Chapter: 964

He was frightened.

He was in sheer panic.

"Jonathan, I haven't Left."

"Shut up!"

This was the harshest thing Jonathan had ever said to Bethany.

As his heartbeat began to stabilize, Bethany reached up to embrace him.

"I promise you. If I ever decide to leave, I'll tell you, okay?"

She didn't want Jonathan to be on edge all the time.

Jonathan, who was always cold and proud, was rarely seen to be panicked. But recently, he had got that look all the time.

Whether Bethany was in the ward, using the restroom, or simply sitting on the sofa working on her laptop, Jonathan's gaze constantly tracked her.

“Are you planning to leave?" Jonathan caught the key point in Bethany's words.

Bethany paused for a moment. "No, I meant if."

“There are no ‘ifs'!" Jonathan cut her off sharply. "Bethany, why don't you just kill me? I'd let you."

Jonathan, towering over Bethany, seemed to crumble as he leaned his entire weight against her shoulder. The heaviness of his body made it difficult for her to breathe.

He didn't say a word, simply resting quietly against her.

Bethany wanted to speak, but she chose to stay silent, thinking it best to let him settle first.

Then she felt a sense of dampness on her neck. Tiny teardrops began to trickle down her collarbone, one after another.

Jonathan's tears fell silently.

This was a stark contrast to the last time he cried, which he had attributed to the effects of alcohol. This time, he was completely sober.

"Jonathan..."

“Bethany, you can't always leave me behind," he said, his voice cracking and his chest shaking with emotion. “Once is already too much."

The thought of facing another departure was more than he could bear.

Aimee had found a new job.

She was now working as a remote planner, a role that let her stay at home rather than go into an office.