Arwen had many complaints, but Ryan was not worthy of hearing them. So, she didn’t waste her breath on bla or bitterness. Instead, she brought the conversation back to the reason she had agreed to et him today.
She needed answers.
The answers only he could give.
She wanted to know every piece of the mory she had lost. Every mont that had been stolen from her.
And right now, the only person who could give her this missing piece of the puzzle ... was Ryan.
Ryan was the only one who could tell her how she ended up beside him when it was Aiden who brought her to the hospital.
"If it wasn’t you who brought to the hospital," she asked, her voice calm but laced with quiet urgency, "then how co you were there when I opened my eyes?"
Ryan swallowed. He wanted to defend himself to explain his intentions. But Arwen wasn’t here to ease his guilt or hear his excuses. She didn’t owe him that.
Feeling the guilt spread through him, he tried his best to stay calm.
"It had been only a few days since I had arrived back in Cralens," he began, keeping his eyes on her. "Daniel’s grandfather was admitted to the hospital, and I went to visit him. I was just about to leave when I saw you."
Arwen stilled. Her brows knit slightly, but she stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
"I was near the ergency entrance when I saw a boy run in," Ryan said slowly. "He had you in his arms. You were unconscious... and bleeding." His voice dropped. "I moved aside to give him the way. A stretcher ca almost imdiately. He placed you on it with trembling hands."
A flicker of sothing passed through Arwen’s eyes, but she remained composed.
Ryan went on. "When I saw your face, I recognised you. We weren’t well acquainted, but ... Mom used to show your picture. She and Aunt Catrin kept in touch, even when we lived abroad. She had talked about you, asked about you and had always adored you."
He let out a shaky breath as if he blad himself for admitting it all too late.
"I followed the stretcher inside ... I don’t know why. Maybe out of an instinct, or just to check on you ..." he trailed off. "I overheard the doctors talking. Your condition was critical. They said you needed imdiate surgery —there was no ti to waste. While that guy was talking to one od the doctors, the nurse started calling your parents for consent."
Arwen’s eyes stared at him, but her expression remained unreadable. It was hard to tell what she was thinking while hearing it all.
"I was about to approach," Ryan continued, "but then ... the guy’s phone rang. I don’t know who was on the line, but when he saw the caller ID, his expression shifted. He wanted to reject the call for a mont, but then a hesitation made him accept it."
Ryan paused, reliving the mont. "Whatever he heard ... it clearly shook him. He looked torn. He kept glancing at the OT doors, but then — turning to the nurse nearby, he whispered sothing ... and walked away."
Arwen frowned a little. "He left?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as if more than asking him, she was trying to decipher it.
Aiden wouldn’t leave her in that mont.
However, Ryan nodded. "Yes. He left. I didn’t know him, but given how he acted all this ti, I assud he was soone close to you. But then seeing him leave just like that, I doubted."
"The nurse approached soon after. Maybe because I have been standing there all the while. She presud that I was soone who knew you. She asked , and since I really knew you and no one was around, I offered to stay. And so ti later, Aunt Catrin also arrived. She asked all, and I told her everything that I knew."
Arwen didn’t speak after he finished. Her thoughts still swirling, trying to think what could have made Aiden leave like that.
Was that the ti when he left the country?
She thought for a mont, but then shook that off. The Aiden she knew would never leave her like that. If he had left, there would have been a reason for it.
But what could be the reason?
As she was thinking, she heard Ryan speak again.
"It’s not that I never tried to clarify it," he said, and Arwen looked at him, with a small knit between her brows.
Ryan continued. "I went to Aunt Catrin later and told her she guessed it wrong. I wasn’t the one who saved you. I just stayed back to see after you because no one else was around." He shook his head. But she still said that the thought of staying back itself was enough. Since you were safe, nothing else mattered."
Arwen’s lips slowly lifted in a disdainful smirk. "Of course, she would say that. After all, she got the card that helped her control the way she wanted. And as for you ..." she paused only to shake her head. "I am sure after growing up to this age, you could tell if it was really enough or not."
She stared into his eyes, and he could match her gaze. The sha he felt was too overwhelming.
"I am sorry," he finally apologized. "I should have clarified."
Arwen didn’t accept his apology. She simply watched him before pushing the chair to stand up. "Your apology now can’t take us back the ti. So, ... it’s of no use." She then glanced at the food. While she had taken a few bites, the dishes were yet untouched. "I am done. And I will take my leave first."
With that, she didn’t linger. Turning on her heels, she walked to the door, ready to leave.
As she slid the door open and was about to step out, she paused, finding soone right outside.
Their eyes t, and she could help but ask in surprise. "Husband, you are here?"
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