Eight Years Lost A Love Unclaimed (Ariella)
Chapter 43

BOOK4 Chapter4

A sudden rush of blood to my head left me dizzy.

Is my Ethan Harris really back?

I turned around stiffly, my shoulders and calves trembling uncontrollably, my

heart

trembling along with them. His name was on the tip of my tongue, but when I met

his indifferent gaze, the words froze.

Ethan Harris had never looked at me like that. Whenever he looked at me,

eyes

were always filled with warmth, his gaze enveloping me in tenderness. The sudden his

shift from despair to hope made my heart ache. I lowered my head, hiding the tears

welling up in my eyes.

"Detective Parker told me, but he didn't mention you," he said slowly, analyzing, "You

feel familiar, but not in the way colleagues do. Every time I see you, I feel guilty,

even

a bit scared. You know I'm allergic to mushrooms, and that red string around your neck... it's just like mine."

nookt chapter d

The red string was something we got together at Xianyan Temple. I wished for his safety: he wished for my dreams to come true. The string had two silver charms attached, each engraved with our initials.

I had forgotten that Ethan had been a reconnaissance soldier. Even without his memory, his instinctive vigilance remained. Detective Parker and the others' unusually warm behavior wouldn't have escaped his notice. It was only a matter of

time before he figured out something was off-and my identity... whether he

guessed it and didn't dare believe it, or couldn't guess at all, I wasn't sure.

I slowly lifted my head to meet his scrutinizing gaze, but he lowered his eyes to my

ring. "Jessica said you're married. You... I..."

Even though his hands were in his pockets, I knew his fists were clenched, his

mind a

chaotic mess.

Of course! Here he was, about to marry the love of his life, only to have a woman suddenly appear who might be connected to him. His mind must be in turmoil.

My throat tightened, and I struggled to speak. After several attempts, I finally

managed to say, "Yes, I'm married, but... it has nothing to do with you."

I could see the visible relief wash over him.

That moment was the most painful second of my life.

I never imagined a day would come when Ethan Harris would be relieved that I had

nothing to do with him.

I still remember the high school days when he would blush and look completely lost

whenever he got caught sneaking a glance at me. And the look on his face when I

agreed to be his girlfriend-he looked like he had just won the entire world. I had

only seen that fulfilled expression twice in my life.

"And him? Your husband?"

As I looked at the man in front of me, tears started to fall uncontrollably. He stared at

me, flustered, and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I..."

I bent down, lifting a hand to stop his words and actions. "Your parents took pity

on

me and treated me like a daughter, but you and I aren't really connected. I'm just

here on their behalf, to see how you're doing. As for the red string..."

I yanked the red string off forcefully, letting it fall. "Your parents prayed for your

safety, and just happened to ask for mine too."

Ethan stared at me in silence, but I had no strength left to keep up the pretense. BOOK1 Chapter 4

These few words should be enough to set his mind at ease for the wedding.

I don't even know how I made it back to my room. I thought I was holding it together,

but the moment I turned away, the tears poured out uncontrollably.

The tears smudged my makeup, and as I saw my tired and weak reflection, I covered

my face with both hands and collapsed in the corner of the bathroom, crying for

what felt like an eternity. Five years! I had dreamed of Ethan coming back to me

for

five years. But the moment he appeared, I had to push him away! Why is this

happening to me? Why does it have to be me?

The emotional upheaval churned my stomach, and I could taste blood in the back,

of

my throat.

"Sienna, what's wrong? Open the door."

I braced myself against the wall, stood up, and flushed the toilet, touching up my tearstreaked makeup as quickly as I could. Then, I walked out as if nothing had happened.

"I'm fine, just took a little fall."

Grace's concerned eyes made my heart ache.

"You don't have to hold it in with me."

BOOK Chapel

I turned my face away. "I'm fine."

Grace looked at me, as if she wanted to say more, but in the end, she just patted

me

on the back and returned to her bed. As I turned around, my eyes fell on the items

on the table-the orange invitation, the sunset wedding. That was supposed to be mine! A wave of resentment suddenly washed over me, overpowering my emotions.

I bolted out of the room, heading straight for the lobby.

I'm going to tell him-I'm the one who's supposed to be your fiancée!