Chapter 168 Secret Love, Hidden in the Heart
Upon hearing this, Jessica smiled.
It seemed like it had been a long time since anyone had asked her that.
Did she love him?
Yes.
Of course, she did.
She had loved him for ten years.
Even though they were divorced, every night she found herself consumed by thoughts of him, missing him, and loving him. The depth of her feelings was so profound, so agonizing—how could she not love him?
The wind lifted Jessica's long hair. She smiled, brushed her hair aside gently, and then looked at Vincent, answering his question very seriously, "Yes, of course, I love him."
Lowering her head, Jessica continued in a soft voice, "I've loved him for ten years, how could I not?"
Ten years!
In an instant, those two words were deeply imprinted in Vincent's heart.
Ten years?
From her eyes, her gaze and her every move, he had long seen that she loved Gabriel.
However, he had not expected, nor could he have imagined, that she had loved him for ten years.
In a lifetime, how many sets of ten years did a person have? Especially for a girl, that one decade encompassed her entire youth.
But she had given it all to Gabriel. Her heart, her mind, were all filled with Gabriel.
At that moment, Vincent looked at Jessica and suddenly felt an unusual calmness, and an unusual heartache.
Maybe in another ten years, and another ten years after that, the person she loved would still be Gabriel.
As for him, he might just be a fleeting moment in time.
At that moment, he felt incredibly fortunate. Fortunate that he had always treated her as a friend, and fortunate that he had never let slip even a hint of his true feelings.
Otherwise, they might not even be able to be friends.
Unexpectedly, he, a figure who made enemies tremble on the battlefield, would one day feel so uneasy.
"Vincent, thank you for talking with me. I feel much better after talking to you. But what I just told you is my little secret. I'm willing to share it with you, and I hope you can keep it confidential," said Jessica.
Vincent was surprised. "You mean, he doesn't know?"
Jessica nodded. "No, he doesn't know."
"For such a long time, with such deep feelings, why didn't you tell him?" Vincent asked.
"I did, but unfortunately..." She lowered her head and smiled, a smile full of bitterness and heartache, and continued, "he said he didn't want to hear it. I tried twice, but he missed both opportunities."
Smiling, Jessica looked up, gently wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers, and continued, "You know, I'm a girl, I get shy. Being rejected twice by the same person, especially someone I love deeply, no matter how brave I am, I don't have the courage to speak up again. Besides..."
'He doesn't love me.' Jessica didn't say the last sentence out loud, just kept it in her heart.
Not saying it out loud was already painful enough. If she said it out loud, it would be even more painful.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jessica got out of the car as Vincent took a call.
Vincent's eyes were calm, his expression almost devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Distracted on the call, he simply replied, "Okay, I'll go."
Then, Vincent hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, Jessica had already entered the hospital and was almost inside.
Suddenly, Vincent ran over and stopped in front of Jessica.
Seeing him run over, Jessica was surprised, asking, "What's wrong?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I have a mission to go on," replied Vincent.
It took Jessica a full minute to react. "Didn't you just come back? Why are you leaving so soon?"
"Orders from above," Vincent paused, then continued, "But I agreed."
Jessica opened her mouth, and after a while, she finally spoke, "Is it dangerous?"
"Maybe a little."
"Can't you not go?" she asked.
Vincent smiled, ruffled her soft hair, and that smile, as bright as the sun, was so warm and gentle.
"Jessica, if it's not me, it will be someone else. Since I chose this profession, I can't avoid it at any time," he responded with a strong sense of duty.
Jessica understood it.
But it was because she understood too well that it made her feel even more heartbroken.
'Why does this world have to be filled with so many dangers? Why can't everyone simply live in peace and prosperity?' She pondered.
Maybe it was the emotions, Jessica suddenly turned around, holding back her sobs.
"Give me a second!" After saying that, she suddenly ran off.
Jessica ran all the way to the office, took a box of wedding candy from the drawer, then ran back and stuffed the candy into Vincent's hand.
"Here, no matter how long you're gone or what the mission is, I hope you come back safe and sound. This is wedding candy, filled with luck and blessings. I haven't eaten a single piece, I hope it brings you good luck."
After saying that, Jessica felt even more choked up.
Vincent reached out and gently hugged Jessica.
The whole process lasted less than three seconds.
Then, they quickly separated.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" Vincent asked.
"What favor?"
"When I come back, can you buy me a coffee? Not anywhere else, just the coffee from your hospital. I think it tastes great," Vincent said.
"Okay." Jessica nodded vigorously.
"When you come back, not just one cup, I'll buy you ten cups, twenty cups, I'll wait for you. And..." Jessica smiled. "I know a very cute girl. When you come back, I'll introduce her to you as a girlfriend."
At that moment, Vincent's heart was heavy with bitterness. It ached profoundly.
Yet he persevered.
He offered a faint smile, concealing his inner loneliness and bitterness, and responded with just one word, "Okay."
That one word felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
After parting, Jessica turned and ran forward, but Vincent did not leave.
He watched her back for a long, long time.
Until Jessica's figure completely disappeared, and he could see nothing, he slowly withdrew his gaze and then turned to leave.
This mission, though ordered from above, he could have chosen to accept it or not.
But in that moment in the car, he made a decision.
Rather than staying and one day having her discover his feelings, he chose to leave gracefully, naturally, and calmly.
Not disturbing her was his final act of kindness.
If his presence really caused a rift between her and Gabriel, affecting their relationship, he chose to leave.
He hoped she would be well, and even more, he hoped she would be happy.
Leaving the hospital, Vincent immediately spotted the tall figure standing next to the black car.
An outstanding face, a tall figure, a powerful presence, it was hard not to notice him.
It was as if the two had a mutual understanding. As Vincent walked towards Gabriel, Gabriel also walked towards Vincent.
Then, almost simultaneously, they both spoke, "We need to talk!"
