Recognize 9

 

Chapter 9 

The plane slowly took off. Keira, who was sitting by the window, looked a little lost. She watched as those once-familiar buildings gradually faded into the distance. Yet, not a trace of nostalgia lingered in her heart. 

Instead, she felt a sense of relief. At long last, she was leaving the place she once called “home”. 

Even from a young age, Keira had dreamed of leaving because she had realized how biased her parents were toward Kimberly and against her. 

In every aspect of their life together, as well as their daily interactions, Frank and Melinda had always treated her like an outsider. At times, she even wondered if she might not be their biological daughter, 

and perhaps that was why they treated her so differently. 

But the truth was not what she had hoped. She was, in fact, born to them. She was also indisputably 

Kimberly’s younger sister. 

Knowing the truth dealt her an even harsher blow. 

If that was the case, then the only explanation left was that they simply didn’t love her. It was the 

complete absence of love that led to their differential treatment. 

Even her very birth had merely been for the sake of saving Kimberly. Sometimes Keira would think that if Kimberly hadn’t needed her umbilical cord blood to survive, perhaps she wouldn’t have been brought into 

this world at all. 

As for Vincent, she had once believed that he was her salvation. 

He had treated her better than anyone else ever had. And he was the only one who made her feel genuine 

warmth. 

Although she had already developed a secret crush on him before his accident, what truly moved her wasn’t his status or background. It was the absolute sincerity he showed her. That was why she had fallen 

for him without hesitation. 

But now, he was utterly convinced that the person who had been by his side all along was Kimberly. No matter how Keira tried to explain, and no matter how many times she tried to prove herself, Vincent simply didn’t believe her. 

The plane passed through a zone of turbulence, jolting and shaking all around. 

Keira could still feel a faint sense of pain in her body that was caused by the injuries from the car 

accident. She couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. 

Her wounds had more or less healed. But for some reason, ever since she had been pushed into the water by Kimberly, she had become especially sensitive to the cold. Even on overcast days without rain, she felt unusually chilly. 

Instinctively, she pulled the blanket around her more tightly. Unfortunately, its warming effect was 

Chapter 9 

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minimal to none. A chill still seeped into her from every direction. 

Just as she was considering whether to ask the flight attendant for another blanket, the man beside her suddenly handed her his own. 

Keira was stunned for a moment, surprised at his gesture. 

“I don’t need it. You take it.” 

The man’s voice was gentle and pleasant. The immaculate white shirt he wore made him look a bit stern. He wore a face mask, so it was difficult to catch a glimpse of his face. 

The only feature visible was his eyes-strikingly beautiful and so piercing they seemed to look straight into your soul. 

“Thank you!” Keira accepted the blanket with gratitude and wrapped herself tightly in it. 

She felt much better almost instantly, so much so that she began to feel drowsy from being sleep- deprived. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, our flight is expected to arrive at Zedney International Airport in about 30 minutes. The current temperature in Zedney is 22 degrees Celsius, or 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit…” 1 

The pilot’s clear voice came through the broadcast. Only then did Keira slowly stir. 

To her surprise, she had slept for nearly two hours. Her waist and legs were slightly sore from not moving during that time. 

Half an hour later, with her suitcase in hand, Keira glanced at the time on her phone screen. She noticed that she had arrived slightly earlier than scheduled. 1 

She glanced at her empty message screen, long accustomed to seeing it without a single notification. Even if she were to go missing one day, probably no one would care whether she was alive or dead. 3 

Now that she was in a new place, nothing from the past mattered anymore. She would let go of everything.