When There Is Nothing Left But Love

Death sentence?

I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with Laurel and Tabitha, then returned to the villa.

I arrived to see Nora in the midst of moving out of the villa next door, much to my astonishment. She’d hired a bunch of professional movers who streamed in and out of the doorway toting boxes of various sizes.

Nora stood just outside the door supervising them, occasionally reminding them to be careful with her things.

I stood rooted to the spot in the yard, watching her. Nora saw me out of the corner of her eye and turned in my direction. Our eyes met, and I could see that hers were swollen and red with crying even at that distance.

What on earth has happened?

I hadn’t much of a clue what had transpired and didn’t suppose it was a suitable time to ask. I smiled at Nora embarrassedly, then stepped into the villa. Ashton was still stuck at Moranta fighting Armond. Cameron had originally extended an invitation to Summer and me to return to K City in the meantime. However, I was busy resenting Armond for having deceived me and in no mood for socializing.

I was vexed but was determined to try and accomplish something.

the villa, I collapsed onto a chair

peered out of the window. Nora was standing outside, patiently waiting for me beyond the gate of my

out to the yard and beckoned her.

this to you.” Having thus declared, Nora wriggled the bracelet that she was wearing off her arm, then handed it to me. Channing

at the bracelet lying in Nora’s outstretched palm, then looked back at Nora. “This bracelet belonged to your grandmother. If you’re here to ask for it back, I’ll return it to you. There’s no need for you to return anything to me. I gave the bracelet to you in the first place because of the relationship between our families and because I believed that our friendship was genuine. I never thought that anything could ever come between us. I see now that perhaps I was wrong. Even if that’s the case, I don’t want your bracelet. I gave it wholeheartedly to you back then, and I don’t intend to ask

shut the gate without waiting for her

She

and whichever winding paths they ultimately took. I had never pursued anyone, accepting the eventual end of any relationship stoically. In the three years that I’d spent waiting for Ashton, I knew that

be willing to chase after a friendship. Nora was presently

choice to part ways with me, there was no point dwelling any further. I thus chose to flash a

an absolutely meaningless, patronizing phrase that I’d always loathed. I now uttered it with absolute sincerity,

Nora,

closed with a steely clang. I exhaled, then walked slowly back into my villa. Just as I was about to head into the

or not, I have to tell you that I was drunk that night at the Imperial Hotel. If I had known that he