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“Christopher!” When Winnie saw Christopher suddenly collapse to the ground, she took two steps
forward reflexively.
She completely forgot about the fact that she was still shackled, so her arm almost came off because
she walked toward him hastily.
Her right arm was broken by Yulissa’s stick earlier, so doing that only poured fuel to the fire. Her face
instantly paled from the pain.
Additionally, due to inertia, her entire body was pulled backward by the chains.
Even though Christopher was only two steps away from her, she couldn’t touch him at all.
“Wake up! You need to wake up and give me the key! I can send you to the hospital!” Winnie shouted
his name, trying to wake him up, but it was no use. His body remained unmoving as he lay on the
ground.
It was the first time she felt so helpless. Even though the key was only two steps away from her, she
couldn’t grab it. Christopher will definitely die here if I don’t get out of my shackles soon!
“Wake up! I beg you, Christopher! You can’t die here! You still need to go home! Do you hear me,
Christopher? Wake up!” she yelled as loudly as she could.
It was said that a person would be able to hear the calls of their friends and families when they were on
the verge of death. Aside from calling his name, Winnie had no idea what to do.
Meanwhile, Christopher felt as though he was in a cold, dark world. He was freezing and lost, but there
was a dot of red light in the distance. It seemed so close yet so far away from him.
With great effort, he tried approaching the light. He felt as though people were waiting for him there.
Their figures resembled that of the fallen comrades he used to fight alongside with.
Those comrades of his were the nameless heroes who were sacrificed during the mission.
Christopher really wanted to reunite with them and hug them.
However, just as he was about to reach them, he suddenly heard someone calling out to him from
behind.
That voice was pleasant to the ears, and it was calling out to him. It sounded familiar to him, but he
couldn’t remember who the voice belonged to.
He wanted to advance forward, to reach a place of warmth and comfort with his comrades.
Yet, the feminine voice behind him was gradually mixed in with the sound of crying.
The one thing Christopher couldn’t bear listening to the most in his life was women crying, especially
when it was accompanied by that particular voice. It almost broke his heart when he heard it.
Subconsciously, he didn’t want to let the owner of the voice feel upset. He glanced at his former
comrades and abruptly realized he still had unfinished business to take care of.
Thus, he turned around with conviction and sprinted toward the origin of the voice.
“Wake up, Christopher! I beg you! Please talk to me!” Winnie still hadn’t given up yet. She believed
Christopher wouldn’t go down that easily.
Her belief came true in the next moment.
He actually opened his eyes in front of her.
“K-Key…” Lifting his eyelids with a smile, he opened his palm while still lying on the ground. “I got it.”
She raised her head to hold back the tears in her eyes and grinned. “Yes! Way to go, Christopher! I
knew you would make it! Quickly, hand me the key. I need to drive you to the hospital right now!”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSluggishly, Christopher nodded before dragging his body forward with great effort.
He no longer had any energy left to stand up, so all he could do was lift his arm. Winnie used her still-
functional left hand to grab the key and quickly unlock the shackle on her right hand.
Ignoring her arm’s pain, she immediately leaned downward to help Christopher up.
Unfortunately, her right arm was broken, and her left couldn’t muster much power. Thus, she couldn’t
lift him up.
After a few tries, she was drenched in sweat.
“D*mmit! Godd*mmit!” Winnie couldn’t help but curse. “Why can’t I muster more strength?”
As for Christopher, he tried standing up himself, but he couldn’t do it.
Joy and sorrow filled his heart simultaneously as he stared at the sweating Winnie.
It broke his heart even further to see her blaming herself for not having enough strength when her right
arm was incapacitated.
Out of nowhere, Christopher burst into tears like a child.
When Winnie saw him crying, she swiftly hugged him and uttered in a serious tone, “There’s no need
for you to be afraid. Don’t worry; I’ll save you! Ah, I just remembered that Professor White’s assistant is
still outside! I can ask him for help. He has the strength to carry you out. He can also drive us to the
hospital! I may not be able to move my arm, but I still have my legs! Wait for me here! I’ll go out and
ask for his help right away!”
