At the time, she thought it was just a common pickup line. Later, she learned that Clara Tang was the lover he had forgotten.

She had taken off that bracelet—the one that had sparked their connection—and never wore it again.

Summer had never told him that the bracelet was a gift from Clara Tang in high school; they each had one.

A tear splashed onto Summer’s hand. The warm sensation pulled her back from her memories.

She looked at the man still unconscious on the bed and gave a bitter laugh.

...

Ethan Shaw woke up.

The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was ask about Clara.

"Where is Cece? Is she okay?"

His gaze swept across everyone in the room, but he pointedly avoided Summer.

In that single moment, Summer knew it was over.

Chapter 12

"Where is she? I want to see her."

Ethan threw back the covers and prepared to climb out of bed, but his parents blocked his path.

"Ethan, Clara’s family won't let you see them."

Mrs. Shaw’s eyes were bloodshot. Her heart was trembling with pain; she didn't know how to explain to her son the mistakes she had made. Everything was heading toward the worst possible outcome she had anticipated—he had regained all his memories.

Ethan’s face was expressionless, his eyes firm and incredibly stubborn. "Tell me where she is. I can beg them. I just want to know how she is!"

Mrs. Shaw just shook her head, weeping.

Clara was not doing well, but she didn't know how to say it.

Mr. Shaw’s face suddenly darkened. "Ethan Shaw, look at yourself! Summer is right here—she is your fiancée! If it weren't for this earthquake, you would already be married. Is it appropriate for you to be shouting for another woman right in front of her?"

Ethan seemed to hit a pause button. His movements stopped.

Summer’s lips twitched slightly, thinking he had given up.

But in the next second, Ethan looked at her, and his expression was no longer soft. "I’m sorry. Let’s forget about the engagement."

"Before, I didn't remember. Now that I do, I can't lie to myself and love you."

Each certain word made Summer’s face turn paler by the inch, and her eyes instantly became bloodshot.

"Ethan Shaw, have you thought about the consequences? I could accept you leaving halfway through our wedding for a mission—my family and the guests could accept it because it was your duty. But now you’re telling me everything is void. What am I supposed to do? How do I explain this to them?"

Summer’s accusations didn't waver Ethan’s heart for a second.

He stood up slowly, looking at Summer with deep, somber eyes. "I will apologize to your parents and family. I will accept whatever compensation you require."

"But Summer, I made mistakes in this relationship, but didn't you as well?"

Summer recoiled at his gaze. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, biting her lower lip to keep from sobbing.

He really had remembered everything.

"Yes, I intentionally guided you. I guided you to fall in love with me. But I didn't know back then that the person was Clara Tang. You were the one who forgot her; you were the one who ran away from her."

Summer seemed heavily provoked, and her expression turned distorted in an instant. "Fine. I won't get the lover I wanted. But the person you love is dying anyway. Neither of us should have a good life."

Her words were like a sledgehammer striking Ethan’s mind. His pupils contracted sharply as he looked at his parents in disbelief.

Mrs. Shaw suddenly interrupted Summer sharply: "Stop talking! Don't say another word!"

Ethan’s chest suddenly burned with agonizing pain. He gasped for air, his legs turning to jelly.

Mr. Shaw hurried to ring the bell for a nurse.

Ethan grabbed his mother’s hand forcefully. "Mom, she's lying to me, isn't she? Tell me she’s lying!"

Looking at Ethan, whose eyes were blood-red and who looked like a frantic wild beast, Mrs. Shaw could only sob.

Ethan’s consciousness went dark, and he fainted once more.

After a period of frantic activity, things finally settled down.

Summer had long since left. Mrs. Shaw sat on a chair outside the ward, exhausted, radiating an uncontrollable sorrow.

She had anticipated this day long ago, but she didn't understand why the feelings from their youth were still so intense.

She had always thought that with enough time, everything would pass.

But now, there was no way to fix this.

