Brett hadn't yet had the chance to prove himself in his own way. Was he supposed to just throw in the towel now?
He couldn't bear it, he truly couldn't bear it.
His love for Izabella was so great, he found it hard to entrust her to anyone else.
Brett was not one to easily let his guard down. He wouldn't even let anyone near his back, let alone the love of his life.
Throughout his life, the only person who had stayed with him for the longest time was Liam. He hadn't managed to hold on to anyone else he wanted to keep in his life.
His parents died before his eyes, and Izabella had left him as well.
At times, Brett felt like a fish that had been reeled ashore, being toyed with by fate. The hook was lodged in its gills, and no matter how far it swam after being thrown back into the water, it always ended up back where it started.
Brett touched the burn on the left side of his chest that had been there for four or five years. The pain hadn't faded in the slightest. Although the wound had healed, it suddenly began to hurt again, as if a knife was piercing his heart.
Other than when he was ill, all the burning pain he felt was not real.
Brett knew this wasn't the life he wanted, but it was the one he had chosen.
When a person reached a certain level of loneliness, they had nothing to say. They can't even share their sadness with others. In the end, even their shadow will leave them, let alone the person they yearned for.
Brett didn't want to accept his fate, but he had no choice. Everything seemed meaningless in the face of death.
He wanted to do one last thing. Let's make a bet. If he won, he would consider it his last good deed for Izabella. If he lost, he would let go, completely let go.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Casey. Casey had saved his life once. But he didn't trust the Dempsey family, and he didn't believe that Casey could resist when push came to shove.
Brett slightly propped up his body and grabbed the phone on the cabinet, dialing a number.
"Do as I told you before. I want to see the results within three months."
Izabella had been by Casey's side all along, only relaxing momentarily when the IV bag was empty for the day.
With her hand clutching Casey's, she closed her eyes and rested her head on the bed. The nurse, seeing her lying there, worried that her neck and waist would hurt, so she woke her up.
"Ms. Salotti, why don't you lie down for a bit? You don't have to keep an eye on him all the time. I'm afraid your body won't be able to take it."
The hospital provided temporary beds and blankets for those tending to patients. Izabella hadn't taken any, because she had no intention of lying down and sleeping deeply.
Izabella shook her head, her voice hoarse. "I'm fine. I'll just take a short nap."
She had been through worse when she was under a lot of stress at work. She had even survived being burned alive. Compared to that, this was nothing.
Seeing that she couldn't be persuaded, the nurse decided to drop it. But fearing that Izabella might catch a cold, she brought her a blanket.
"Cover yourself with this. Don't catch a cold."
Izabella stood up to thank her, taking the blanket from the nurse's hands.
She didn't use the blanket, though. The hospital was air-conditioned and it wasn't cold. Besides, she was wearing Casey's jacket.
Resting her head against the back of the chair, Izabella eventually laid her head on the edge of the bed, her hand serving as a pillow.
She had barely closed her eyes when she felt a gentle touch on her head. Half-asleep, she opened her eyes to find Casey's hand caressing her head, soothing her inner turmoil.
Izabella lifted her head to meet Casey's soft gaze. His eyes, previously dull and gray, were now clear, revealing a myriad of stars within.
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