Kara clutched her heart in pain. She slowly crouched down and curled into a ball.

When Bennett stepped out and saw this, he was terrified. Rushing over, he scooped Kara up in his arms. He looked genuinely anxious and distressed. "Kara, is it your heart again? The doctor said you can't get too worked up!"

"B-Bennett, my medicine. It's in my pocket," Kara gasped.

Bennett quickly carried her to the bedroom, carefully laying her on the bed before fishing out her heart medication from her pocket. Only after she had stabilized did he realize that he was drenched in cold sweat.

Under his care, Kara's heart condition hadn't flared up for almost four years.

But this time–

A dreadful realization struck Bennett. His throat went dry, and it took him a while to find his voice. "Kara, did you see anything in the room on the third floor just now?"

"Do you mean the secret room?" Kara smiled bitterly.

Back when they first started dating, everyone had told her that Bennett had a secret room where he kept something very important to him.

She hadn't looked into it at the time.

Now she finally understood. The thing hidden in that room was the person he cherished the most.

Under Bennett's searching gaze, Kara shook her head. "I didn't see anything. I collapsed before I could."

Bennett let out a long sigh as if he had narrowly avoided disaster.

He hurriedly picked up the phone to call the family doctor, completely missing the moment when the last trace of hope faded from Kara's eyes.

Kara's heart condition was a chronic illness. It couldn't be cured, only managed.

The doctor prescribed alternative medicine, and for the next week, Bennett personally took care of everything. He stayed in the kitchen for hours each day, carefully brewing the medicine before feeding it to Kara, spoon by spoon.

"Kara, this medicine is too bitter. I bought your favorite chestnut cake to help with the taste." Bennett's voice was filled with affection.

Kara smiled a little.

The chestnut cakes from the north side of the city were always in high demand. To get a box, one had to line up at 3 o'clock in the morning.

He had put in the effort.

If she hadn't uncovered the truth, she might have really believed he loved her deeply.

Even during their afternoon naps, he would hold her hand tightly.

Kara looked around at the wall of dolls that covered an entire side of the bedroom. She felt a deep bitterness in her heart.

She loved claw machines, so Bennett had scoured the entire city for the latest ones, helping her win over ten thousand plushies. In the center of them, two porcelain dolls stood side by side.

Kara fetched a small stool. She climbed onto it to reach the two porcelain dolls.

"Kara, why didn't you call me when you woke up? If you wanted these dolls, you could've just told me. It's too high up. What if you fell? That would break my heart!"

A large hand suddenly reached over her head. Bennett asked in a curious tone, "What do you want these dolls for?"

"Nothing. They just looked a little dusty, and I wanted to wipe them clean."

"The maids can take care of that–"

Before Bennett could finish his sentence, his phone rang. He picked it up, and his expression instantly changed. "How could you be so careless? I'll be right there!"

Through the phone, Kara clearly heard the voice on the other end. It was Vanessa's, and she was choked with tears.

Bennett hesitated. "Kara, a friend of mine is in trouble–"

"Go ahead," Kara said flatly.

Her indifference made Bennett feel inexplicably irritated.

But the voice on the other end was pressing him, and he didn't have time to explain. "Wait for me at home. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He hastily handed the dolls to Kara before turning to leave.

In his rush, the dolls grazed Kara's fingers before slipping from her grasp.

They shattered against the floor.

Amidst the shards of porcelain, a folded piece of paper tumbled out.

"Natalie, my one and only love. I will always be your knight in shining armor."

A jagged shard cut across Kara's hand, but she didn't feel the pain.

Her phone screen kept lighting up with Vanessa's messages.

"See? Didn't I tell you? The reason he loves winning plushies with you is that my sister loved claw machines too! Kara, you're just a stand-in.

"Guess what I told him over the phone? I said my sister's grave had some issues, and Bennett rushed off in a panic. Hahaha.

"Oh, by the way, doesn't Bennett have a secret room full of my sister's things? The password is her birthday! You should check it out. You'll be in for a surprise."

Images of countless AI-generated face swaps flashed through Kara's mind.

Her insides twisted like they were being wrung dry.

She stood at the door of the secret room, lifted her hand, but let it fall again.

She would be leaving soon.

Who Bennett loved no longer had anything to do with her.

For three days and nights, Kara's messages were completely ignored.