As she spoke, she stood, preparing to head outside.
However, what Christopher said next felt like a baseball bat to her head. “Don’t go. It’s no use. He’s
already gone. When I woke up, he wasn’t there anymore. He had already escaped by himself.”
Winnie gaped in bewilderment. “Why? Why did he run away?”
He smiled. “He doesn’t know us. It’s only natural that he had already fled. I think this is how I meet my
end. Do you know—”
When he stretched his arm toward her, she immediately squatted down next to him. “Shush, don’t talk
anymore. Save your strength.”
Winnie grabbed Christopher’s hand tightly. “We’ll try again. This time, we’ll do our best. There’s no
doubt we can escape a mere basement.”
Shaking his head gently, he uttered, “Don’t waste your effort. I much prefer you talk to me when we still
have time. Rather than letting me die on the way to the hospital, why not just let me rest here for my
final moments? I feel so tired.”
A horrible feeling swelled in her heart as she gazed at him. “Don’t say that. You need to possess the
will to live on.”
“I do.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “That will is you. You know, I think I died earlier because I saw
my dead comrades waving at me. I was about to meet up with them, but I suddenly heard you calling
my name behind me. Your voice sounded so sorrowful. I didn’t want you to be sad, which then made
me feel as though I still had unfinished matters to attend to. So I sprinted all the way to where your
voice was coming from and saw you. When I came to, I realized the key was still in my hand and that I
still haven’t set you free yet. I knew then that was what I came back to do. Once you’re free, it’ll be time
for me to return.”
“No, that’s not how it goes.” Winnie fixed her eyes on Christopher. “You don’t just die after you
complete a specific task. There are still so many things waiting for you to do in real life.”
His head shook lethargically. “There’s nothing left for me to do. My body’s condition won’t allow it. I
don’t have any time or opportunity left. Can I say something to you, Winnie?”
Staring at her, he saw the glimmers of light reflected in her teary eyes. Her look was tender and
mournful.
Winnie choked up somberly. “Can’t you wait until you get better before you say it to me? What if I say I
don’t want to listen to it now?”
“Then you’ll never have a chance to hear it in this life. Even if there is a next life, we may not have the
chance to meet again. Are you that cruel to deny me a chance to speak?” As though Christopher was a
wounded puppy, he peered at her with a pitiful and pleading look.
In the end, she relented.
Of course, she knew there was a chance he might not make it, even if she sent him to the hospital right
away.
Winnie squeezed out a grin. “Go ahead. I’ll listen.”
“Okay.” Christopher’s smile turned joyous. The look in his eyes softened as he stared at their clasped
hands. “I’ve always liked you in secret. When you rejected me after I proposed to you the first time, I
thought I could wait until you and Xavier broke up before trying again. However, I know you’re the type
of woman who won’t change her mind that easily once you fall for someone. Then I thought, maybe it’ll
be my turn if, by chance, you no longer feel the same way about Xavier. As I waited, I realized the love
between you and Xavier was tough enough to brave any hardships. Originally, my love life was never
the only thing I cared about. I could go on a mission and not think about you. Nonetheless, I didn’t
expect the heavens would arrange for us to meet here. It’s as if you fell from the sky, like a ray of light
that cuts through the darkness. You never fail to stun me every time you show up. We’ve experienced
so much together for the past few days, and I could not stop being deeply attracted to you. Originally, I
didn’t plan to tell you any of these because I was afraid you would blame yourself and feel sad every
time you thought about me after I died. That’s not the outcome I want, but I’m one foot in the grave right
now. I’ve yet to hold a maiden’s hand, have a romantic relationship, and really fall in love with
someone. Yet, all I want is for you to know how much I like you.”
As he spoke, Winnie listened wordlessly.
She didn’t know what to say because she already had Xavier.
Staring at Christopher, she wondered what words she should use.
He couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he saw her like that. Nevertheless, he understood that no
one could force her to like or dislike someone.
