Chapter 244 Hunter Proposed to Patricia
He had been holding backrestrained his emotions until he brought Patricia they reached Patricia's home, and that was when but once there, all his pent-up unease burst forth. He graspederupted. Gripping her shoulders tightly, his voice tense,
strained with concern, Hunter said, "Patricia, what's really going on with you?"
"I'm fine!"," Patricia continued to shakeinsisted, shaking her head, her expression neutral. .
The more she denied, the more Hunter feared.
He had orchestrated everything to break Patricia awayHunter's apprehension grew. This wasn't the outcome he had envisioned when orchestrating Patricia's separation from Martin, not. He hadn't intended to see her become like this.
He didn't want —a Patricia like this. shadow of her former self.
"And yYou say you'reclaim to be fine, but look at yourself now? You're —lifeless, as if the skyworld is falling.crumbling around you," Hunter said. " Where's the livelyvibrant, cheerful, and gentle Patricia of beforeI once knew? Do you realizeunderstand how much it hurtspains me to see you like this?"
Patricia's vacant eyes were devoid of any flicker, staring blankly atremained fixed on the ground, lost in thought.
Hunter wouldn't her own thoughts.
let her escape, cupping Hunter gently cupped her face within his hands, forcingcompelling her to look at him.
meet his gaze. "Patricia, look into my eyes."
Complying with his request, Patricia obediently met his gaze.
Her eyes were looking at him, but Hunter knewsensed her thoughts were not following her gaze. elsewhere. A bitterness seeping into his heart.
A sourness filled his chest.
Unable to hold back contain his emotions any longer, he shook her gently.
, pleading, "Patricia, can you wake up?snap out of this? The world doesn't revolve around just one man, Martin.
TIs it worth o becomespiraling like this over a man not worth itsomeone unworthy of your devotion, do you think it's worth it? By doing this, areAre you being fair to those who trulygenuinely care about you?"
Patricia, not yet realizingstill unaware of the gravity of ther situation, lookedgazed at him blankly,. "What have I done?"
She felt she wasbelieved herself to be perfectly normal!
Without — thriving even—without Martin, she had returned to in her normal life.
Without Martin, she was doing quite well.
Hunter felt like he was going mad.
He hadn't a surge of despair wash over him. This wasn't how he had anticipated things turning this serious.
unfolding. One man, Martin, had caused herinflicted such a great blow.
He felt bothprofound damage upon her, leaving Hunter torn between heartache and regret.
He embracedEnveloping Patricia tightly, his eyes moist, hisin a tight embrace, Hunter's voice choked up,quivered with emotion. "Patricia, wWhy have you become like this? I'm sorry, ; it's my fault. I didn'tfailed to protect you well. If I had known it would come to this, I would have stayed here with you, not caring about the Miller Group, ensuring not a scratch came upon you." by your side, forsaking everything else. Your well-being would have been my sole concern."
"Hurt? I haven't been hurt at all! I'm doing well, Ithriving. I've even gotbeen promoted! TheI'm now the youngest head of the Ivara City Hospital branch, the youngest head at twenty-five. It's something an achievement many dream of, whyaspire to. Why would I be hurt?"
Her self-deprecatingPatricia's words made, devoid of emotion, only deepened Hunter's heart clench tightly. anguish.
To prevent thingsthe situation from getting worseworsening, Hunter forcibly pulled herPatricia out of the door.
"I'm taking you somewhere." ," he declared, determined to shake her out of her despondency.
Patricia struggled,resisted, her voice weary. "I don't want to go,. I'm so tired,exhausted. I just want to go back to my room and rest."
"No, you must come with me!"Ignoring her protests, Hunter insisted firmly, draggingguiding her all the way to the parking lot, pushing. He gently pushed her into the passenger seat, and then getting before settling into the driver's seat himself.
Seeing she couldn'tUnable to break free from his grasp, Patricia gave up struggling, leaningresigned herself to the journey. She slumped back in ther seat listlessly, gazing out at, apathetically observing the passing scenery without any interest.
The more indifferent she appeared, the angrier Hunter became.
With theHer indifference only fueled Hunter's frustration. With the snow-covered roads slick with snow, Hunter didn't dare to drive too fast. It tookmaking driving precarious, he exercised caution, taking a full hour to reach their destination.
Once there, Patricia looked at the endless expanse of whitearound, puzzled,. "Why have you brought me here?"
Hunter tookTaking her hand and walked for about, Hunter led her on a half an -hour before carefully leading herwalk to the mountaintop, leaving deep footprints in the thick snow.
"Shout..." ," he instructed.
"What?"Confused, Patricia looked at him, mystified. asked, "Shout what?"
Hunter pointed towards the deep valley ahead, cupped his hands around his lips, and shouted into the valleyvast expanse, "Patricia, I miss you so much... I miss you so much..."
His voice echoedwords reverberated through the valley. , each echo stirring something within Patricia.
"Miss you—miss you—miss you—"
Each echo stimulated Patricia's eardrum.
