When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 366

The silver ring slipped into Nelly’s palm. She barely glanced at it, her eyes locked on the pad of Teddy’s index finger. Jessie held her breath, pulse racing. The room was suddenly quiet, so quiet that all you could hear was Carrie’s steady breathing.

No tattoo. But there was a scar, thin and winding, an old mark twisting at the base of his finger. It looked like it had come from a burn, the kind that never really fades, just settles in and stays.

Jessie’s face drained of color as her fingers tightened around the edge of the table. Nelly stared at the scar, caught off guard. “Your hand…” she murmured, barely able to look away.

Teddy’s tone was calm, almost casual. He ran his thumb over the scar. “A burn from a mission years ago. I always thought it looked ugly, so I wore the ring to cover it up.”

Nelly seemed to snap out of it, quickly brushing her fingers over the ring before handing it back. “It’s a nice ring,” she said, trying to sound polite, but everyone knew she didn’t care about the jewelry.

Teddy slid the ring onto his finger again, glancing at Jessie. “If you wanted to see my hand, you could’ve just asked. Did you get the answer you wanted?”

Nelly tried to say something, but Jessie cut her off. “His hand was just like yours. He had a tattoo—an infinity symbol—right there. It was beautiful.”

Teddy had already figured it out, so there was no point in pretending. Jessie stared at his scar, feeling her chest tighten with a kind of sadness she couldn’t put into words. The room felt heavier, like the air itself had thickened.

Teddy looked at her, eyes steady. “Is that so? That’s quite a coincidence.”

Jessie shook her head, her voice shaky. “I don’t believe in coincidences like that. The same face. The same spot on your finger…”

She could feel Jessie’s pain as if it were her own. Love was cruelest when there were no answers. When you got nothing back, it felt like falling into a pit you couldn’t climb out of.

“Dr. Morton, I know you loved him. I’ve never been in love, but anyone can see how real your feelings are. Honestly, I envy Casey.”

Teddy took a deep breath, his voice gentle. “My name’s Teddy. I grew up in a military family, served in the army, retired, and now I help with family business. You can check all of it if you want...”

Jessie shook her head, cutting him off quietly. “That’s not necessary.”

She looked up at Teddy. He was watching her, his eyes full of worry and pity. Jessie wondered if she looked as foolish as she felt.