This time, dwin looked up, anger in his eyes. Eijaz’s insistence on his intentions unsettled him.


    Anger, guilt, and the desire to make via happy filled his chest simultaneously. dwin realized that everything wouldn’t be easy. It wasn’t about the people around them. He cared little about what was on their minds, as they wouldn’t care about his happiness or sadness. But what was difficult was convincing via herself of his seriousness. Convincing the girl that what dwin felt now was love, not pity, as she suspected.


    dwin stared at Eijaz with a gaze full of determination. Yes, he had made up his mind. He would fight. He would no longer be a cowardly man.


    “I will fight for her. I won’t ask you to step back. It hurts my pride when you say that. As if via is an object that you can transfer ownership of. If you truly love via, let’spete openly.”


    Eijaz shook his head and chuckled. “I’m not that foolish, dwin. I’m a man who relies more on reason than emotion. My mind controls me more than my feelings do.


    “I know and am aware that I can’t beat your presence in her heart. Forcing her to choose between us is not something I want. I’ve seen enough of her pain and hurt because of the irrationality of her love at that time.


    “I prefer ‘us’ to make the decision. You step forward or I do. If you step forward, I surrender. If you step back, then step back forever so that she won’t waver. That way, I’ll rece your position in her heart, even though I know it will take time.”


    “Don’t confuse her. If you want to step forward, then I hope you can genuinely fight for her. I know no happinesssts forever. It’s an impossible thing. Even fairy tales have conflicts before ending happily. And I also know that sadness is not always present, as there will always be something beautiful from every sadness felt.


    “I just want you to promise that you won’t hurt her directly. Consciously or unconsciously. If you canply with that condition, I willingly admit defeat and step back.


    “But if you can’t promise that, then I hope you step back. Disappear as you have for the past five years. Because truly, at least when you’re not visible to her, she seems to be okay.”


    This was the longest sentence dwin had ever heard from Eijaz. He looked at the man with an incredulous gaze. His fists clenched to contain his anger.


    Yes, dwin was angry, or more urately, he felt jealous of Eijaz. Jealous of the time the man spent getting to know via while he chose to hide in his cowardice.RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Would Eijaz really give up that easily? dwin gritted his teeth.


    “I’ve already said I rely more on the mind than feelings. I consider everything from a logical perspective, not influenced by hormones,” Eijaz stated again.


    As if he could read his thoughts. Was the man a neurologist, right? Did dissecting too many human skulls make him some kind of fortune teller? Or a sorcerer?


    “I know this won’t be easy for you both. But if you’re confident that you can handle it, then I believe you will seed.” What was Eijaz really doing? Encouraging them to fight or supporting them?


    Once again, dwin fell silent. “I will step forward,” he replied firmly. Eijaz smiled. This was what he hoped for from dwin. Even though he loved via, he wasn’t an angel without feelings.


    He couldn’t endure loving without being loved in return. He was human, who wanted to receive, not just give. He wasn’t a selfless man, even though what he had done for via so far had been from a sincere heart. But Eijaz knew, there woulde a time when he would tire and want via to give the same for him. And actually, seeing via happy was happiness in itself for him. He genuinely hoped for that.


    “Thank you. At least because you didn’t give up,” praised Eijaz. The man’s eyes gazed at dwin with a smile full of appreciation and sincerity. “And there’s one more thing I need to tell you.” dwin once again looked at Eijaz. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but there’s a rumor circting here that you’re going to marry Phoebe,” he said.


    What is this again? A new trial for him? He had just dered he would fight, and now he faced a new obstacle. “Who spread such cheap gossip?” dwin asked, annoyed.


    Eijaz shrugged. “I don’t know where the gossip originated. I identally overheard some staff talking about your rtionship. Although I’m sure it’s not true, I still don’t want via to hear this when she wakes up. Because such things will only make her sink into despair again.”


    dwin nodded. He would find a solution to that problem. “Anything else?” he asked sarcastically.


    Eijaz grinned. “Lastly,” the man said. “Yesterday, I saw Phoebe talking to via, just before we left. And whether it’s just my feeling, but via seemed fine when she left my room and turned pale after talking to Phoebe.” dwin looked at Eijaz suspiciously. “She came to me for a medical check-up,” Eijaz answered without being asked.


    “In your opinion, what did Phoebe say to via?”


    Eijaz shrugged again. “via seemed to be holding back tears, which means Phoebe said something unpleasant for her to hear. Whether you ask via directly when she wakes up, or you choose to ask Phoebe directly. But I think both won’t give honest answers.”


    dwin nodded. Eijaz was right, via wouldn’t give an honest answer because she wasn’t one toin. And Phoebe, that woman wouldn’t speak truthfully because she was the type to lie.


    Eijaz patted his shoulder, squeezing it gently before deciding to leave. Afterward, dwin walked in the opposite direction, heading back to the room where via was. He thanked Eijaz for everything he had said. In his heart, he promised that he would try to make via happy, no matter what. He would ask, even beg if necessary, for via to ept him.


    They observed via from outside the ss walls of the High Care Unit (HCU). via still hadn’t awakened, her condition unchanged sinceing down from the operating table several hours ago. She remained in her sleeping state, but the monitor disy showed that her body’s condition was stable.