She could cry an endless river for him, abandon her dignity for him, and even lose an arm for him, but
those had nothing to do with romantic feelings.
Closing his eyes, Christopher painfully calmed his surging emotions down.
In the end, he chose not to trouble her and betrayed his heart. “No need to feel pressured. While I am
about to die, I’m not going to guilt-trip you. You don’t need to respond to my feelings. Although, I do
have a small request.”
“Tell me.”
“Can I rest in your arms? I’m feeling a bit cold, as though I’m in an icy cellar.”
“Of course.” Without delay, Winnie wrapped her arms around him. “Are you feeling better? I could’ve
hugged you even tighter if my right arm wasn’t broken.”
“Mm-hmm,” Christopher replied softly. “Your body feels really warm. I… I can’t take it anymore. I’m too
tired, and I want to sleep so badly.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHer tears fell onto his forehead as she uttered the words she didn’t know how she came up with.
“Sleep, then. I’ll keep on hugging you. I’ll bring you home.”
“Okay.” His voice became even weaker. Slowly, he closed his eyes as a tear streamed down his cheek.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to break my promise. I really want you to respond to my feelings. Just consider
this as my attempt to use death to threaten you. Tell me, if I had known you before you met Xavier,
would you have fallen in love with me? I’m not asking you if you would betray him. I’m just asking if you
would love me if he weren’t around. Would you have tried?”
Winnie’s face was covered in tears by that point because she could feel his life slipping away bit by bit.
Staring at him, she saw a look of despair and anticipation in his eyes.
She nodded. “I would! I would’ve tried to love you if Xavier weren’t around.”
“Really?” The light in Christopher’s eyes glowed a little. “In that case, how about we promise to do that
in our next life?”
Winnie nodded fervently. “Sure. As you wish.”
“All right, as I wish then. Even if I know you’re lying to me, how do you think we shall meet in our next
lives?” He felt like it was too late already in his current life. Perhaps he only had a few seconds left
before he kicked the bucket.
That was why he wanted to hold on to what little time he had left in his current life. Grabbing her hand
tightly, he asked, “Is it okay if you’re still known as Winnie in our next lives? I’ll still go by the name of
Christopher. I’ll come and find you… No, I don’t think you should keep the name. What if Xavier comes
to find you, too?”
“In that case, tell me what kind of name you like.”
“I…” Slowly, Christopher lifted his hand and touched Winnie’s face. As the light in his eyes dimmed, he
stared at Winnie with an expression of satisfaction. “Well… But I still like Winnie the most.”
“Then I won’t change it. I’ll still be Winnie, and you’ll still be—” Before she could finish her sentence, his
hand slipped down from her face.
She wanted to sob as loudly as she could, but no sound left her throat.
If she had the strength to lift Christopher up, she would, but she didn’t.
Her sight was blurred by her tears. Out of nowhere, a group of people barged into her blurry world.
It stunned Winnie for a while before she returned to her senses.
She immediately wiped her tears away and realized the person who barged in was Leandro Zeller.
He was one of the most famous drug lords in the area alongside Harold.
While he didn’t know who Winnie was, she knew him.
She had no idea why Leandro had suddenly arrived, but she knew she had something he wanted, a
bargaining chip she could use to negotiate.
“Leandro! I’m Big Black Bear! I bet you’ve heard of my codename before, and I bet you know about
Harold’s factory being blown to pieces last night! The culprit behind that explosion was me! I have a
new formula. Do you want it? If you send my people to the hospital right now, I’ll give you the new
formula. Don’t ask me any questions! To put it simply, whoever wants the formula will send my people
to the hospital! If he lives, you can have whatever you want! Do you understand? I only have this one
request, so get on with it!” Winnie had never been that agitated before.
She felt like her head was spinning and as though she could only hear her own voice.
Her brain couldn’t process anything the people around her were saying.
The only thing she knew was that Christopher was lifted by two burly men. She was also raised into the
air and out of the basement.
Because she was still in a daze, she didn’t realize Yulissa was already gone.
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