Chapter 38
Alexander said nothing. He simply listened in silence.
“Later, my mom fell gravely ill. We sought out every renowned doctor we could, but nothing saved her,” Elena continued, almost sobbing now. “In her final moments, she held my hand and told me she didn’t care how great my achievements would be. She only hoped that I’d never give up dancing.”
Her eyes turned red as she said, “I promised her that no matter what happened, I’d never give up dancing. But now… I can’t dance anymore. If she knew, she’d be disappointed, wouldn’t she?”
Alexander’s throat tightened as he watched the pain on Elena’s face as she recalled the past.
At last, he broke the silence. He slowly reached out and touched her trembling hand, gently and with
restraint.
“Don’t say that,” he said with a low and tender voice, as if carrying the strength to soothe her pain. “Your mother would never be disappointed. She wanted you to keep dancing because she wanted you to follow the dream you loved. What happened is not your fault.”
With red and teary eyes, she just stared at him. He leaned forward slightly and looked into her eyes.
He said earnestly, “You and your mother must have shared a deep bond, but you’re trapped in your grief right now. That’s why some things don’t make sense now.”
Yes. Her mother had been so gentle and so full of love for her…
Elena felt a slight relief in her tightened heart, but her eyes grew redder, and tears started spilling. She
missed her mother so much.
“Besides, medicine is advancing. Your leg may not stay this way forever,” said Alexander as he pulled two
tissues from the box.
He meant to wipe her tears, but when he lifted his hand, his eyes dimmed. Instead, he placed the tissues
gently into her hand.
She wiped her tears and forced a smile. “Thank you, Mr. Golden. I feel much better after telling you all this.
She took no stock in the last part he said, treating it only as his way of comforting her. It wasn’t that she had never tried. Every doctor who had examined her leg told her the same thing-she would never be able
to dance again.
Alexander said nothing more. He naturally took the used tissues from her hand and tossed them into the
trash.
Elena’s brows twitched. The gesture was not intimate enough to be improper, yet it stirred a faintly
strange feeling in her heart. She forced herself to brush it away.
The setting sun cast a golden glow across the ward. It was warm and gentle.
Neither of them knew what to say for a while, until Elena’s phone rang. The call was from an unfamiliar number. It might have been work-related, so she answered.
The moment the call connected, Nadine’s sharp and aggressive voice came through.
“Elena, what’s the meaning of this? Mom and I came here out of kindness to see you, and you had
someone block us at the door? You’re making things difficult for us on purpose, aren’t you?”
Elena didn’t utter a word. She ended the call and blocked the number, all in one clean motion. To say anything more to Nadine was a waste of time.
With her reaction, Alexander could already guess who the caller was. Besides, Nadine’s voice had been
so shrill that he had caught fragments of it himself.
“Get some rest,” he said while standing up. “I’ll be going now.”
“Take care, Mr. Golden.”
She meant to get up and walk him out, but he insisted otherwise.
After he left, she turned her head toward the bouquet of lilies he had brought. They were so beautiful.
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