Jude immediately objected. "No, you can't go right now."

I looked up and met his gaze seriously, saying, "I want to end all of this with my own hands."

My parents were also astonished.

"Julian and I have been entangled with each other because we couldn't let go. I want to help him resolve this case, cast aside all the past, and start my own path again."

I spoke slowly; those words sounded like both an explanation and a vow.

I reminded myself over and over of my intentions.

And of the final ending.

Once a paranoid patient sets their mind on something, they will stop at nothing to achieve it.

The three members of the Song family understood that interfering now would certainly have the opposite effect.

They could only tell the doctor and then take turns watching over me.

As the three of them were discussing future arrangements, I suddenly reached out my arms and hugged them.

My parents were surprised.

Jude was taken aback.

"Mom, Dad, Brother... I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"Also, thank you. I really love you all so much."

As I spoke, tears rolled down my cheeks, and my chest was a mess of emotions within their warm embrace.

Chapter 42

The next day, I visited Silas. As if he had expected it, he had work prepared for me.

"If your body can't handle it, you must tell me. Don't force yourself," Silas reminded me.

I nodded. "Thank you, Senior."

It had been three or four years since I last touched legal work. Fortunately, I had reviewed some materials recently, or I wouldn't have dared to start so soon.

Because the victim this time was a prosecutor, the higher-ups took it very seriously.

The verification work went smoothly, but the hardest part was the evidence—specifically, tracking where the criminal's funds for the contract killing had gone.

Since the person's capital chain was massive and a large portion was overseas, the investigation was incredibly tedious.

One day, while heading to the hospital after work to visit Julian, I ran into Selena.

Selena looked at me in disbelief. "You already decided to go abroad, so why are you still pestering him?"

I frowned slightly. "What I do is none of your business."

After saying that, I prepared to push the door open and enter the room.

Selena reached out to block the door.

"You're not welcome here."

I sneered. "In what capacity are you stopping me?"

Selena replied, "It’s annoying when someone who’s been rejected keeps clinging. Julian has always hated people like that."

"Rest assured, that person is you, not me," I said, pushing her aside.

Selena lost her balance and accidentally moved out of the way, but she grabbed my clothes as she did.

I didn't react in time and was pulled toward the ground.

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from behind and supported me. I looked back. "Auntie."

Julian’s mother looked at Selena with an unkind expression and said coldly, "Who are you? What are you doing blocking my son’s ward?"

Selena’s face paled; she hadn't realized this was Julian’s mother.

"I..."

Julian’s mother ignored her completely, then looked at me with concern. "Sienna, you go inside first. I'll have security take her away."

I nodded and walked into the ward.

As the door closed, I heard Julian’s mother tell Selena, "If you pester my son again, I’m calling the police."

Those words left Selena helpless, and she could only slink away.

Inside the ward, Julian was still unconscious.

I sat on the stool, quietly watching his face.

There weren't many wounds on his face; the main issues were the crush injuries to his legs and the concussion.

After a while, I started talking about the case.

"The capital chain investigation is almost finished. Besides that, we’ve found many counts of financial fraud—enough to keep him in prison for life..."

As I finished, Julian’s mother stepped in to check on him. she asked me to keep an eye on him while she went to buy some things.

The ward door closed again.

I reached out and took his uninjured hand.

My slender fingertips traced his large hand, and the calluses from writing made me feel a bit more at ease.

"Julian, you need to get well soon. I hope to see you safe and sound before I leave."

As I spoke, I began to withdraw my hand.

Suddenly, that hand flipped over and gripped mine tightly.

Startled, I looked up to see that Julian had actually opened his eyes and was currently glaring at me.

He spoke with difficulty: "Where are you going?"

At that moment, I couldn't hear what he was saying; my mind was entirely filled with the fact that he had woken up.

I hurriedly pressed the call button and picked up the intercom: "Doctor! He’s awake!"

Before Julian could ask anything else, the ward was pushed open by a group of angels in white.

They rushed to the bed and began checking his vitals.

Julian was still extremely weak. In the chaos, he didn't have the strength to hold onto me.

My hand slipped from his palm.

I stood outside the crowd watching him, my expression full of relief and calm.

Julian’s mother returned then, rushing to her son’s side in a panic. "Julian! How do you feel?"

Julian didn't respond; his eyes remained fixed in the direction where Sienna had been standing.

By the time the doctors noticed and moved aside, there was no one left there.

Chapter 43

A few days later, in court, the gavel struck, sealing a fate.

The criminal was dragged away; he wouldn't be getting out for the rest of his life.

Silas breathed a sigh of relief. "We finally found the evidence at the last moment. You're impressive."

I didn't think it was just luck. I explained, "I found the clues in Julian's files."

"As expected, he's still the best in that regard."

I agreed; when it came to work, he had always been the most capable.

We chatted as we left the courthouse.

Standing at the entrance, Silas asked, "Are you leaving today?"

I nodded. "The ticket is booked. My brother is coming to pick me up soon."

Silas smiled. "Then I wish you a pleasant journey."

I thanked him. "Senior, I wish you a successful career as well."

With that, I turned and walked away resolutely.

Silas stood there, taking a deep breath as he watched her figure grow distant.

He only snapped out of it when a colleague came to remind him.

...

I let my hair down and specifically got it permed. The golden-brown long hair was as beautiful as osmanthus flowers in autumn.

I took off my professional suit and changed into a casual dress.

This was a "sweet girl" style I hadn't tried since I was young, and surprisingly, it suited me well.

I remembered that because Julian always treated me like a child, I had desperately wanted to grow up.

Even back in my student days, I had dressed very maturely.

Looking at it now, I'm not even twenty-five; I can certainly try many different styles.

"Sienna, let's go."

Jude was waiting for me in the car.

I looked back one last time at the building next door. Julian had once stood on that balcony and hung sugar-coated haws on my window.

And this street—it held far too many memories.

Once I leave this time, I don't know when I’ll be back—perhaps by the time I return, everything will have changed.

The car engine roared, disappearing like a shooting star at the end of the street.

Before entering the boarding gate, I took a letter out of my bag.

The envelope was slightly yellowed; it didn't look like it had been written recently.

I said to Jude, "I never had the heart to leave the letter I wrote before I left last time. I think I can give it to him now."

Jude took the letter.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Sienna, though I shouldn't say this, I still hope you and Julian can give each other a chance. You haven't reached a dead end yet."

I shook my head. "If we really reached that point, it would tarnish my love."

"I love him, but at the same time, I cannot ruin him."

"The rest..." I looked at the sky outside the airport, "I'll leave it to time."

I dragged my suitcase away from the city where I grew up, away from the love I held until death.

This departure might very well be a final goodbye.

As the plane streaked across the sky, Jude watched my resolute determination with a mix of conflict and relief.

He drove straight to the hospital.

During the two months the case was ongoing, Julian's injuries had mostly healed.

He was now attempting to rehabilitate his legs.

His lower legs, which had been crushed and deformed in the accident, were returning to their original state thanks to the doctors' superb skills.