Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 134: Parting by Death

Raina Reddington pushed the door open and left, not forgetting to close it behind her.

Once outside, all her strength crumbled in an instant. With her back to the door, she trudged forward with heavy steps.

Inside, Ethan Lancaster had lost his appetite. Nothing seemed right to him. The moment Raina closed the door, his entire expression had changed.

Gwen Sharp didn’t dare say much, simply lowering her head and stuffing food into her mouth.

By the time the servant brought the last dish to the table, Raina was already gone.

Ethan Lancaster glanced at the new dish: stuffed wheat gluten, Raina’s favorite. She had even told the servant to add a few shiitake mushrooms. Ethan always said she had no taste—that with so many delicacies in the world, she just had to like such rustic fare.

His interest waned. He tossed his chopsticks aside and stood up.

Gwen Sharp scrambled to follow him, but a servant shook her head slightly. "Miss Sharp, you should just finish your meal."

Following him would only make him unhappy. It was clear that Ethan’s mood had hit rock bottom.

He walked into the study. A security camera was installed at the entrance to the house. Ethan went over and turned on the computer; Raina was already gone. He rewound the footage and watched her walk out. She only stood there for a little while, no more than a minute.

Ethan watched her shoulders heave and saw her hands constantly wiping at her face, her whole body trembling. ’So her coming here was just her asking to be humiliated. Turns out she isn’t indifferent to seeing me be intimate with another woman after all.’

As Raina left, she covered her mouth and nose, likely not wanting anyone to see her crying. She departed in a hurry, looking more like she was fleeing in disgrace.

A tightness constricted Ethan’s chest. He slammed the laptop shut, but even that couldn’t dispel the overwhelming irritation he felt.

Raina stumbled away, her steps unsteady. Someone passed by and kindly tried to get her attention. "Hey, you..."

She turned a deaf ear, focused only on walking. Once in her car, Raina opened her hand and saw that her palm was full of blood. She frantically grabbed a few tissues to press against her nose, but they were quickly soaked through.

She’d had almost no time to rest recently, and her body was on the verge of collapse. Raina felt dizzy. She leaned her head back. After a while, she changed the tissues again, and the bleeding slowly stopped.

In a hurry to get back to the hospital, Raina wiped the bloodstains from her face and hands with a wet wipe before starting the car.

Weaving through the main roads of Stoneworth, Raina was still in a daze. ’Why can’t I find him? He’s a living person, how can he just disappear?’

’I want to keep trying. I can’t accept this. What if Miles Hawthorne is in the very next club?’

But Raina knew she was out of time. May Sullivan couldn’t wait any longer.

She rushed back to the hospital, anxiety compelling her to move faster and faster. When she reached the entrance to the emergency room, she saw the door was open and the light was off.

Raina didn’t dare go closer. A nurse came out, saw her, and hurried over. "Doctor Reddington."

Her lips were stiff. She couldn’t speak.

The nurse sighed lightly. "Dr. Reddington, we really did everything we could, but there was nothing more to be done."

"Can... can I see her one last time?"

The nurse didn’t know how to answer. "She passed very quickly. She woke up for a little while in the middle of it all, deliriously calling your name and someone else’s."

A sob escaped Raina. She covered her face with her hands and wept, the smell of her own blood filling her palms. The nurse wasn’t good at offering comfort; after all, this was a hospital, where final partings were all too common.

"My condolences."

Raina had said those same words to others before.

She suppressed her emotions. "Can I go in and see her?"

"Yes."

Although Raina had covered May Sullivan’s medical expenses, she wasn’t legally considered her family.

The last time she had entered a place like this was when Felix Finch had passed away. Now, here she was again, watching Miles Hawthorne’s closest relative lie there, beyond saving.

May Sullivan had not died peacefully. She hadn’t been able to see the son she most wanted to see, and her eyes hadn’t even closed.

Raina, who had held on for so long, finally couldn’t take it anymore. She crouched down, tightly gripping one of May Sullivan’s hands.

"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry—"

’I’m sorry I couldn’t get Miles Hawthorne to come back for you before you died.’ 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But the person was already gone and had no need for Raina’s apology. May Sullivan wouldn’t have wanted to see her like this, either. ’She did nothing wrong. She was kind and warm. How could this have happened to her?’

Before she left, she had wanted to say one thing to Raina. It was good that she was going first. ’Don’t forget,’ she’d say, ’in our next life, you promised to be my daughter.’

The hospital had its rules, and there was no way around them.

Even if Raina said she knew May Sullivan, she couldn’t provide any official proof, so she could only watch as the body was sent to the funeral home.

If Miles Hawthorne didn’t show up, the body would go unclaimed. Not only could it not be cremated, but it would be left in that cold, cold place.

In the vast Verdant Garden, only Raina Reddington remained.

As evening fell, Seth Sinclair walked into the courtyard and saw Raina sitting on the swing set. The sun was still fierce around five or six o’clock, and Seth felt hot after just a few steps. Yet he saw that Raina was wearing a cardigan.

Seth couldn’t help but walk a few steps closer. "Young Madam."

Raina stared at the lawn beneath her feet without a word. Seth spoke up, "I’ve come back to get something for the Fourth Master."

It was as if she hadn’t heard him at all, or perhaps she hadn’t even seen him.

Seth glanced at her pale face, then turned and went into the house.

A short while later, he came out wheeling a suitcase. He paused again as he passed Raina. "Young Madam, I’m taking the things now."

Raina’s eyes were now closed, and she was muttering some kind of song. Seth sensed something was wrong and called out to her twice more.

Ethan Lancaster was still waiting for him in the car. Seeing him take so long, he grew impatient.

When Seth finally put the suitcase away and got back into the passenger seat, Ethan asked, "What took you so long?"

"Fourth Master, something seems off about the Young Madam."

"What’s wrong?"

"I spoke to her, but she didn’t seem to hear a word. It’s like she’s trapped in her own world and can’t get out."

Ethan sneered. "She’s grieving for someone else. You don’t need to bother her."

"I’m afraid something might happen if this goes on. Are you really just going to leave her be?"

"Me, care about her? When has she ever cared about me?" Ethan picked up a nearby file and flipped through it. "Seth, don’t tell me you think I was in the wrong?"

’Who could say who was right or wrong in a situation like this?’

Just as he was about to tell the driver to go, he saw a car approaching. Seth squinted at the license plate. "Fourth Master, it’s Mr. Lancaster."

Ethan’s gaze followed, and sure enough, it was Mr. Lancaster’s car. He quickly put down his file, pushed open the car door, and got out.

He waited for the car to come to a complete stop before personally opening the door. "Grandpa, what are you doing here?"

Mr. Lancaster tapped his cane on the ground twice. "Are you just leaving, or did you just get home?"

"Just got home," Ethan said, schooling his expression.

"Where’s Raina?"

"She’s home."