Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1079

That moment, Alyssa felt as if time had come to a standstill. It was as though invisible hands were gripping her throat. She found it hard to even breathe. And there he was—Michael. Despite the thirty years that had passed, Alyssa recognized him instantly. That face, it was still his, but it seemed to have changed so much. He was no longer the cheeky, grinning boy of thirty years ago. He had transformed into a man bearing the marks of life's trials, a face weathered by time. He was completely different, his once flamboyant demeanor now subdued, reminiscent of a sword securely sheathed in iron, its brilliance hidden away. The years had refined him; the once brash youth now exuded a gentle, scholarly charm.

Alyssa noticed the scar at the corner of his eye right away. It was from that time he was locked in the cellar by Tim, and a falling bottle of red wine had cut him. She still remembered the sight of him, bloodied, stumbling out without looking back.

After so many years, this man had reappeared before Alyssa. And it still hurt. Those long-buried memories burst forth like a box suddenly flung open. In an instant, they overwhelmed her. Alyssa turned ghostly pale, frozen in place, incapable of movement. Her gaze was fixed unblinkingly on the man.

Valeria had walked up to Alyssa's side by then. Seeing Alyssa's distressed state, she gently called out, "Alyssa, what's wrong?" It was as if Valeria's voice, suddenly cutting through the silence, pulled Alyssa back from her memories. Alyssa finally took a deep breath. Only then did she realize the suffocating sensation was real. Because from the moment Michael stepped into the Whitfield Manor, Alyssa had forgotten to breathe.

Upon entering, Michael looked around. His eyes found Alyssa almost immediately. They weren't far from each other, their expressions clearly visible to one another. But when Michael looked at Alyssa, his face was void of emotion. His eyes, too, were as calm as still water. It was as if he were looking at a stranger, perhaps even less than that. Alyssa felt an indescribable disappointment. After all these years, she had still cared. Never once had she forgotten this man. But what place did she hold in his heart, if any at all? Perhaps, there was no place for her.

But after more than thirty years, the past, with all its grievances, had turned into dust. Everything felt as distant as if it had happened in another life. Alyssa forced herself to push aside her personal feelings, pretending as if nothing was amiss, and slowly descended the stairs.

As she passed by Cilian, he frowned and asked, "Alyssa, is that him? The man you've been pining for over thirty years, unable to forget?" Cilian's voice was low. Perhaps only Alyssa and he could hear it clearly. But his tone was filled with sorrow. Michael, whom he had never met before, was still instantly recognizable to him. It might seem ridiculous, but there appeared to be an innate understanding between men. The moment Michael appeared, Cilian felt a threat like never before. With just one look, Cilian knew the answer in his heart.