Chapter 18
Just as Chase had said, Celeste might never come back. Yet, no matter how much Damien gave in to despair, he still woke up.
Kevin and the others had brought him to the hospital.
When Kevin finally saw him awaken, he let out a sigh of relief and rambled, “Damien, I know you’re feeling bad, but you can’t just play around with your life like that, no matter how bad it gets.”
He continued, “If you really died, then Celeste would never know you regretted it. My brother may have feelings for her, but even he hasn’t found her yet. You still have a chance.
“Even if you can’t get back together, you should at least explain everything to her and tell her you’re sorry… Or do you want her to always remember you in the worst possible light? Do you really want her to hate you for the rest of her life?”
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As Damien listened to Kevin’s words, his expression changed slightly.
After a long pause, he finally nodded. “You’re right. I have to find her, apologize to her whole family, and explain everything. Maybe she’ll forgive me.”
Kevin and the others didn’t shatter his delusion. Having a reason to live was still better than throwing it all away. They didn’t want his death on their
hands.
When they barged into Damien’s private room yesterday, they were scared witless when they saw him barely breathing.
It had taken quite a bit of effort to get him to the hospital and have his stomach pumped as a life–saving measure. If no one had intervened, he might’ve died from alcohol poisoning and a perforated stomach.
Seeing that he was fine, Kevin and the others left quietly.
The hospital ward was empty, leaving only Damien behind. Unable to sit still, he immediately called Taylor.
“Any news on Celeste’s family?”
Taylor was silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh.
“Mr. Ashford, after Ms. Wilde and her family deregistered their identities, they boarded a flight to Carvonia and assumed new identities. It’s extremely difficult to trace them using only their photos.
“So far, we’ve only managed to track down a few cities they passed through. As for their current location… we still don’t know it.
“Our influence overseas is limited, so finding someone overseas is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’ll take time.”
Damien pinched the bridge of his nose, forcibly suppressing his frustration.
“Intensify the search and keep looking. In the meantime, organize all upcoming tasks that need to be handled in person. I’ll try to finish everything within three days. After that, shift the rest to remote work. I’m going abroad to find Celeste.”
Taylor knew he was serious in his decision, so he didn’t ask any further. He merely hurried to make arrangements.
For three days straight, Damien worked day and night without pause while recovering in the hospital.
He had to hurry because Chase had already been searching overseas for some time: Damien was already days late, so he couldn’t afford to fall further behind.
Once all the work was done, he packed his luggage and boarded the earliest flight to the last place Celeste had been, Falvia..
A plane cut across the blue sky, leaving a long trail behind it. Damien searched aimlessly on the avenues of Falvia.
He wasn’t even sure of himself anymore. He had no idea where Celeste might have gone.
He had been to all the places she had casually mentioned she wanted to visit before, but there was still no sign of her.
The nervous anticipation that had once filled Damien slowly faded away, eventually dissolving into nothing.
One day… five days… half a month…
He no longer knew how long he had been searching. He had visibly lost weight, and he gained a slight tan from constantly wandering outdoors. However, the deep shadows under his eyes couldn’t be hidden, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He couldn’t sleep well as long as Celeste didn’t appear before him.
His heart was in great pain. This torture was a thousand times more painful than any superficial injury.
If she appeared before him at this moment, even if she tortured him and covered him in wounds, it would still be better than this emotional torture.
So this was what it felt like to wait for someone who might never come back.
Damien truly regretted it. If he could re–live the past, he would cut himself into pieces for this mistake.
His expression was vacant as he continued his search, feeling numb.
