Wade stopped in his tracks, turning to look at me with a hint of surprise


    I suddenly realized how forward I’d been and quickly tried to backtrack. “I didn’t mean to overstep, I


    just thought-


    That’s fine, Wade cut me off


    She was so lively before, Wade murmured, almost to himself. ‘Loved meeting new people. If you


    visit her, she’ll be happy, I’m sure.”


    The way he spoke tugged at my heart.


    “Come with me,” he said, leading the way.


    As I followed, I couldn’t help but notice how heavy his steps seemed, as if the quilt and sadness


    were dragging him down. We made our way to a rehabilitation room that looked almost like the VIP


    suite Yuna stayed in–spacious,fortable, clearly a ce for someone from a well–off family.


    When we reached the door, Wade turned to me, his eyes holding something unsaid.


    1 thought maybe he was having second thoughts. “If it’s not convenient, we cane back another


    time,” I offered quickly.


    “You really do look like her,” Wade said, “But she’s thinner now.”


    I had almost forgotten–there was a girl out there who looked eerily like me.


    I smiled lightly. “True beauty doesn’t fade that easily.”


    Wade let out a faint chuckle, then opened the door.


    The first thing I saw was a caregiver gently massaging the girl on the bed. She looked up when she


    saw us and immediately stood.


    “Take a break. I’ll call you back in a bit,” Wade said, his tone respectful.


    The caregiver nodded and quietly left, though not without giving me a curious nce.


    noticed the resemnce too.


    She must’ve


    “Does the caregiver take care of her when you’re not here?” I asked, trying to break the thick


    silence that hung over the room like a cloud.


    Wade seemed even more weighed down since we entered.


    “Yeah. I still have to work, so I can’t always be here,” he said, setting the fruit down on a small table


    before sitting beside the bed.


    followed, stepping closer, and when Wade sat down, I finally got a good look at the girl lying there.


    Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her hair fanned out on the pillow. Her eyes were barely


    closed. lips slightly parted. She didn’t lookatose–she looked like she was simply sleeping.


    And she was beautiful. Like a real–life Sleeping Beauty


    *25 BONUS


    The most striking thing about her was a tiny, tear–shaped mole at the corner of her eye, making her


    delicate beauty even more heartbreaking


    “She was brilliant,” Wade began, his voice soft, his gaze never leaving her face. “Skipped grades,


    didn’t even take the college entrance exam–KRA recruited her early. By twenty–six, she was


    already our advisor…


    His words wereced with pain, his regret hanging in the air.


    “If that ident hadn’t happened, she’d probably be the youngest professor by now,” he added, his


    voice


    thick with sorrow


    “What happened? Was it really an ident?” I asked, curiosity slipping out before I could stop it.


    Wade didn’t answer right away. He just stared at her, silent for a long moment, before finally saying,


    “It was my fault.”


    The guilt in his voice was so heavy, it felt like it was suffocating him.


    “Wade,” I said gently, trying to reach him, “your advisor sacrificed herself to save you. Do you think


    she’d want you to spend your life drowning in guilt?”


    He looked up at me, but I kept my eyes on the girl in the bed. “She protected you because she


    wanted you to live. If you get stuck in the guilt, her sacrifice loses its meaning.”


    I turned to face him, speaking softly. “Don’t let it eat away at you. It can’t change what happened.


    She had big dreams, and if she can’t achieve them now, maybe it’s on you to carry them forward.


    As long as you’re moving toward her dreams, she’ll always be a part of your life.”


    I had no idea where those words came from, but they just spilled out, straight from my heart.


    Wade’s eyes went wide, almost startled, like something had clicked inside him.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    “Miss,” he said softly, his voice thick with emotion.


    I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at him. His gaze was intense, filled with… surprise, maybe


    even


    disbelief.


    I furrowed my brow. “What? Did I say something wrong?”


    Wade swallowed hard. “No. It’s just… when you were talking just now, you looked even more like


    her.”


    My heart skipped a beat. I turned to look back at the girl in the bed.