Chapter: 1125

He had hugged her briefly before she pushed him away.

He checked his emotions and said, "Just now, I thought you wouldn't come back."

Once more, it was Norah who had protected him. He felt like a burden to her.

Norah's heart softened. Even though Marlin was now a business magnate in Silverdale and came from a wealthy family, that didn't matter to her. She saw only the young boy who had gazed up at her with hopeful eyes in the dim cellar.

"It's okay. I'm here."

Norah sat next to Marlin and softly patted his shoulder.

"It's been so long. Are you still afraid?"

Five years had passed since the kidnapping. She had assumed Marlin no longer remembered it.

Marlin felt a rush of embarrassment. He was reluctant to reveal his fears to the woman he loved.

Moreover, it had always been Norah who came to his rescue.

"I'm trying to overcome it."

Yet, it lingered as a dark shadow in his mind. The only part of his memory that had vanished was Norah's face.

Once he discovered Norah was his rescuer, he dreamt of her that night, which restored his full memory.

Visions of blood, darkness, abuse, and captivity haunted him.

Five years had passed, but he still couldn't overcome the fear.

Norah, observing Marlin, understood his thoughts. She offered another comforting pat on his shoulder.

"Those days are behind us. There's nothing left to fear. The more you fear, the more you must face it. I believe in you."

Courage wasn't innate.

Norah, too, was human. As a child, she dreaded blood and death. She vividly recalled her first assignment when she took a life for the first time. The disgusting feeling surged within her.

She had spent an entire day vomiting after finishing her task. That night, her dreams were haunted by vivid images of dark red blood.

She realized fear was useless. Eventually, she became the organization's most powerful assassin.

Everyone had something to fear. As long as they overcome it, these fears propel them forward, no longer holding them back.

Marlin bowed his head and drew nearer to her.

Overcoming the psychological shadow wasn't easy. Each night, a small night lamp stood by his bedside. The gentle glow brought him comfort.