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.

villa, I collapsed onto a chair in

the window. Nora was standing outside, patiently waiting for

to the yard and

that she was wearing off her arm, then handed it to me. Channing had originally given me a matching

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

turned to shut the gate

gate with one swift motion. She paused, then said in a trembling voice,

I had a rather accepting attitude towards friendships 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 despite how much I loved

chase after a friendship. Nora was presently

had evidently made her choice to part ways with me, there was no point dwelling any further. I thus chose to flash a bright smile at her and replied, “There’s no need to thank me. I wish you all the best in

with absolute sincerity, however. I did hope that Nora and I would each come to find our own

goodbye. I would no longer continue journeying through life with Nora, but I hoped that my

slowly back into my villa. Just as I was about to head into the room to sleep, the doorbell rang a second time.

at me, she muttered, “Whether you believe me or not, I have to tell you that I was drunk that night at the Imperial Hotel. If I had known that he would have turned out to be so violent, I would