How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Fleming saw the blood this time. He strode over, frowning, and took Esmeralda's hand. "Careless, aren't you?"

His words sounded like a scolding, but his actions were quick-he dug into his bag and pulled out antiseptic and a bandage.

He bent his head, carefully cleaning the thin line of blood on her skin. His brows stayed tightly knit the whole time.

Watching his expression, Esmeralda suddenly felt a dull ache in her chest.

She bit her lip and, almost against her will, blurted out, "Fleming, if Lucy weren't your sister, would you still want to marry me?"

He froze for a heartbeat, then his face grew cold. "What are you even talking about?"

"I don't want to keep having this conversation with you. There's no point getting lost in what-ifs."

He finished with the bandage and let go of her hand. Clearly, the question had annoyed him.

But why-what was really underneath that reaction-Esmeralda couldn't say. She knew Fleming's tone; he didn't want her being "unreasonable" in his eyes. She glanced down at the bandaged cut and nodded quietly. "Alright. I'll let you get back to work."

She hurried off.

When she reached her room, Elodie Thorne was already heating water.

Elodie immediately noticed that something was off with Esmeralda. She paused, walked over, and tilted her head in concern. "What's wrong? Bad mood? Did you two fight?"

Esmeralda didn't even know how to describe it. Was it a fight? Not really.

Looking back, it felt like she was the only one making a fuss—as if she was searching for reasons to be upset. After all, they're siblings and get along well, so why did it bother her so much? It made her seem petty and unreasonable.

She slumped, staring down at her feet. "Not exactly. I don't even know how to explain."

Elodie was genuinely worried. Esmeralda, usually so cheerful and open-hearted, could be a little naive when it came to relationships.

"You need to figure out what you want," Elodie said gently, taking Esmeralda's hand. "If something makes you unhappy and you can't get past it, don't force yourself. Okay?"

Esmeralda stared at the floor, lost. "I want to marry him. I'm not getting any younger, and I've been waiting for him to move back for so long. All I want is some stability."

As for everything else...

She wondered if maybe they'd just spent too much time apart.

Elodie ruffled her hair. "That's your end goal, but the process matters too. How you feel along the way-that's going to give you the real answer."

Esmeralda took a deep breath, then shrugged, trying to shake off the gloom. "You're right. Relationships are all about growing together. I shouldn't jump to conclusions."

Her smile returned, and she leaned over to hug Elodie's arm, her eyes bright with hope. "Things will get better, right? Besides, the wedding's only a few months away."

Once they were married, she believed it would be a fresh start-a new sense of responsibility for both of them.

Elodie watched her, wanting to say more but holding back.

Esmeralda was different from her. She'd grown up in a loving, sheltered family, always the bright center of attention, endlessly optimistic. But that optimism could sometimes gloss over the truth.

Still, ultimately, Esmeralda needed to figure things out for herself. Advice only

went so far-some lessons had to be lived.

Esmeralda shook off her earlier

worries about Fleming, grinning as she pulled out a packet of snacks she'd brought from home. "I'm making instant noodles! I just can't get used to the food here."

Seeing Esmeralda bounce back so quickly, Elodie's worries eased a little.

Once everything was tidied up, Elodie sat down and opened her laptop, delving

into the local research she'd been meaning to do.

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed.

She glanced at the screen-Jarrod Silverstein was calling via video chat.noveldrama

She checked the time. Back home, it was the middle of the night.