Inside the emergency room, Serena was wheeled into the examination wing.

The physician reviewed the scans, his brow furrowed deep. "The patient possesses multiple old injuries to her cranium. This recent severe impact has caused profound trauma to her optic nerve, leaving her temporarily blind."

Old injuries.

Serena’s vacant eyes shifted slightly, a memory flashing through her mind in an instant.

Back when Mandy had stabbed herself, Julian had charged inside and shoved her away, causing the back of her head to strike the corner of that solid wood desk. She simply hadn't cared about the pain at the time, her mind entirely consumed by her grandmother's safety.

Meanwhile, inside the operating theater, Julian was undergoing emergency surgery.

The blade had driven exceptionally deep into his chest, his life support draining rapidly. Even through his blurring consciousness, he refused to let go of his assistant's hand.

"Serena... how is she... tell me..."

The assistant's eyes were completely red. Unable to bring himself to lie, he choked out the truth. "Sir, Serena has lost her sight. The physician said the impact re-opened an old injury, completely destroying the optic nerve."

Julian’s pupils constricted violently, the origin of that old injury mapping itself out in his mind instantly.

Those scenes he had tried to bury resurfaced with brutal clarity.

Inside her study, in order to protect Mandy, he had violently shoved Serena away. She had been bleeding from her head even then, yet he had merely spared her a single glance before carrying the wailing Mandy out the door, not offering a single question.

And this time, if he hadn't insisted on staging that live-stream out of pure spite, how could Vivienne have discovered her location?

If he hadn't drugged her, how could she have been left entirely defenseless?

"I am a monster."

Julian covered his face with his hands, a broken whimper slipping through his fingers.

He let out a pathetic, miserable laugh, the agony in his chest causing him to curl into a tight ball as his tears mingled with the blood trailing down his face.

"It was me again... I was the one who ruined her again..."

He was wheeled back into the operating theater, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

The rhythmic beeping of the monitors grew increasingly faint, his heart rate steadily decelerating.

Julian could feel his life slipping away rapidly, the sharp pain in his chest fading into numbness as his mind began to unravel.

"Abort... abort the surgery."

He expended the absolute last shred of his strength to speak.

The lead surgeon froze. "Mr. Sterling, hold on, we still have a chance!"

"There's no need..." Julian shook his head slightly, his vision turning completely dark. "I am not surviving this. Donate my corneas to Serena."

The assistant knelt beside the table, weeping uncontrollably. "Sir, please don't give up!"

"Do exactly as I say... this is what I owe her..."

Ultimately unable to override his insistence, the assistant had him transferred back to a private ward.

Julian forced his failing body to hold on, directing his assistant to fetch pen and paper as he traced out a final letter with a trembling hand.

The script was completely distorted, every single stroke requiring an immense effort.

"Serena, what I owe you, I return with these eyes. From this day forth, may you look upon the light, meet someone who treats you with genuine care, and live a life of peace and safety. Forget me completely.

Julian, final words."

Tracing the last character, his hand went completely limp, the pen dropping against the paper to leave a small ink stain.

He stared into the empty space before him, an absolute hallucination materializing before his eyes.

Serena was standing inside her study wearing a cream-white dress, the sunlight pouring through the window to wash over her figure. She was looking down at a book, her profile as gentle as a painting, her ears blushing with a faint pink—exactly like the very first day they had met.

The corners of his lips curved into a faint, gentle smile.

"Serena, I love you."

The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor flattened into a single, continuous tone, sharp and endless.

At the exact same time, Serena’s ward was completely silent, save for the quiet ticking of the monitors.

She sat upright on the bed, her vacant eyes staring blankly ahead, her face completely devoid of any expression, as though she had lost all perception of the surrounding world.

Sean sat by her side, speaking to her in a gentle voice every few moments, trying to anchor her senses against the dark.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a nurse walked inside.

"Serena, excellent news!"

"The hospital has just received notification that a donor cornea has become available. Every single metric is a perfect match, and we can schedule your surgery for tomorrow morning!"

Serena blinked, the sudden arrival of hope causing a strange wave of alarm to sound in her chest.

"How can it be this fast? Isn't finding a matching cornea exceptionally difficult?"

The nurse offered a warm smile to reassure her. "It truly comes down to exceptional luck. A donor's wishes happened to align perfectly with your file, and every cross-examination met the criteria. It's an absolute miracle."

Serena’s brow furrowed slightly, an intuitive sense telling her something was being deliberately concealed from her.

Chapter 22

Once the nurse stepped outside, Sean gently took her hand in his.

"Don't overthink it. Finding a matching cornea is wonderful news. Let's focus on getting through the surgery safely. Once you recover your sight, everything will start to heal."

Serena fell silent before giving a quiet nod.

