By evening, the Lane family had a car ready to take them to the restaurant. Nelson, Irene, and Sinead sat together in the back seat.

Nelson, who was in the middle seat, paid constant attention to Irene throughout the entire trip.

He adjusted the air conditioning for her, found a blanket for her, handed her water, and even twisted the cap off the bottle.

Sinead watched them chat as she sat on the left, quietly staring out the window. They were only halfway there when it started to rain cats and dogs.

The road outside was dim, and the car in front had its high beams on. As they went downhill, the driver was dazed by the light and drove straight into the guardrail, unable to make the turn in time.

In that instant, Nelson moved on instinct and wrapped Irene in his arms.

Bang!

The glass shattered inward. Sinead, sitting on the side, was slammed into the broken window and left covered in blood.

A wave of searing pain tore through her body, and she felt as if she were coming apart. As her mind grew hazy, she saw the door on the right side of the car swing open.

Nelson stumbled out with Irene in his arms, phone pressed to his ear as he called for an ambulance, his voice gentle as he comforted her.

It was as if he had forgotten there was someone else in the car. He did not look back even once.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics said they should treat whoever was hurt the worst first.

Faced with Sinead lying in a pool of blood and Irene in a daze in his arms, Nelson hesitated only a few seconds before choosing to send Irene to the hospital first.

Watching the ambulance carry them farther and farther away, Sinead's vision slowly lost focus, and her tears finally spilled over.

Oh, Nelson...

In the end, their years of relationship could not compare to one panicked look from Irene.

As her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, the pain that had been gnawing at her began to fade. She did not last long enough for the next ambulance as her vision went black, and she slipped into darkness.

-

Sinead did not know how much time had passed before she heard murmurs of voices.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Liana holding a hand to her chest with a worried look on her face. She sounded relieved when she said, "Thank goodness, Sinead. You finally woke up. You lost so much blood that if the ambulance hadn't gotten you here in time, even the hospital's blood bank might not have been enough to save you. There were three of you in that car. How did that young lady from the Johnson family end up with just a scrape on her hand while your condition deteriorated this badly?"

Jackson finally let out a long sigh and raised a glass of water to his lips. "That's because Nelson was protecting her, of course. Irene was so moved because she saw who truly cared about her in an emergency. I just visited Irene's ward next door and happened to see Nelson feeding her using a spoon. If you ask me, they're as good as together already just from the way those two were looking at each other."

Sinead listened quietly.

Only after they finished their gossip did she ask in a hoarse voice, "How long was I asleep? Are the immigration papers ready?"

"You were unconscious for two days and scared us half to death. You don't need to worry about the paperwork. It'll be ready in about twenty days. You just focus on getting better," Richard said.

Hearing that there was less than a month left, a sense of relief washed over her.

Over the next two or three days, Sinead kept hearing from the nurses about all the things Nelson was doing for Irene.

Nelson would stay in Irene's ward without leaving her side every day. If he heard her cough in the middle of the night, he would be worried enough to go to the nurses to ask for hot water. He tested the temperature of every drink himself and kept sweets ready, worried that the medicine would be too bitter for her. When he was worried she would be bored in the ward, he went out of his way to find toys and games to cheer her up.

Sinead listened in silence and said nothing.

When a nurse wheeled Sinead out of her ward for a follow-up exam some time later, there was a commotion in the corridor. As they passed the next ward, she turned her head and saw Nelson standing there with a huge bouquet of roses in his arms, confessing his love for Irene.

"Irene, I fell for you at first sight eight years ago. All those chance meetings were really me trying to get close to you. I remember everything you like, and I know what you dream about. I never got the chance to confess back then. Will you give me a chance now?" Nelson confessed.

Hearing the nervous expectation in his voice, Sinead could not help remembering how Nelson had already started preparing this confession a month before Irene had gone abroad.

Back then, a twist of fate had made them miss that moment, but it had finally arrived a few years later.

When Sinead heard Irene say yes, she quietly scoffed and continued toward the examination room.

The moment she turned away, the crowd gathered around them broke into warm applause. Nelson looked over and saw Sinead's lone figure.

