Chapter 7

I walked over, placed the bag holding the family portrait beside Elbert, and, without another word, turned to go.

But Elbert called out to stop me. "Aren't you going to say hi to your dear old friend?"

Taking the cue from his expression, the waiter discreetly stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Marshall's mother, Ivy, rose with a glass of wine and approached me. "Ms. Bourn, since you're already here, why not sit down and join us?"

Then, as if suddenly remembering, she added, "Oh, how could I forget—this is Marshall's girlfriend. They're getting engaged at month's end."

She handed me a glass of wine and said with a smile, "It's been a while since we last met. I would like to toast you.

"There were some misunderstandings between our families recently. Please accept this as an apology on behalf of the Long family to you and Mr. Bourn."

The deal the Long family snatched away has already been taken back by Elbert.

All their scheming came to nothing, and now they could only feign ignorance and put on a fake smile.

I declined the glass with a slight shake of my head and said coolly, "Excuse me, I have other matters."

Ivy looked uneasy. Fearing Elbert might be upset, she quickly shot a meaningful glance at Marshall and the young girl, signaling them to help smooth things over.

Marshall just sat there, not moving a muscle.

The young girl looked slightly flustered as she stood up with her wine glass and extended it toward me.

"Marshall's told me so much about you, Ms. Bourn—how you've been close friends since childhood," she said.

"Since this is our first time meeting, may I propose a toast?"

Elbert sat back, eyebrow arched, clearly enjoying the show.

I simply grabbed both glasses and downed them in one gulp.

A sudden thought struck me—today, I would turn eighteen.

These two drinks were a birthday toast to myself.

I wondered if Elbert still remembered when my birthday was.

As I was about to drink, Marshall cried out urgently, "You can't drink!"

I paid no heed, downed both drinks in one go, and set the glasses down.

Elbert scowled again—who knew what was bothering him this time.

My chest burned fiercely, and that all-too-familiar heat surged through my throat and nostrils.

Something felt terribly wrong. I spun around and bolted for the door.

Fortunately, the door was merely shut, not locked.

I yanked the door open and practically bolted out.

As I stumbled into the hallway, passersby shot me strange looks, their eyes following my unsteady steps.

My nose was bleeding again.

This time, it seemed worse than before.

Thick drops of blood splattered onto the light-colored carpet, staining it crimson.

A wave of dizziness crashed over me. Though I was walking on level ground, I found myself staggering, the floor and walls seeming to sway and tilt all around me.

Great, I must be hallucinating again.

I heard Elbert calling after me from behind.

"Pandora, stop right there!" he commanded.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to clear my mind, then did it again.

I staggered forward, refusing to stop.

I kept wiping my nose, but the more I wiped, the more it bled—in vain.

Both my sleeves and a large patch across my chest were smeared with crimson.

Someone nearby broke into a scream.

Most people scrambled away as if avoiding the plague.

I heard Elbert's voice behind me again.

Maybe he was closer this time—I could actually make out what he was saying.

His voice was laced with anger as he snapped, "So Marshall just got himself a girlfriend, and you already can't handle it?"

My mind was starting to go blank.

I tried with great effort to raise my hand to my forehead, but halfway up, my arm dropped limply back down.

Elbert seemed to get even angrier because I wouldn't stop or even look back.

His voice rose, sharp and harsh. "You actually think there's a single decent person in the Long family? Naive! Stupid!"

Oh... he was scolding me, I realized.

This time, the meaning finally got through to me.

Someone hesitantly stepped forward and reached out to steady me.

A panicked voice whispered urgently in my ear.

"Miss, you... you're bleeding heavily! You shouldn't be moving.

"Please, sit down—we've already called an ambulance."

I wondered if I was really bleeding that much.

I glanced at my hands, then my sleeves—everything was a crimson blur in my hazy vision.

Something wet kept dripping from my nose, staining the carpet red.

I thought to myself—Am I... dying?

So I turned around to face Elbert, wanting to tell him something.

Just then, Elbert strode toward me.

He was livid, his face dark with fury.

Yet mid-stride, he suddenly froze mid-step.

He looked at me, our eyes locking.

Suddenly, it was as if he'd seen a ghost.

The fury on his face froze, stiffened, then dissolved completely.

In its place came overwhelming shock, confusion, and terror.

He stood frozen in place.

For a moment, it seemed he didn't even recognize me.

With my face smeared in blood, my features might be just a blur. No wonder he didn't recognize me.

With great effort, I raised both hands together, trying my best to wipe the blood off my face.

I hurried closer to him, suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to say something—anything.

But when I tried, the words just escaped me.

Forcing myself forward, every step a struggle, I moved toward him.

But halfway there, my legs gave way and I collapsed to my knees.

As if waking from a dream, Elbert abruptly came to his senses and lunged toward me.

He'd always been the epitome of composure.

When our parents were alive, he was that precocious little gentleman, mature beyond his years.

After they passed, he became the decisive executive who never faltered.

But now, over just a few steps, he stumbled so badly that he even fell halfway.

I couldn't help but let out a weak laugh, only to feel my nosebleed worsen.

Then, to my surprise, Elbert burst into tears.

Tears streaming down his face, he rushed to my side but didn't dare touch me.

"Dora..." he stammered, panic-stricken, "what's going on with you?"