Asher’s thoughts froze for a second.
An inexplicable unease washed over him, his heart pounding as if something terrible was about to happen.
Riley’s phone was disconnected. All her social media accounts were deactivated. Even the cloud storage filled with thousands of their photos together had been completely emptied.
Asher irritably lit a cigarette, tilting his head back to exhale a smoke ring, then smashed the diamond hairpin he’d been clutching to pieces.
“Riley Hawthorne, haven’t you had enough of this tantrum?!” First accusing Nora, then grabbing her hairpin, and now playing the runaway game!
His assistant stood by the door, hesitantly suggesting: “Mr. Blackwell, Miss Hawthorne has nobody to rely on, so she probably hasn’t gone far. If we look now, we might still find her…”
“Find what?” Asher’s eyes were bloodshot.
“If she wants to act out, let her. I’ve spoiled her too much over the years.”
Within two minutes, Asher had composed himself.
He straightened his tie and extinguished his cigarette in the sink: “Stay here and clean up this mess. I’m going back to the hospital–Nora’s waiting for me.”
When Asher entered the hospital room, Nora immediately put down her phone, excitedly reaching for him: “Hug me!”
Vivian stared at the empty space behind Asher, forcing a smile: “Brother, where’s Riley? Didn’t she come with you? Is she still
upset?”
Asher rubbed his temples wearily: “She’s gone off somewhere.”
“Vivian, haven’t I been too good to her? Just because I scolded her a few times, she decides to run away!”
Vivian’s pupils contracted: “Riley ran away?!”
Remembering Riley’s numb, desperate expression before she left, Vivian anxiously bit her fingernail.
“Brother… I slapped her. What if she’s angry with me?”
Asher choked on his water: “You hit her?”
“Yes… when she pushed Nora down the stairs, I was so angry… I couldn’t help it…”
His nostrils flared as he waved dismissively: “It’s fine. This isn’t your fault–Riley brought this on herself. Don’t worry about her; once she’s done acting out, I’ll go find her.”
Nora blinked innocently: “Asher, Vivian, you don’t need to look for Riley anymore.”
She held up her phone, smiling sweetly: “She’s given you both to me! She’s gone and won’t ever come back.”
The empty message thread contained just one line: [I said I would leave and never return. Nora, they’re all yours now.]
21:58
Two Chances, One Bullet: How His “Next Life” Promise Failed
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spils 11
Vivian school her head in disidiel “Where would Riley go? Where could she possibly go…
In that moment. Asher’s mind went completely blank. He obsessively read the message over and over, but couldn’t comprehend it
Just then, his assistant burst into the room: “Mr. Blackwell, this is terrible!”
He opened his palm to reveal a dirty diamond ring: “I found Miss Hawthorne’s ring in the bedroom trash can! Isn’t this the one you made yourself? Why would she throw it away?”
Asher’s legs weakened, and he collapsed into a chair.
He remembered what Riley had whispered when he first placed that ring on her finger: “Asher, as long as I love you, I’ll never
lose this ring!”
But now, she had deliberately thrown it away.
A piece of his heart seemed to hollow out. Asher stood up and stumbled toward the door.
Nora looked stunned: “Asher, where are you going?”
Without looking back, Asher answered: “I’m going to find Riley! I don’t believe she would leave me…”
21.50
