She had been chased to a T-junction at the end of the street, completely exhausted and with nowhere to escape. It had always been this way; she had never been able to escape his control. Helplessly, she stood still, watching the dark, slender figure approach her step by step.
“Don’t come any closer,” she cried.
“Listen to me,” he finally spoke. In the dim light, his expression was still unclear, but his tone was unusually gentle.
“No, don’t come closer!” She tried to resist, but in the moment she most wanted to escape, he suddenly seized her.
His thumb brushed her cheek, his fingertips touching her warm tears. “I’m sorry, I should be damned for making you cry again.” His tone was filled with heart-wrenching pain.
He held her tightly, almost as if trying to merge her into his body. She struggled to breathe. “No, I can hardly breathe.”
He loosened his grip slightly, looking down into her eyes. The alley was dark, but under the hazy moonlight, her dark eyes glistened with tears, making her look even more enchanting. “My angel, no power in this world can rival love. It should be sung by poets, painted by artists. No, even the most beautiful poem cannot capture that feeling, and no skilled painter can capture its essence, because it only exists in the eyes of lovers.”
“Do you love me? But you are so heartless. I’m afraid of being abandoned by you again… of having my heart shattered to the point of unbearable pain.” She sobbed as she spoke.
“Yes, I love you. I swear I won’t let you leave me even a step, not even death can separate us.”
“But parting in this world is not just about death…” In her dark, deep eyes lay an endless gloom.
He shook her body violently, trying to pull her back from the edge of despair. “No, don’t think like that. Just know that I love you and want you; that’s enough.”
“Stop lying to yourself, Ryan… It’s not because you’re angry with me. It’s not because I rashly went to your office and embarrassed you in person, nor because you misunderstood that something happened between me and Marcus. It’s because you really want to break up, you really want to end it. You said you would never see me again; those words came from your heart. I can see it in your eyes, that’s why they seem so heartless. You lost your courage, and you don’t believe we can continue together!”
“Shut up! It’s not like that.” He paused for a few seconds. “Yes, I hesitated. I was just angry that you didn’t understand me or misunderstood me for deceiving you. You love me, but not as steadfastly as I love you. I was nitpicking; you don’t love me as much as I love you. Yes, perhaps I have deceived many people. In your eyes, I am a deceitful gambler, a schemer. But I have never deceived you, not once…”
“You say you haven’t deceived me? But I saw it with my own eyes. Professor Brown was in your office building. I thought he was a professor, but he wasn’t; he was a spy you sent, right? That night, he accidentally saw the wolf tattoo on my chest, and not long after, my peaceful days ended. All the teachers and my brother were taken away. Is there no connection between these events?”
“He saw the tattoo on your chest?” He did not answer her question but instead asked her back.
“Yes, that time, after class, I thought everyone had left, but he returned to the studio to get his pen. He saw it and pretended to say some hypocritical words. I was deceived by him, moved by him.” She pressed her hand against her chest, recalling the deception and hurt she had suffered, her heart aching.
He furrowed his brow tightly, his expression serious, his voice somewhat hoarse. “I don’t want to explain too much about John Brown, but I can assure you that before you came to my office, before I went to Jacob to get that list, I had no idea you were in that room.” In fact, at that time, he had let her go; he had never thought of looking for her. His tone then became somewhat despondent. “It’s easy for me to find someone; don’t forget my power and responsibilities. As long as I write down a name, he will appear in my office the next day. But to give up on someone is very difficult.”
“I don’t want to hear it. You must be lying to me!” She tried to raise her hands to cover her ears, but in an instant, he firmly grasped her wrists with his strong hands, pinning her against the wall. The icy blue eyes, so close, shot out lightning-like light, and his deep, harsh reprimand echoed in her ears. “You stupid woman! What on earth are you thinking?! Yes, I am suspicious of everyone, doubting their intentions, but I have never guarded against you. And you, you trust everyone around you, except me. Look into my eyes; since you can read my heart through them, then come and read.”