She simply felt the entire matter was far too surreal, leaving her with an underlying unease, as though a critical truth were being carefully masked.

Yet she ultimately didn't press for answers, burying the suspicion deep within her heart.

The operation went flawlessly.

A month later, her eyes had recovered significantly.

The physician carefully unwrapped the gauze, and Serena slowly opened her eyes, the blurred world sharpening into focus.

She saw Sean's warm, smiling face; see the brilliant blue sky outside the window; see the bouquet of white daisies resting on the nightstand—everything was vibrant and real.

She had finally recovered her sight.

"Serena, can you see me?"

Sean's voice was tight with anxiety.

Looking at the prominent bloodshot lines in his eyes, she gave a gentle nod, her voice slightly raspy. "I can see you, perfectly clear."

During the weeks of recovery that followed, Sean remained glued to her side for every single moment.

He would meticulously prepare light meals for her, support her weight as they took slow walks around the ward, and read her favorite books aloud to her.

"How are you feeling? Any discomfort during this period?"

Serena shook her head slowly.

Throughout these days, she had not heard a single mention of Julian's name, as though that chaotic engagement banquet had been nothing but a horrific nightmare.

She couldn't help but ask.

"How is... he?"

Sean's movements paused for a fraction of a second, a complicated look crossing his eyes before he spoke the truth transparently.

"Julian failed to respond to emergency treatment. He passed away."

Serena’s heart dropped violently, as though struck by a massive object, her mind instantly turning completely blank.

She stared at Sean in absolute disbelief.

"How could..."

"At the engagement banquet, he took the blade to shield you, and the wound pierced a vital organ. The injury was far too severe, and they couldn't pull him back. Before he slipped away, he insisted on donating his corneas to you, and he left behind a final letter, instructing us to hand it to you only if you actively asked about him."

Sean pulled a sealed envelope from the drawer, placing it gently into her hands.

Serena’s fingers trembled as she tore it open. The paper was slightly wrinkled, the script distorted and uneven, making it obvious the writer possessed barely any strength left when making the marks.

"Serena, what I owe you, I return with these eyes.

From this day forth, may you look upon brilliant skies and fields of blossoms, meet someone who treats you with genuine devotion, and live a life of total peace and safety.

Forget me completely, act as though I had never existed.

Julian, final words."

Serena stared blankly at the thin sheet of paper.

She had assumed she was supposed to loathe him.

To loathe him for engineering that trap to shatter her reputation, to loathe him for indirectly causing her grandmother's death, and to loathe him for utilizing such low methods to trap her by his side.

Yet in this exact moment, what surged in her chest was not a towering wave of hatred, but an absolute sense of closure—like a torrential rain that had fallen for far too long finally grinding to a halt, washing away all the tangled resentment until everything was entirely clean.

Sean continued to explain.

"Your father filed for divorce from Vivienne following the exposure of Mandy's crimes. Vivienne was left with absolutely no financial support and has been living on the streets, convinced that you are the sole cause of her ruin. However, she has now been sent to the exact same facility as Mandy."

"Before Julian passed away, he had his assistant alter the investment contracts for your family's enterprise."

"The capital will be injected exactly as promised to pull the company out of bankruptcy, but the condition is that Arthur must transfer twenty percent of the corporate shares directly into your name. Julian explicitly specified this, stating it was to secure your future."

Serena lowered her eyes, looking at the words "peace and safety" traced on the paper, the corners of her lips turning up in a faint smile.

She said nothing, quietly folding the letter away.

On the day of her discharge, Sean wanted to accompany her, but she shook her head gently.

"There is a place I need to visit on my own."

Julian’s resting place was located halfway up a hill on the outskirts of the city. The ceremony had been exceptionally low-key, attended only by a handful of relatives and corporate executives.

Serena walked up the path holding a black umbrella.

She pulled a bouquet of white daisies from her bag, placing it gently before the monument.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "From this day forth, we owe each other nothing."

With that, she didn't linger for another second, turning on her heel to walk away.

At the foot of the hill, Sean was waiting by the car holding an umbrella. Seeing her approach, he immediately stepped forward to meet her.

"All set?"

Serena nodded.

"All set."

The moment they stepped into the car, the rain abruptly stopped.

The sunlight broke through the clouds, entirely scattering the remaining gloom.

Serena looked out the window at the world brightening around them.

Every single bit of the agonizing past had been thoroughly left behind with that rain.

Sean started the engine, asking softly, "Where to next?"

The corners of Serena’s lips curved into a gentle smile. "Back to the academy. I still have so many pieces left to paint, and so many landscapes I want to look upon with my own eyes."

The car moved smoothly along the mountain road, the sunlight streaming through the glass to wash over her face, warm and exceptionally bright.

Her new life had only just begun.

The End.