In the car on the way ho.
In the backseat, Holly leaned against Blake Sinclair, his suit already darker from her tears.
Blake sighed with a mix of helplessness and heartache as he looked down at the sobbing woman in his arms, gently patting her back.
His intention was never to make her cry.
He just feared that if he didn’t speak now, it would be too late.
Holly lifted her head from his embrace, wiping her tears with a tissue, her voice thick with emotion, "Why did you suddenly say those things, making cry like this?"
Blake lowered his head, his forehead resting against the top of her head, "Holly, those words have been in my heart for a long ti. I’ve always wanted to tell you."
With just one sentence, tears welled up in Holly’s eyes again.
Blake could only continue soothing her softly, "We’re going to Orbital Park to watch fireworks tonight. If your eyes are swollen, the photos won’t turn out well."
A Chinese woman must have picture-perfect monts!
Holly sniffed, trying hard to stop her tears.
A gentle smile blossod in Blake’s eyes.
He reached out, gently wiping away the traces of tears from the corner of her eyes.
"By the way," Holly rembered sothing and asked, "How did you suddenly appear there? Didn’t you say there was an important eting this afternoon?"
Blake tousled her hair, explaining patiently, "Rember those two girls from Beldon University we t on Mount Avis? They saw the live stream online of you being surrounded by journalists and contacted Cole Tanner using that business card."
Holly suddenly understood, warmth spreading in her heart.
Turns out so encounters are destined to leave their mark in the depths of fate.
Holly raised her head, her tear-filled eyes gazing at Blake Sinclair’s own.
In them, her image was reflected clearly.
And so was an incredibly sincere love.
Now she didn’t seem so insistent on recovering those mories.
Forgetfulness is a regret, but Blake’s embrace is warm and his voice is true.
He loves her, and she loves him, and that’s enough.
The past can be let go entirely.
She doesn’t want to seek the mories anymore; she just wants to cherish her life with him, beginning now and leading into the future.
"Blake Sinclair, after the fireworks tonight, I have sothing to tell you."
Holly decided that at the mont the fireworks blood, she would tell him she was no longer fixated on the past.
Blake noticed the slightly different look in her eyes compared to usual. Although unsure what she wanted to say, his heart tightened.
He lowered his head, gently placing a kiss on Holly’s hair, tender and affectionate, "Alright."
They arrived at The Grandflora Gardens.
Blake had initially wanted to spend more ti with her but had to leave when Cole Tanner called.
Holly walked him to the door, "Go ahead and take care of your work, we’ll et at Orbital Park tonight."
"Should I pick you up tonight?"
Blake looked at her, reluctant.
He didn’t know what the outco would be after confessing everything tonight; all he wanted now was to spend every mont with her.
"No need, you’d have to take a detour from the company. I can take a cab by myself, it’s very convenient."
"No," Blake insisted firmly, "I’ll have the driver pick you up. After what happened today, I can’t relax."
Unable to refuse, Holly nodded in agreent, "Alright, alright."
The two parted reluctantly.
Blake went downstairs and got into the car.
The driver, seeing the pensive man in the rearview mirror, asked respectfully, "President Sinclair, Special Assistant Tate just called. Are we going straight back to the company?"
Blake was silent for a mont before speaking, "No, to Sinclair Manor first."
"Okay."
Tonight, Sinclair adows Kindergarten is holding a Mid-Autumn performance gala, and Laurel Sinclair, preparing to leave for a care appointnt, saw Blake’s car from the balcony.
She was sowhat surprised, going downstairs to ask Auntie Ward in the kitchen, "Blake’s back?"
Auntie Ward replied, "Yes, just returned, seed in a hurry, went straight upstairs, didn’t say if he’ll stay for dinner."
Laurel thoughtfully glanced toward Blake’s upstairs bedroom.
Inside the bedroom, Blake took out an A4-sized safe from the bookshelf, inputting the code to open it.
Inside lay a thick photo album.
The album’s cover was carefully wrapped in a layer of transparent protective film.
He opened it cautiously, a piece of paper with yellowed, slightly rough edges slid out.
On the paper, in childish pencil handwriting, with so pinyin substituted for Chinese characters:
[BaoZheng Note
In the future, every year.
YanZi brother must visit AhHe, at school Xiao.
Pledger: Holly
Pledger: YanZi brother]
However, below "Pledger: YanZi brother," soone had firmly crossed it out with a black pen.
Beneath the cross-out, three flowing, powerful characters were later written: Blake Sinclair.
His hand lightly brushed over that paper, eyes filled with complex emotions.
Nostalgia, heartache, yet boundless tenderness.
He tucked the paper back carefully, turning page after page of the album.
The album was filled with Polaroid photos.
The earliest photos had sowhat faded, capturing a little girl with pigtails running in the alleys of Port Kallow, tiptoeing to pick bayberries, sleeping at a small wooden table...
All were of young Holly.
As the album’s pages turned, the girl in the photos gradually grew up, her features slowly maturing, shedding her childishness.
Then, the background of the photos changed.
Changed to school gates in Beldon, changed to each year’s entrance ceremony.
From kindergarten, where she pouted, tears at the corner of her eyes, to elentary school with a red scarf, then middle school, high school, and finally her signing the freshman wall at Beldon University’s entrance ceremony.
During the years she completely forgot him.
He stubbornly attended every one of her entrance ceremonies alone, keeping their promise, fulfilling the vow that little girl with pinyin had written back then.
Blake closed the album, his eyes feeling hot.
He held the album tightly, turning to leave.
Yet as he turned, he saw Laurel standing in the doorway, though he didn’t know when she had arrived.
Her gaze was deep, filled with understanding and compassion.
When her eyes fell on the album in his hands, her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Countless unspoken words were exchanged in that single glance.
Laurel silently stepped aside, making way for him.
Blake held the album, striding out.
"Blake." Laurel softly called from behind him.
Blake paused mid-step.
Laurel’s voice was gentle, "Sister hopes you find happiness. The Sinclair family must have soone who achieves happiness."
Blake, still facing away from her, remained silent for a long ti.
"We all will be, sister," he eventually replied.
With that, he lingered no longer, striding away.
Laurel stood still, watching his retreating figure, a contented smile forming on her lips.
After returning from the Blue Orchid Cup, Holly’s heart had been racing.
She assud it was due to the emotional turmoil earlier, so she washed up briefly, set an alarm, and took a brief nap.
The dream was restless, a blurry shadow constantly flickering in front of her, entangling her, yet eluding any concrete form.
Until she was awakened by the alarm’s ringing.
Although she had slept for nearly two hours, she felt even more exhausted than before.
Forcing herself to perk up, she chose a suitable outfit for an evening date, applied light makeup, and prepared to head to Orbital Park.
As she reached the ground floor of The Grandflora Gardens, a black Maybach arrived, stopping right in front of her.
Holly felt a hint of confusion. The driver seed quicker than expected; Blake had said he’d arrive in ten minutes.
She sent a ssage to Blake, then opened the rear car door.
But as soon as she got in, she sensed sothing was wrong.
The car’s scent wasn’t Blake’s typical choice, and the interior layout was different.
Her heart tightened as she looked towards the driver’s seat; it was a completely unfamiliar profile!
Not good!
Holly imdiately reached for the door handle, trying to get out.
But it was too late!
A hand suddenly covered her mouth and nose.
A acrid scent rushed into her nostrils.
"Mmm..."
Holly struggled for a mont.
But dizziness quickly overwheld her, her vision darkening, and she completely lost consciousness.
The black Maybach quietly drove away from The Grandflora Gardens, rging into the evening traffic as if nothing had happened.
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