Have you ever loved soone so deeply that you wished to die before them?
Well, Haines had.
He had loved soone so deeply, so passionately, that he had built his future with her at its center. He loved so hard that he never imagined life without her.
So when she didn’t co that night, Haines kept waiting. He told himself all kinds of excuses, convincing himself he could try again. Next ti, he would make sure she ca.
But alas, he waited—days, weeks, months, and then years. Yet, that woman never returned. She just... disappeared.
From that night on, she never showed up again—like a ghost. Just like that, she was gone. No note left behind, no traces, nothing.
God knows that every passing second took a piece of him. Every night killed him a little more, and every morning seed dimr.
It was hell.
Love was hell.
Perhaps he had flown too close to the sun without realizing it, only to find himself crashing. And no way in hell would he ever fly that high again.
---
[PRESENT TI]
Haines opened his eyes groggily, catching sight of the IV drip hanging beside him. His brows furrowed as he raised his hand, noticing the needle inserted in the back of it and the heart monitor clipped to his forefinger. The "fever" that had burned through him before he lost consciousness last night was gone.
"Grace," he breathed out and turned his head, only to find her seated in a chair beside him.
She rested her jaw on her knuckles, her elbow propped on the armrest, her eyes closed in deep sleep.
"..." Haines stared at her in silence, exhaling in relief. "I’m glad she found ."
Otherwise, he had no idea what would have happened to him.
Peeling his gaze from her, he looked up at the ceiling. His thoughts about whatever Penny had put in that cake were set aside, replaced by sothing else.
While unconscious, he had taken a brief trip down mory lane.
A bitter mory he had spent years trying to forget. But no matter what he did, and wherever he would live, it always found a way to resurface like an open wound.
’I thought... it no longer had power over .’
But he had been wrong.
After tonight, he realized love still had a hold on him. Not because he still cared for the woman he had once poured his heart into, but because he knew how devastating it could be.
His gaze drifted back to Grace. Looking at her stirred a mix of emotions inside him, weighing his heart heavier by the second. A mont later, her brows twitched slightly before her eyelashes fluttered open.
"Haines?" The mont she saw he was awake, she leaned forward. "How are you feeling?"
Haines didn’t answer imdiately—just studied her. "Better."
"Good." She sighed in relief. "You passed out on the way here. I was really worried."
She didn’t ntion how she had sped recklessly to get him here, nor how she had gone hysterical trying to get him imdiate care.
"You should rest more," she said quietly, nodding at him. "It’ll help flush out that drug from your system."
Haines just stared at her in silence. When she started to pull back, his mouth parted.
"Three decades ago, around the ti you were born—or rather, a little earlier—I was with a woman," he said, making her pause, her brows slowly rising. "She was beautiful, smart, and... warm. She had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, and she had this weird laugh that I found contagious. Whenever she was around, the world seed to brighten. She was like the sun in the morning and the moon at night."
Grace’s brows knitted slightly, but she remained silent.
"I loved her with all my heart, saw my future with her, wanted a family with her, and dread of growing old together," Haines continued, his voice heavy as he swallowed the tension in his throat. "At the ti, I told myself—if not her, then I wanted no one else."
Grace pressed her lips into a thin line, her expression unreadable. No woman wanted to hear that from their man.
"I never asked her to love more because I knew she could never match how much I loved her. But I thought... she at least loved just as much," he murmured. "But she didn’t. The night I was going to propose, she disappeared without a trace. She left without a word. No explanations, no lies, no truths. Just... gone. Leaving with nothing but unanswered questions and a broken heart."
"Penny never told this."
"She doesn’t know." He shook his head. "No one knew. Charles was in the military at the ti, and I didn’t want the Chairman ddling in our relationship."
"Oh."
Haines studied her reaction. Grace had a slight wrinkle in her forehead, as if processing his confession. Then she t his eyes again and asked,
"Why are you telling this?" Her head tilted slightly, her smile faltering. "You know, it’s not nice to flatter another woman in front of the present. I’d rather you slap in the face."
"I’m telling you... I’ve been with soone before. And I’m fine now, just being alone." He spoke quietly. "And... you deserve better. Soone better. Younger. Soone you can grow old with."
A heavy silence settled between them as they held each other’s gaze. Grace opened her mouth, then closed it again.
’Taking him to the hospital, only to reject . Nice one, Haines.’
"Well," Grace finally spoke, a small smile forming. "If you say so, then I guess this is where it ends."
She leaned forward, resting her arms on the side of the bed. "Is that what you were expecting to say?"
"Grace—"
"I’m not her, Haines." Her smile stretched a little as she held his hand gently. "And yeah, you’re right—there are plenty of younger, better n out there. But I don’t want them. I want you. If you really think I deserve better, then treat better. That’s the only way it’ll make sense to ."
She lifted his hand to her cheek, her warmth seeping into his skin. "Don’t you want to see where this goes?"
Haines could only stare at her. When his eyes dropped to the hand on her cheek, he slowly traced his thumb over her skin. The small caress felt like approval, making her smile just a little brighter.
"Let’s try, Haines," she encouraged softly. Then, with a playful glint in her eyes, she added, "But first, I’m going to give that naughty niece of yours an earful."
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