Cooper’s words left Noah montarily stunned, forcing him to reassess the brother standing before him.
All these years abroad, Noah’s mories of Cooper had been stuck in a loop—of the little boy who always trailed behind him. Even after being back for so long, he couldn’t shake that lingering impression.
But in this mont, for the first ti, he sharply realized that the little boy he’d left behind had grown into a towering tree, sheltering the entire Coldson Family—including Noah himself, the Coldson Family’s deserter.
"No, for all this, what I should say isn’t ’sorry,’ but ’thank you,’" Noah finally said.
Cooper frowned slightly, watching him, waiting for him to continue.
"There’s sothing I should’ve confessed a long ti ago." Noah lowered his head. "Back then, on that island, it was who led the kidnappers over."
Cooper remained silent, his expression betraying neither shock nor disappointnt.
"Cooper, don’t you understand?" Noah reiterated. "It was . I brought the kidnappers there, and that’s why you got taken. Otherwise... I would’ve been the only one kidnapped."
"And so what?" Cooper said indifferently, his tone calm. "I’ve known all along."
"What?" Noah stared at Cooper in disbelief. "You... you knew back then?"
Cooper nodded. "Yes, I saw you leading them over."
"Then you..." Noah’s voice trembled slightly. "You never hated ? If I hadn’t done that, so many things wouldn’t have happened."
Cooper shook his head. "I don’t think I did. At the ti, when I realized they were kidnappers, I was just really afraid. I just wanted to stay with my brother..."
He paused here, his eyes seeming to redden a bit. "But later, you went back to get help and left. Thankfully... that little girl was still there..."
He let out a soft laugh. "Even though she was younger than both of us, she was sohow braver than anyone."
"Cooper," Noah realized at this mont just how important that little girl had been to his brother back then. He couldn’t stop himself from gripping Cooper’s shoulders. "That little girl back then—was she..."
"Enough." Cooper cut Noah off impatiently. "Did you co to just to talk about this? If you’re done, I’m leaving."
He shrugged off Noah’s hands and turned to leave.
Noah didn’t want to give up. He caught up to Cooper, blocking his path. "Cooper, it’s not just about back then. Since I’ve been back this ti..."
He didn’t know how to continue, so he just stared at Cooper passionately. "Cooper, Yolanda and I... nothing has happened between us. You two got divorced, and she’s not going to marry . You still have a chance."
Cooper’s eyes flickered.
"Cooper, as long as you don’t marry lissa Greenwood, you and Yolanda still have a chance!" Noah repeated.
Cooper’s gaze suddenly dimd. He lowered his head, avoiding the blazing determination in Noah’s eyes. "Big brother, stop it. My marriage to lissa is set in stone."
He sidestepped Noah and reached for the door.
"Cooper, think about it again!"
"There’s nothing to think about." Cooper pulled the door open forcefully and quickly left.
Noah stood there in a daze, letting out a long sigh. In truth, Cooper’s wedding with lissa had always been bound to fail. Noah had rely hoped Cooper would change his mind. But now... perhaps it really was all fate.
He started packing his things, determined to head to the U.S. as quickly as possible to try and find so evidence for the Brooks Parker case.
That night, Yolanda called Cooper.
When Cooper saw the incoming call, he thought he must be dreaming. But the phone kept vibrating; the caller was persistent.
He got up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and answered the call.
"Cooper, it’s , Yolanda." It was their first contact after the divorce, and Yolanda felt inexplicably awkward.
"I know." Cooper’s voice was chilly and distant. "What do you want?"
Over the line, Yolanda tugged helplessly at the corner of her mouth. "I heard Richard Reyes—Assistant Reyes—was in trouble."
Cooper frowned in annoyance. "Why? Are you close with Richard? Did you call to ask about him, or were you just looking for an excuse to talk to ?"
"..." Yolanda was dumbfounded. "Cooper, you’re mistaken. I just..."
"If you know this kind of behavior can be misleading, then avoid doing it in the future," Cooper said, his tone devoid of any emotion.
Yolanda nearly exploded with rage. On the day they divorced, this jerk had seed halfway reasonable, but now... he was worse than a stray dog!
She forced herself to calm down and asked with asured patience, "I didn’t an anything by calling. I just wanted to attend Richard’s funeral."
"How laughable." Cooper let out a cold chuckle. "Yolanda, let warn you. Richard had nothing to do with you, nor does his funeral. If you have even a shred of decency, don’t go disturbing the Reyes Family."
With that, he hung up before Yolanda could get another word in.
"Cooper, you bastard!" Yolanda couldn’t help cursing at the phone.
If Richard’s number hadn’t already gone unresponsive and if she knew his parents, she never would’ve called Cooper in the first place.
Now, she felt Cooper had returned to being his old, insufferably arrogant self.
"Completely insane!" With Richard’s lead dead, she would have to think of another way.
At the Coldson Family’s old estate, Cooper set down his phone, his expression inscrutable.
"Cooper," lissa approached him in a few quick steps. "Who was that on the phone?"
"Yolanda." Cooper put his phone away and turned to walk back into the living room.
lissa pondered for a mont. "What did she want? Why was she calling you?"
Cooper glanced at her blankly. "She asked about Richard’s funeral."
lissa’s face tensed for a mont, but she quickly put on a grieving expression. "Was the date for Richard’s funeral decided? Should I attend with you?"
"Richard’s parents have already gone back to their hotown. The funeral will be held there. We can’t attend."
lissa felt a surge of secret relief but maintained a façade of disappointnt. "I see. But I suppose it’s understandable—they’d want him to rest in his hotown."
"After the wedding, we can visit to pay our respects," Cooper added.
"Yes, that sounds best," lissa replied, though her earlier satisfaction had waned slightly.
The two returned to the living room, where Cooper took the initiative to ask, "How about May? Have you convinced her? When are you planning to send her to Yolanda?"
"Don’t worry, Cooper. May’s very sensible, and she adores Yolanda. She’s already agreed to it."
lissa checked the ti. By now, Noah and May should’ve been close to reaching the U.S. "Tomorrow, I plan to bring her to Yolanda."
"Good. Then go back and spend so ti with her. Mom and I can handle the wedding preparations."
"Alright." lissa nodded before bidding Aunt Ross farewell. "Isabella, I’ll be heading out for now."
Isabella suddenly said, "If May’s being sent away, why not bring her over to say goodbye one last ti?"
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