Ethan was submerged in a dream where the memories of those years played on a loop.

Clara Tang was always there, in her most vibrant form.

After an unknown amount of time, the scene suddenly shifted.

In the total darkness, Clara’s voice sounded incredibly ethereal.

"Ethan Shaw, I don't owe you anything anymore."

"Ethan Shaw, I give up."

"Ethan Shaw, goodbye."

Ethan jolted awake from the dream.

At that exact moment, in the ICU, a long "Beep—" filled the air.

Chapter 13

Three years later, D.C.

"Ethan, you’re almost thirty. Are you still not looking for a girlfriend?" His grandmother’s nagging voice sounded in his ear. Ethan continued organizing the documents on his desk, his expression unchanged.

Because of what happened years ago, Ethan’s mother felt too guilty to push him to marry, so she had turned to his grandmother for help.

Ethan’s voice was as cold as ever. "Grandma, my mom sent you, didn't she?"

The grandmother looked at her embarrassed daughter sitting beside her. Her expression stiffened before she spoke in a huff, "It wasn't your mother! Can't your grandmother just worry about you?"

Hearing the old woman’s stubborn tone, the corners of Ethan’s mouth lifted slightly, but his voice remained the same. "Grandma, I’m not getting married. I told the family that a long time ago."

"How can a person not get married? I’m still hoping to hold a great-grandchild."

A child? Ethan’s hand froze while flipping through a folder. He had once joked with Clara about having a daughter as cute as her.

But in the end, he had lost Clara, so there would be no child.

"My cousin had a second child last month, and my older cousin has a son. You have plenty of great-grandchildren, Grandma. You don't need one from me." Ethan diverted the topic. "I have to go. I have a meeting."

After the call ended, the grandmother and mother looked at each other on the sofa.

Mrs. Shaw’s eyes couldn't help but redden. "It’s all my fault. Back then..."

The grandmother patted her hand. "Zhiva, children have their own destinies. Look at Ethan—as long as he’s healthy, that’s enough."

Mrs. Shaw forced a smile. It was true. When she heard that Clara Tang had passed away three years ago, Ethan had acted like a madman. Compared to that, this state was considered good. She shouldn't ask for more.

The assistant knocked and brought in a fresh stack of files. Ethan rubbed his aching brow.

Three years ago, he had resigned from the rescue team. His injured hand could only recover to a level sufficient for daily life; he could no longer participate in rescue missions.

So, he followed his father’s wishes and returned to help with the family business.

"Mr. Shaw, this is an invitation for Miss Sheng’s wedding. Do you plan to attend?" The assistant carefully watched his boss’s face but couldn't read his intentions at all.

Ever since he started working for the boss, Miss Sheng had been pestering him almost every month. For some reason, her attitude shifted six months ago, and the boss never asked why.

Now that the invitation had been delivered, he still didn't understand what his boss was thinking.

If it were love, the boss never responded. If it were dislike, the boss never stopped her from pestering him.

"Leave the invitation. When the day comes, prepare a gift to be sent over. Follow the standard for an ordinary friend."

After Ethan gave the order calmly, he returned to his files as usual.

The assistant was secretly amazed. His boss was always so steady and cold; almost nothing seemed to interest him.

The door slowly closed, and the office fell silent again.

Ethan’s hand didn't stop flipping pages. After a while, he finally put down his work and leaned back against the chair, exhaustion clouding his features.

He narrowed his eyes, catching a glimpse of the bright red invitation he had set aside.

His body paused before he reached out and picked it up.

Under Summer Sheng’s name was a name he didn't recognize. His heart felt a sense of relief.

Back then, the compensation Summer had asked for was for him to allow her to pursue him.

He was so immersed in the pain of losing Clara at the time that he didn't care at all and let her do as she pleased.

He hadn't expected her to persist for over two years. When he found out six months ago that she had a new boyfriend, his first feeling—aside from relief—was a slight sense of comfort.