On the first day, Vanessa sent her a photo of a distant figure.

"Stop waiting. Bennett is personally relocating my sister's grave. It's a perfect burial site. Beautiful, isn't it?"

On the second day, Vanessa shared a Facebook account with her. It was Bennett's private account. It was filled with thousands of messages, every single one pouring out his grief and longing for Natalie. The content was dense and overwhelming, and it cut Kara like a knife.

On the third day, one of Bennett's friends suddenly messaged her.

"Kara, you need to get to the hospital right away! Bennett got into a fight this afternoon. It was one against eight guys. He's badly injured and has been calling your name the whole time."

Kara's heart sank.

They had been together for eight years. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

When she arrived at the hospital, she overheard a nurse sighing in the hallway.

"Bennett really is something. I heard that when his first love got into a car accident, he stayed by her corpse for over 70 hours. He even insisted on dying with her. It took everything to talk him out of it, and now he's fighting over a grave?"

"Kara, you're finally here! Bennett, he–"

Kara trembled. A bitter taste filled her throat.

Just then, a nurse rushed out anxiously.

"The patient is losing too much blood! We're out of his blood type in the bank. Who here has type A blood? We need a donor immediately!"

Kara stepped forward. "I do."

Inside the blood collection room, the nurse looked at Kara's increasingly pale face and felt a pang of sympathy.

"Miss, you've already given two pints. If we take any more, you'll be in danger–"

"It's fine. Keep going."

As the third needle pierced her skin, Kara's mind started drifting.

Through the haze, she caught a glimpse of a figure passing quickly outside the room.

"Michel, the woman Bennett arranged to be the surrogate for my sister is in the blood collection room right now. Just go in and check her. He's taken care of everything else."

"Bennett is quite clever. Afraid his girlfriend wouldn't agree to be a surrogate, so he faked an injury to trick her into coming to the hospital!"

Kara could clearly hear them mocking her.

For a moment, her mind went blank.

Then the door swung open, and Vanessa entered. She was practically glowing with excitement, and she had a foreign doctor in tow.

"Kara, you really are a fool, huh? Rushing to donate blood for Bennett like this. What a shame. It was all just a setup!"

Kara watched Vanessa talk animatedly, but her vision was growing blurry.

She couldn't help but think back to their first meeting.

Bennett had casually slung his backpack onto the desk beside her, pulled out a chair, and said, "Kara, right? From now on, I'll be your deskmate. I'll take care of you."

Time had flown.

But all along, the person he truly wanted to protect was never her.

Bennett was strong, and thanks to timely medical care, he recovered well.

The moment he woke up, the first thing he did was look for his phone. His friends immediately pressed him back down.

"Bennett! Just stay put. If they hadn't gotten you here in time, you might've bled out and met the Grim Reaper already!"

"Move. Give me my phone."

"Bennett–" His friend hesitated.

Bennett's patience ran thin. Feeling exhausted, he rubbed his temples.

"I left in a hurry and didn't explain things to Kara. I've been gone for so long. She must be worried."

His friends chuckled dryly.

"Man, you really are a romantic. Don't tell me you've actually fallen for Kara."

"I–" Bennett's throat clenched.

For the first time, he didn't know how to answer. Whenever he thought of Natalie's gentle expression, he always felt suffocated.

In the past, he had never dared to confront this question.

But now, having brushed against death, his mind had never felt clearer.

Determination settled in his eyes as he slowly spoke. "Actually, all these years–"

Before he could finish, the door was suddenly pushed open.

"Bennett! Michel just finished Kara's examination. Her body is in perfect condition. As soon as we get my sister's frozen eggs, we can proceed with the implantation this week! My sister's last wish is finally coming true!"

Bennett's words were cut off abruptly.

He was momentarily dazed. "What examination?"

"Oh, come on, don't pretend, Bennett! Didn't you fake getting injured just to lure Kara here for the surrogacy check-up? Remember how my sister's biggest regret was not being able to marry and have kids with you? Well, now her wish is finally coming true!"

His friends all cheered for him.

Their excitement drowned out the words he had been about to say.

A violent storm raged in Bennett's eyes.

His voice turned ice-cold.

"Shut up. All of you."

By the time Kara woke up, the examination was already over.

She couldn't even be bothered to confront Bennett and went home alone.

