Chapter 222
Chapter 222:
Rylan was another story entirely.
The loss of both legs had shattered more than just his body. His mind fractured under the weight of it. Gone was the man he used to be—what remained was volatile and unpredictable. He refused treatment. He lashed out at nurses.
Anyone within reach felt the brunt of his rage.
Right now, there was no fight left in him—just bitterness and broken pieces. That alone convinced Alden of one thing—Star Wish Investments’ problems didn’t trace back to Chadwick’s followers or Rylan.
The revenge that had driven him for years had finally run its course.
As the weight began to lift, he didn’t feel the triumph he’d imagined. Instead, an unfamiliar hollowness crept into his chest.
In silence, he walked into a florist, bought a bouquet of white lilies, and headed toward his mother’s grave.
The photo on her grave hadn’t aged a day. She still smiled, forever kind, forever young.
His throat tightened as he stood before her. Grief bloomed behind his eyes, turning them red.
He had never recovered her body after the tragedy.
Back then, he was barely more than a boy, wounded and robbed of his hearing, still carrying the weight of Chadwick’s threats. He hadn’t been strong enough to continue the search. He could only bring his mother’s most cherished dress with him when he was sent overseas. Later, he laid the dress to rest in her stead—turning it into a symbolic grave that gave him the smallest bit of peace. No matter how many times Alden visited, the weight of guilt never lessened. It met him at the gate and walked beside him to her grave.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he whispered, sinking to his knees before the tombstone. “I let you down. I couldn’t even give you a real burial… and I couldn’t protect the woman I love either p>
Her face, locked in a photograph, gave him nothing but a quiet smile—gentle, unchanged by time.
Alden gave a hollow laugh and said softly, “I finally handled Chadwick. His mind’s gone now. That should bring you some kind of peace, shouldn’t it? I wanted to do much worse to him, but… he’s still Grandma’s son. She’s already sick, and I couldn’t bring myself to cause her more pain. You’ve always had such a gentle heart, so you must see where I’m coming from, don’t you?” Alden stayed there for a moment.
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⨁𝗰𝗈𝗺
While speaking to the stone as if it could carry his words to where his mother was, Alden eventually shifted the conversation to Helena.
“There’s something good I can share with you. I finally married Helena. I should’ve said something earlier, but back then she had no memory of our past, and I couldn’t bring myself to explain the whole truth. Too much stood between us—we weren’t really husband and wife. But now, her memory’s come back. Everything between me and Chadwick has been resolved. There’s nothing left standing in our way p>
The thought of finally having Helena without anything holding them back brought a trace of hope into Alden’s low voice. “There’s still a missing piece in her memory, but that doesn’t matter to us anymore p>
All those years ago, when Helena was torn from his grasp by those thugs, how could Alden have possibly let go of her hand?