"...??"
Hunter explained with a smile, "When I was a child, my mother told me that if you're unhappy, just shout it out. If you keep it bottled up inside, you'll get sick one day."
Patricia considered, then shook her head, indicating her refusal. refused.
Encouragingly, Hunter urged her with a smilepersisted, "Come on, it's just us two here,. dDon't be shy."
Patricia still shook her head in refusal. .
Undeterred, Hunter continued, "Do you know? After returning to the Miller family in M country, whenever I was mistreated and felt upset, I would find a place with no one around and shout out loud. I find this method really effective."
Patricia's expression visibly softened.
Sensing her change in attitude, Hunter pressed saidhis advantage, "When, his voice tinged with sorrow, "After my mother found outdiscovered she was my father's mistress kept in Z country, she couldn't bear the shock and trapped. She isolated herself in a cage. Over time, she became depressed, fell ill, and never got up again, eventually passed away, leaving me forever." all by myself.
"Sometimes I wonder, if she hadn't been so stubborn, if she had been willing to let go of herself, let go of my father, would she not have died? If she hadn't died, would I not have been taken back to the Miller family in M country by my father?still be alive? Would I not have been treated inhumanely?have suffered the same fate in the Miller family? Unfortunately, she's already dead, and no one can answer my questions." I'll never know."
His tragic experience finally caused a ripple in Patricia's still eyes.
His poignant tale stirred something within Patricia, her eyes showing the first signs of emotion in days.
Hunter seizedgrasped the essence, lookingheart of the matter, gazing earnestly into herPatricia's eyes,. "Do you thinkbelieve it's worth it,sacrificing yourself for a man like Martin, to endending up like my mother?"
In that moment, Patricia'sPatricia felt a sharp pang in her chest filled with a sour ache. .
Hunter continued, "And what about Charles, Fannie, and Randy? Can you bear to see them sufferendure the same abuse like meI suffered from a my stepmother?"
Images of Hunter's bruised body and the three little ones being mistreated flashed in Patricia's mind, causing her to shake her head vigorously in agitation. stirring a vehement denial within her.
"No, it can't be, theyit's unthinkable. They are my precious treasures, no one can hurt them." . I won't let anyone harm them," she declared firmly.
Seeing her finally come to her senses, Hunter breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're"As a doctor, you should know better than I do. Depressionanyone that depression can't be cured with medicine or stones; it's up to a battle within oneself. I don't want to see you like this;. I hope you can come out of this and become the livelyreclaim your vibrant, cheerful, gentle, and kind Patricia again. Myself. Just as my father didn't deserve my mother's life. Likewise, Martin doesn't deserve you."
Looking atinto his concerned facecaring eyes, Patricia felt as if a sponge was lodged in her chest, a light press releasing a surge of sour and swollen emotions. Her nose tingled, and tears floweda dam burst within her. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably like a spring broken free. , releasing days' worth of pent-up emotions.
The emotions she had suppressed for days burst forth like a dam breaking, unstoppable.
She wept aloud, venting all her grievances, anger, and indignation.
Hunter felt a pang of heartache, gently embracing her, his sturdy hands tenderly rubbing her back.
Hunter's heart ached as he held her close, comforting her with gentle words. "It's okay, stop crying. I swear, fromlet it out. From now on, I'll protect you, and . Martin will never letbully you be bullied again, not even by Martin—" ."
Patricia could only cry, too heartbrokenoverwhelmed to speak. respond.
Just crying still But even tears couldn't vent the grievances in fully purge her heart.
anguish. Patricia then shoutedfound solace in shouting into the valley, "Martin, you're a bastard! I hate you! Ahhhh!"
Her shouts echoed. She did, it again and again, "Martin, you're a bastard, I hate you, ah—"
"Ah—"
The sound echoed again and again.
After the loud shouts, the blockage in Patricia's chest eased considerably.
She felt this method was really effective, and she continued to shout several timesreleasing her pent-up frustrations until the lump in her throat was completely vented, then she stopped. raw.
"Do you feel better now?" Hunter asked softly.
Feeling much bettera weight lifted off her chest, Patricia nodded vigorously, unable to help but smile.
Tears, tears still in her eyes, her but a smile madetugging at her look especially pitiful and moving. lips.
Hunter was captivated. .
With her mood improvedspirits lifted, Patricia finally took in the scenery before her.
The undulating mountains were connected one after another, with large flakes of snow falling from the sky, covering the entire mountain in a blanket of white. At a glance, the world was covered in snow, a breathtaking sight. scenery around her. The snow-covered mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, a serene and majestic sight.
"Having lived"Despite living in Ivara City for so many yearslong, this is my first time here!. It's so beautiful." ," Patricia said.
Hunter, lost in thought, gazed at her beautiful profile, suddenlyLost in the moment, Hunter reached out, firmly grasped held her shoulders, turning her body to face him, and looked into her firmly, and locked eyes with deep affectionher, his voice hoarse,. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Patricia, let's get married, shall we?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
