching her violently aching chest, gasping for air.
That''s right.
She was the only one who had escaped the fire that year.
The incident was too sensational.
Countless reporters had wanted to find the survivor to dig out the truth behind the fire.
To prevent her future life from being affected, the director had taken a series of measures to secretly transfer her to another orphanage.
Allowing her to start a new life with a new identity.
So for all these years.
People only knew she came from an orphanage, but they didn''t know which one.
Why did Mrs. Schwartz bring up the past?
On the way back.
Coralie suddenly received a call from Mrs. Evans; the director was critically ill. Because she had to hide her identity, she couldn''t visit the hospital.
"Auntie."
Coralie went to the director''s house. Mrs. Evans had cried until her eyes were swollen. Patting Coralie''s hand, she said, "Someone is investigating the past. They might stir up trouble again. You must be careful and stay safe. Don''t let anyone find out."
Mrs. Evans had watched Coralie grow up and loved her like her own child.
Plus, all these years, Coralie had been secretly helping them.
Mrs. Evans felt even more grateful.
The events of the past had been over for so long; they should just let them go.
Therefore.
When someone came to ask about Coralie, her husband had intentionally talked nonsense.
Saying Coralie was dead.
"Oh right." Mrs. Evans said, cing a box in front of Coralie. "The director
specifically asked me to give this to you before he got sick."
Coralie opened the box.
She found some documents inside, along with a water-damaged photograph where
the image was barely visible.
The photo showed a family of nine.
Seven brightly smiling siblings and their loving parents.
"This..."
Seeing the photo, Coralie was a bit surprised. "Wasn''t this photo lost?"
This photo was the only thing she had left rted to her family.
After entering the orphanage, she had given it to the director, asking him to help find them.
Later...
Her family wasn''t found, and the photo was lost.
She was young to begin with, and as time passed, her memory of her family''s faces grew increasingly blurry.
She even doubted whether she would be able to recognize her parents and siblings if they stood right in front of her.
"Actually, it''s always been here."
Mrs. Evans sighed, holding Coralie''s
hand. "It''s just that the director saw
you crying over the photo every day and was afraid you''d get trapped in the past, and never move on, so he lied and said it was lost."
Coralie held the photo, her heart aching sourly.
"Coralie..."
Mrs. Evans looked at her and said earnestly, "You have to look forward
in many things. Your family
definitely wouldn''t want you t
spend your days in sorrow. And
Ari."
At the mention of this name, the pain in Coralie''s heart gradually spread, making
even her breathing feel like a tearing agony.