Chapter 3

It's moment to rouse from this broken yet exquisite reverie.

"Zoey, you're not fully recovered. I'll fetch you some garlic bread and cream soup from the shop on Candor Street, alright?"

Whenever I fell ill, Keith would procure these items for me from that location. The food wasn't particularly exceptional, but Candor Street was distant and the establishment always had a lengthy line. I cherished observing Keith's efforts on my behalf—it felt as though I could gather proof of his affection through his actions.

I grinned and bobbed my head, concealing any sign of emotion that might give me away.

As Keith reached for the doorknob, his aide rushed in. I overheard a name during their quiet exchange—Sadie. Keith turned back to me, his expression showing a trace of indecision. "Zoey, there's a pressing issue at the office. I must go, but I vow to return tonight and spend time with you. I mean it!"

"It's fine, go handle it," I responded. There was no "I promise," only self-delusion.

Keith arranged for a nurse to tend to me, but I had little desire for food. My head was heavy and pounding, and the antiseptic odor persistently transported me back to the scene of my parents' demise.

They had been struck by a lorry while rescuing Keith, who had sneaked out. There was an abundance of blood, and the white bandages couldn't staunch it.

My mother gripped my hand. I wailed loudly as if the sheer force of my cries could snatch them back from Death's clutches. Regrettably, the fates showed no compassion.

Keith's grandmother knelt before my parents' remains and swore to care for me.

I relocated to the Jordan household. Initially, everyone treated me well. However, circumstances shifted over time. I was merely an orphan—how could I ever be deserving of Keith? When Elizabeth proposed an engagement between us, I was so anxious my fingers clenched tightly and my heart fluttered.

I gazed at Keith with cautious optimism. He beamed at me warmly, like sunlight piercing through clouds. He unexpectedly consented to this.

I believed he cared for me, but the phrase, "Zoey is simply clinging to the goodwill her parents earned by saving my life," lingered in my thoughts like an immovable shadow.

Tears dampened the bedding and I slumbered for an extended period. So long that evening silently descended.

A chilly gust roused me when the door opened. A surge of delight blossomed in my chest upon seeing Keith. He kept his word; he truly returned.

Regrettably, the lovely figure behind him effortlessly and utterly shattered my meager expectations.

The way Keith regarded her was a look brimming with tenderness mixed with caution. I recognized it all too well. It was the gaze of someone looking up at another, full of affection and restraint.

He touched my forehead gently. "Good, the fever has subsided."

"Zoey, this is Sadie. Do you recall her? She used to reside next door to my house. She went overseas six years ago and has now returned to work here. Her hand was injured, so I brought her to the hospital. When she heard you were unwell, she insisted on visiting you. You two chat for a bit—I'll go consult with the doctor about your condition."

I'd encountered Sadie once before.

It was during a fireworks celebration, but I couldn't locate Keith and went out searching for him. I spotted him standing outside her building, cradling a trembling rabbit. His feet shuffled nervously and he didn't even notice the snow on his hair.

I recognized the rabbit—it was one Keith had selected after an extensive search. Elizabeth had teased me, saying, "That boy truly cares about you. He spent an entire day at the pet market finding just the right rabbit and it nearly froze him to death!"

Now, I was the one frozen to the marrow.

Keith eagerly presented her the rabbit as if offering a treasure when Sadie emerged, but she turned her nose up at it. "Keith, it's so filthy!"

After saying that, she retreated home without a backward glance.

When Keith returned in despair, his arms were empty. I dashed out frantically to find the rabbit, secretly retrieved it and concealed it in the attic.