The smile on his face froze, and something in his heart shifted. That discomfort lasted only for a heartbeat before it was drowned beneath all the joy he was feeling.

He opened his arms without hesitation and pulled Irene into his embrace.

That night, Sinead opened the ticketing app and searched for a direct flight from the city of Lunacoast to the city of Aragon, a major city in the country of Espada.

As soon as she was done purchasing the ticket, Nelson walked in with Irene. "Sinead, I've got good news. Irene has agreed to be with me. You're the first person I'm telling. I'm a pretty good friend, right?"

Looking at their tightly clasped hands, Sinead nodded, her tone calm. "Congratulations."

Irene's eyes were full of happiness as she gave a shy smile. "Thanks for the good wishes. Liana said you were badly hurt. Are you feeling any better? I brought you something to eat. Why don't you give it a try?"

As she spoke, she urged Nelson to hurry up and pour the seafood stew.

Sinead froze for a moment before she reacted as she watched him obey her every word, "Thank you, but I'll have to pass."

Nelson's expression instantly went cold as he looked at Sinead with displeasure. "Irene cooked this herself. I originally didn't want to share it with you, but she was worried about your injury. That's the only reason I even agreed to bring you a bowl. How could you be so ungrateful?"

As he spoke, he filled a bowl and shoved it into her hands, insisting she eat it on the spot.

Sinead wanted to explain, but he clamped down hard on her wrist. In the struggle, the bowl tipped, and the hot stew splashed straight onto her wound.

"Ah!" Sinead let out a sharp cry.

The pain was so intense that cold sweat broke out on her forehead as her whole face twisted and paled. Irene jolted in surprise, guilt flooding her expression as she quickly got some paper towels to try to wipe them off.

Worried Irene would get burned, Nelson quickly pulled her behind him to shield her. "This isn't your fault, Irene. She's been tough since forever, and this is nothing serious. Don't blame yourself."

Sinead's hand holding the tissue trembled again and again, her chest tightening.

The next moment, Jackson pushed the door open. When he saw his daughter's wound bleeding through the bandage again, he went pale and yelled for a nurse at once.

Liana's heart was aching, yet she still took the seafood stew with forced patience and explained to Irene, "She's allergic to seafood and can't have the stew. We appreciate the thought, so thank you."

Nelson stood there in a daze, his expression going stiff. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Staring at the gauze soaked red with blood, there was only bitterness in his throat. He had always remembered what she could not eat in the past. Every time they went to a restaurant, he would remind the servers repeatedly. No seafood. No scallions. No cilantro.

Now that he had Irene, his heart was full of her. Of course, he no longer remembered these small things. A heart only had room for one person after all—the one he loved the most.

After a long silence, she forced a smile and answered, "You never even gave me a chance to speak."

The ward went dead quiet. Irene looked so guilty that she was on the verge of tears. Nelson's heart ached for her, but he said nothing and simply left with her.

-

Sinead had to stay in the hospital for three more days before she was discharged because the wound became infected.

As the date of their relocation drew closer, everyone in the Green family was busy packing. Jackson and Liana did not have the time, so they prepared a generous gift and asked Sinead to make a trip to the Lane family home.

As soon as she walked in, Nelson's parents, Kenny and Opal, took her hands and kept apologizing. "We're so sorry, Sinead! Despite the years between you and Nelson, he only looked out for Irene in that dangerous car crash, and you ended up getting so seriously hurt. We really feel awful. We'll make him apologize to you."

Sinead shook her head and spoke gently to calm them down. "Ms. Johnson is Nelson's girlfriend, so it's only right for him to protect her. I'm fine now. Nothing really happened, so please don't worry."

Seeing that she truly did not seem to mind, Kenny and Opal finally let go of some of their guilt.

After the three of them chatted for a while, Sinead brought up the real reason she had come and told them that the Green family was moving abroad.

Kenny and Opal stared at her in shock, caught off guard by the news. "Why so sudden?"

"Because of the recent changes in the company, we actually started preparing half a year ago. We only confirmed the move recently. My parents asked me to come tell you in person," Sinead said.

