Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 265:

Overcome by the weight of their conversation, Brian felt drained. He didn’t respond—he simply turned away and silently left the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Rachel wrapped herself in a towel and methodically dried her hair. After a few minutes, she emerged, moving with a detached air toward the wardrobe to pick out her clothes.

“What are you doing?” Brian’s voice was low, his grip firm as he clasped her wrist, his gaze unwavering.

Rachel exhaled softly, her exhaustion taking precedence over any desire to protest. “If we’re saying goodbye, let’s make it final,” she murmured. “My hair’s dry. I’ll leave as soon as I’ve changed.”

Brian’s fingers tightened instinctively, his voice rough with suppressed emotion. “Stay. Just for tonight.”

couldn’t bear the thought of prolonging this undefined connection, where every moment felt like

His voice was firm yet tinged with desperation. When Rachel remained silent, he pressed further. “It’s too late to go

considered her words. “Fine,” she

retreated to change into her nightclothes. When she emerged, Brian was already on the

Rachel slid under the covers, her

lips parted as if to speak, but the words seemed to dissolve before they could form. In the end, he simply

lively and full of energy, now felt delicate and fragile, worn down by illness, travel, and the relentless toll of dialysis. In this moment, she felt smaller than ever, a tiny figure curled near the edge of the bed as though trying to take up as

hand moved instinctively as if to pull her closer, but the memory of her earlier resistance stopped him in his tracks. His hand hovered briefly, then fell slowly to his side, the weight of unspoken words and past hesitation hanging in the air. He cleared

need to sleep on the edge,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “There’s plenty of room, and the covers are wide enough. You can

more

grip on the edge of the blanket, her fingers pale against the