Chapter 17 Demons, Never Ending

Three years ago, on that night that her father fell unconscious, she got into a state of panic. It was William who accompanied her through countless anxious days and nights.
Even later, she chose to study medicine without hesitation, all for him.
He was like her guiding star, illuminating her dark world as she moved towards his direction.
After her father's death, he suddenly left without a trace, and that faint hope turned into fantasy.
As she grew older, she finally realized her own insignificance. A prince charming like William would not need her humble kind of love.
So, after receiving one of his phone calls, she didn't have the courage to call him back.
On a refreshing night, the campus gradually quieted down. A crescent moon hung above the treetops.
The figures of William and Elena passed through the long tree-lined path, casting blurry shadows.
On both sides of the road were pristine white roses, exuding a strong fragrance in the night.
As they walked, Elena felt a sense of uneasiness. She couldn't help but stop and look up at the moon, lost in her thoughts.
'I feel happy, as this is my first love. The joy in my heart was overflowing with indescribable passion.'
"Elena, you look much prettier than before." William said with a light laugh.
Elena walked beside him, with a strand of moonlight shining through the treetops, casting a silver glow on his handsome face. He appeared so sacred and out of reach.
"William, are you teasing me?" Elena chuckled, well aware of her own lacking appearance. In fact, Annie was not wrong. Elena was just an ordinary girl, almost unnoticeable in a crowd. At most, her biggest advantage was her fair and milky white skin, inherited from her mother.
"Hehe, I'm not joking," William smiled softly.
William vaguely remembered Elena's appearance from three years ago. She was thin and immature, with a small face barely the size of a palm, and her big eyes were sharply black and white, filled with sadness.
Three years had passed, and she now exuded the essence of youth. Her round and fair face had lost some of its melancholy and gained sweetness and radiance, causing a slight stir in his heart.
Elena shyly lowered her head, blushing like a little girl. "No way!"
Suddenly, William stopped and placed his hands on her shoulders.
A surge of excitement rushed through Elena's heart, giving her a tingling sensation. Even in the face of the man she liked, this gentle touch made her feel so blissful that she could die.
"What's the matter, William?" Elena asked, her voice trembling.
On William's refined and gentle face, his lips slightly pursed, revealing a deep tenderness.
"Elena, I'm sorry."
"What?" Elena felt flustered.
"Your father's passing... It's all my fault. I've been feeling guilty for the past three years. I couldn't face you..." William's voice became hoarse and it grew more difficult for him to speak.
A pang of pain surged through Elena. Her father's death was still a fresh memory.
"William, it's not your fault... Life and death are fated. You're just a doctor, not a god."
"But I promised you back then to heal your father. I couldn't fulfill my promise..."
Sour tears welled up in her eyes as Elena empathized deeply with the past.
"Elena, are you crying?"
His voice was soft and tender as his clean fingers traced her cheek, gently wiping away her tears.
He suddenly embraced her tightly. With affection, he said, "Elena, be my girlfriend!"
Elena freed herself from his embrace and looked up with surprise. "But didn't you say you liked someone else?"
William reached out and playfully flicked her nose. "Silly girl, that… That's you! That person is you and no one else!"
A sudden joy surged through Elena's body, and she suddenly buried her head in William's embrace like an ostrich, unwilling to come out for a long time.
That night, because of this gentle embrace and Wlliam's confession, became romantic and beautiful.
The fragrance of flowers remained, and Elena's heart was like a deer, jumping uncontrollably.
At the entrance of the school gate, Elena waved goodbye reluctantly.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you."
She watched William's white car gradually fade away while her little face was still excitedly flushed. She greedily recalled the feeling of his fingertips touching her face. It was so refreshing, probably what they called 'soul-stirring' in romance novels!
Suddenly, the sound of urgent brakes abruptly resounded, and a black Rolls-Royce rushed onto the sidewalk, arrogantly blocking Elena's path.
The car window rolled down, revealing Hassan's domineering handsome face, a pair of deep eyes like dark flames.
"Come here!"
He commanded coldly.
Elena's heart sank and a sense of foreboding rose within her.
Moonlight quietly sprinkled over the garden filled with snow-white gardenias. Under the dreamlike and bewildering moonlight, Elena wore a white Bohemian evening gown, and on her sweet little face, a pair of watery big eyes shone with moisture, like freshly emerged pearls.
Her slightly dazed look was as if she was a lost fairy in the mortal realm.
Under the influence of alcohol, Hassan's restless genes were roaring inside him.
He himself couldn't understand why, after the social gathering, he should have returned to his villa in Bayonne.
However, the steering wheel in his hands unexpectedly turned towards this school.
It must be because of the alcohol!
Elena looked at Hassan's overly handsome face in astonishment, and deep within her heart, there was still a very resistant emotion. It took her a while to react.
"Mr. Al-Farouk, it seems like I can't recall any connection between us. Is there a reason for you being here?"
She returned the card to him and didn't take his money, so they were even, right? Why did he come looking for her?
She couldn't afford to provoke a man like Hassan.
Especially after spending those few days with him, she knew that if she got close to him again, she might end up being devoured until there was nothing left.
Hassan dangerously narrowed his eyes. He leaned against the car door, shaking something shiny in his hand.
It was a purple crystal necklace. The lotus-shaped pendant radiated a magical purple light. Underneath the moon, it looked like a bewitching amethyst.
This purple crystal necklace had a story. When she was three years old, she fell ill and had a high fever that wouldn't subside.
Dad obtained this amethyst talisman from the Banruo Temple. According to divination, it was said that she lacked the element of water in her destiny, so wearing the amethyst could ward off evil.
In reality, Elena didn't believe in these things, but this amethyst was the only keepsake her father had left for her. It must have been found by him on that chaotic day when they escaped.
"Give it to me!" Elena pounced forward.
Hassan quickly clenched his fist, tightly holding the amethyst in his hand.
"I seem to have heard someone saying that we have no connection anymore, so why should I?"
Elena laughed dryly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Al-Farouk, I didn't expect for you to be the one to find my necklace. Actually, this whole situation is completely your fault. If it wasn't for you that day."
"Shut up!"