Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 654:

When a nurse saw her awake, she eagerly announced the good news. Both Brian and Jeffrey pressed at the door. “We need to see her,” they said urgently.

The nurse paused. “She’s only just come around and is still very frail. Visits must be brief. Let me ask her first.”

Rachel heard this and subtly shook her head. She wasn’t ready. The thought of Jeffrey seeing her so weak was unbearable—she wanted to spare him the distress. And Brian? She wasn’t prepared to face him yet.

Three days later, Rachel was strong enough to be transferred to a standard ward.

With her condition stable, Yvonne, Natalia, and Jeffrey finally relaxed. They filled her new room, each bending over her bed with gentle concern. Their comforting voices lifted Rachel’s spirits considerably.

ward. He stood by the door, his unwavering presence a testament to his commitment. A cigarette burned down between his fingers without a single draw. The closed door felt like a wall separating them. Rachel neither glimpsed his

settled over the room until Natalia stepped out

better

nod. “Much improved. If you’re so concerned, why don’t

journey

hoarse after a long silence.

hesitation, replied, “She really does need

once she fell asleep, he would slip in to see her.

lids lifted, Brian’s entire body tensed, his breath caught in apprehension. He stood utterly still, his usually quick mind blank before flooding with endless what-ifs. No clear resolution came to him—the weight of his

lips to speak when her eyes closed again, eyelashes sweeping down to shroud her gaze. The soft rhythm of her calm breathing soon filled the room. The episode felt fleeting, almost surreal, as if no awakening had occurred. Brian reasoned that she must have been dreaming, unaware despite her open eyes. He concluded she hadn’t truly seen him—if she had been fully conscious, she would surely have been agitated, perhaps even commanding him