Kenny and Opal were sad to see their long-time friends go. Their voices were full of reluctance as they asked, "Will you come back in the future?"

Sinead smiled, and in the quiet living room, her voice sounded especially clear. "We won't be coming back once we leave."

Just then, Nelson came home and pushed the door open, frowning as he looked over. "Who's not coming back?"

Just as Kenny and Opal were about to speak, Sinead answered first. "No one. You misheard."

The two elders looked at her in surprise.

Nelson did not notice his parents' strange looks and pulled Sinead out to the car. "Since you're here and done talking, come with me somewhere."

They rode in silence the whole way.

When the car finally stopped, Sinead realized he had brought her to a luxury store. He told the staff to bring out a huge pile of clothes, shoes, and bags, and had her try them on one by one.

She frowned, baffled. "Why am I trying all of these on?"

Nelson pushed her into the fitting room, his tone clear that it was not up for discussion. "Just try them."

Sinead was about to refuse, but the staff had already closed the door and started unboxing everything.

Every time she finished trying on one outfit, Nelson would take a picture, and then she would be pushed back into the fitting room again.

Sinead tried on more than a hundred outfits over and over until she was exhausted and the high heels had rubbed her feet sore to the point of bleeding.

Finally, she could not hold back anymore. She shoved the staff away, hobbled over to Nelson, and spoke in a low voice. "I don't need you to buy all this to make up for what you did..."

"Wrap up everything except that burgundy evening gown and send it to Ms. Irene Thompson at the Mount Zion villa," Nelson said. When Sinead heard what he had said, she couldn't finish what she was about to say.

She watched him swipe the card without hesitation and asked in a hoarse voice, "You asked me to try all these things on just so you could give them to your girlfriend?"

Nelson nodded nonchalantly, his lips forming a faint smile.

"That's right. I want to give my girlfriend some presents, but I'm afraid they won't suit her taste. You two are about the same size. If you model them for me, things should go fine. Later on, you'll come with me to the dessert shop, jewelry store, and cosmetics stores upstairs. You can try all of them for me. I only want the best things for Irene."

Listening to him map out all of this without asking her, Sinead could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. "Nelson Lane! I'm not your tool for pleasing your girlfriend!"

Nelson had never seen Sinead lose her temper like this. He looked up in shock and saw her eyes bright red.

"Do you know I've never treated you as some kind of buddy? When I hug you, when I kiss you, and even when I sleep with you, I'm serious! You don't have to like me, but you can't treat me like this!" Sinead's voice was trembling as she sobbed.

Nelson froze, feeling a whirlwind of emotions inside. He wanted to explain, but Sinead had already turned and walked away. His gaze flickered slightly as he watched her disappear into the crowd. However, he recovered quickly enough in the next second.

Back home, Sinead took out her suitcase and began to pack.

At the dining table, she kept hearing Jackson and Liana mention Nelson from time to time. "I heard Nelson booked Globe Studios for three days to celebrate Irene's birthday. The roses were even air shipped in from Western Evria. He's really putting his heart into this."

"A few days ago, he even took her back to the family residence to meet his grandfather. He paid out of his own pocket for several sets of antiques and said they were from Irene. The old man was overjoyed and kept praising her."

Whenever the Lane family was mentioned, Sinead stayed silent.

From time to time, faint ripples still stirred in her heart, but there was no pain anymore. She shut everything else out and turned down every invitation to gatherings and dinners where she might run into Nelson.

On a few late nights, Nelson got drunk and messaged her to come pick him up, pretending nothing was wrong between them, but she never went.

When people in their circle drank too much, they would sometimes bring this up, curiosity in their voices. "Nelson, what's going on with that childhood friend of yours? Why isn't she following you around lately?"

Nelson did not take it seriously at all, and his tone was indifferent. "She's just throwing a tantrum. Ignore it, she'll be fine after a while."

But after a long while, there was still no sign of Sinead. In the end, she stopped replying to his messages altogether.

On the day before Nelson's birthday, he finally could not stay calm and sent her an electronic invitation for the party.

This time, Sinead finally replied.

Two words.

[Not going.]