Soon, everything would come to an end.

By the time Bennett returned, Kara was packing her suitcase. She didn't have much. Her stuff was just enough to fill a small luggage bag.

Bennett rushed forward, gripping her hand excitedly, yet he didn't dare meet her eyes. "Kara, remember I mentioned that top cardiologist, Michel, a couple of years ago? I went on a business trip this week just to bring him here. I finally convinced him to come!

"He's only staying in Crestmoor for two days. I'll take you to see him today so he can check your heart, okay?"

Bennett sounded desperate.

Kara studied him for a moment before responding, "Didn't you say a friend had an emergency? How did that turn into a business trip?"

"I–"

"Let's go. I only have four hours. Will that be enough?" Kara pretended not to notice the way Bennett's expression turned gloomy. She continued packing.

Only then did Bennett realize how much emptier the room had become.

He frowned. "Kara, why are you packing? And where are all your plush toys?"

Kara stopped moving for a moment.

"My best friend just went through a breakup and asked me to go on a trip abroad with her. You weren't home these past few days, so I didn't get a chance to tell you. The cruise leaves tonight, and I already bought the ticket. If we're going to the hospital, we need to leave now, or I won't make it in time."

"Oh." So that's what it was.

The unease in Bennett's heart was forcibly suppressed.

With time running short, he didn't have the luxury to think about anything else. He grabbed Kara's hand and took her straight to the hospital. He even tossed her suitcase into the trunk just in case.

Kara silently observed it all.

The examination was soon completed. This time, she was here for the embryo transfer.

Before the procedure, Michel walked in with the test results. The first thing he said was, "Hello, Miss Sierra."

"Let's speak in your native language. She won't understand," Bennett interrupted hastily.

As he spoke, he stole a quick glance at Kara.

Seeing that she looked unaffected, he looked away.

Michel nodded quickly. "Ah, of course, Mr. Miles. Miss Sierra's health has improved a lot under your care! She is now fully capable of carrying a child. However, pregnancy can be tough. Is she willing to go through with it?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Just find an excuse to implant the embryo."

Bennett spoke with a hint of indulgence in his tone. He even looked at Kara with affection.

Kara found it laughable.

She had already learned the foreign language three years ago.

Bennett still thought his deception was flawless.

Would he really feel no guilt, even when she was lying on the operating table?

Kara bit her lip and turned to Bennett. "What are you two talking about? Is there something wrong with my health?"

"No, nothing. Michel just mentioned a small issue with your heart. You'll need a minor procedure. It's only an hour-long surgery. Is that okay?"

Bennett stroked her long hair intimately.

Although Kara had expected this, she still felt a hollow ache in her heart.

She smiled at him. "Will it be done in time? I have a ship to catch tonight."

Bennett hesitated for a moment.

Then, as if making some sort of decision, he gently patted her head. "Be good. After the surgery, I'll personally arrange a helicopter to take you there."

With that, Michel's assistant led Kara away to be prepped for anesthesia.

In the office, Bennett couldn't shake the image of Kara's eyes as she looked at him before leaving. Her gaze, clear and bright, was filled with deep grievance and fear.

His unease grew stronger.

Michel continued adjusting the implantation procedure on the computer, but Bennett only grew more irritable. When the operating room's red light flicked on, he finally snapped and kicked over a chair.

"Stop! I've changed my mind. Cancel the surgery now!"

Bennett bolted out and tried to stop the doors from closing.

A few nurses attempted to hold him back, but he pushed past them. He flung open the operating room doors, only to find that the person on the hospital bed wasn't Kara.

His heart dropped, and his roar nearly shook the entire hospital. "Where's Kara? Where did my girlfriend go?"

"Please don't panic, Mr. Miles, Miss Sierra said she was in a hurry to catch her ship, so the surgery has been postponed," the assistant stammered.

The man who had been on the verge of exploding suddenly went quiet.

For some reason, he felt a hint of relief.

He immediately reached for his phone, intending to call Kara, when a notification popped up at the top of his screen.

"The Odyssey Cruise collided with reefs. Nearly 20 passengers fell overboard. The casualty list has been released–"

Such bad luck!

Bennett instinctively dismissed the alert.

However, his finger froze mid-air.

The casualty list was displayed.

Kara was one of the deceased.