Her only goal had been to dy the wedding, but she never expected this oue.


    In that moment, she felt her jump had been entirely worth it.


    Cora debated whether to bring up Hannah but decided against it. Lionel had just been about to go find her; mentioning her now might just remind him of the problem he still had to solve. It was better to let him forget about Hannahpletely, to let him get lost in this new world he was building with Sandra.


    Seeing how devoted they were to each other, Edith and David gestured for Cora to leave with them, giving the couple some privacy.


    Before she left, Cora quickly snapped a photo on her phone and sent it to Hannah.


    Hannah was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a book, when her phone buzzed. She set the book down, and as she looked at the screen, the color drained from her face.


    Her fingers trembled, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the phone. She pursed her lips and mmed the phone face down on the table, trying to pretend she hadn''t seen the picture.


    Quennel, who was working from home to keep an eye on her, noticed the change in her demeanor. "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    Hannah took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Nothing.”


    "Hannah, do you know how obvious it is when you lie?" Quennel stood up and sat down across from her. "Is there something you can''t tell me?"


    A slight tremor ran through her body, her eyes clouded with a storm of emotion. After a long moment, she picked up her phone, opened the picture, and handed it to him.


    The instant Quennel saw it, his face darkened, his eyes fixing on the image with a deadly stare.


    "See, Quennel? I told you he wouldn''te for me. He never does. He never will."


    Hannah''s voice was a strained attempt at augh, but by the end, it was trembling, thick with unshed tears She took a deep breath, tilting Her head back to stare at the ceiling, fighting to keep the tears from fatting.


    She knew it. She knew she couldn''t hold on to any expectation when it came to him.


    The higher the hope, the deeper the disappointment.


    Her hands, resting on the table, slowly clenched into fists. No matter how hard


    she fought, the tears came anyway, streaming down her cheeks.


    "This is too much! He told me he


    mueh!


    wasing to get you!" Quennel put down the phone and, after a


    moment''s hesitation, stood up.. "Hannah, you stay here. I''m going to the hospital to drag him back. myself!"


    Seeing him start for the door, Hannah scrambled after him, grabbing him from behind. She shook her head, sobbing: Don''t Please don''t, Quennel. It doesn''t


    matter anymore. I... I don''t care. I really don''t care!"


    Hearing her broken sobs, Quennel bit his lip and closed his eyes in pain.


    "I never should have said anything. This is all my fault."


    If he hadn''t told her Lionel wasing, would she have held on to that hope? Would she be crying so desperately now?


    Quennel turned and looked into her tear-filled eyes, gently wiping a tear from her cheek.


    "I''m so sorry. It''s my fault for making you cry like this."


    Hannah shook her head, looking up at him as tears continued to stream down her face. She tried to wipe them away, but they wouldn''t stop.


    "Hannah, I''m going to have Kim''s parents take him to the hospital to see her," Quennel said, a ruthless glint in his eye.