If given another chance, would they still be friends?


    Pearl herself didn’t know the answer.


    Before leaving, she did onest thing for Ruth-she contacted her family.


    Saul had taken the family to another city, but it wasn’t hard for Pearl to find them.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The powerfulwork of the Gilliam family took only half a day to locate their new address.


    Louisa was stunned when she heard the news of her daughter’s death and cried tears of regret.


    “How could Ruth be dead? Didn’t you say Ibrahim wouldn’t harm her as long as the debt was repaid?”


    “My daughter… Ruth, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”


    When they moved, she had considered taking Ruth with them, but her husband had urged her to leave quickly, so she had temporarily set aside the thought of finding her daughter.


    After arriving in the new city, her husband promised to earn enough money to redeem Ruth. But before they could settle down, news of Ruth’s death arrived. Louisa was so devastated that she had a stroke.


    This made their already poor family situation even worse.


    Ryan, finding her a burden, took advantage of a dark night to carry her out with his father Saul and abandon her in the wilderness.


    Poor Louisa, unable to move, could only lie among the weeds waiting for death.


    Reflecting on her tumultuous life, filled with hardship and sorrow, she regretted deeply that even a simple mat was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She shouldn’t have ced all her hopes on Saul, nor should she have neglected her daughter because of Ryan.


    Her only regret before dying was not seeing Ruth onest time.


    With guilt towards her daughter, Louisa passed away.


    When her body was found, it had already started to dpose. With no family to im her, she was buried as an unidentified corpse.


    As for Saul and Ryan, they met bad ends as well.


    Ryan lost a hand but continued his gambling habits, while Saul, without a job, lived by scavenging.


    Without Louisa’s freebor, Saul had to do many things himself. Not long after, he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and died.


    Ryan, in hisst gambling spree, lost everything and killed his opponent in a fit of rage. He too died without anyone iming his body.


    Meanwhile, Pearl left the cemetery with evidence and headed to find Libby.


    While passing through a quiet alley, she felt as if someone was following her. A chill ran down her spine.


    She turned around but saw no one.


    “Strange, am I imagining things?”


    After confirming no one was behind her, Pearl sighed in relief and continued forward. Suddenly, a loud noise came from ahead.


    It sounded like an engine starting up.


    Dust filled the air. Before she could see clearly, a cold wind whooshed past her ears.


    A sh of blinding silver light appeared; danger was imminent.


    Pearl instinctively raised her hand to block the light and squinted to see the figure reflected in her eyes.


    It was a woman in a ck leather jacket with a concealed face. Her exposed eyes were filled with chilling murderous intent. Pearl’s mind went nk.


    She’s here to kill me!


    As the motorcycle brushed past her, a de swung towards her.


    “Pearl, die!”


    The cold voice was like a demon from hell. The de wouldn’t stop until it tasted blood.


    It was Pearl’s first assassination attempt; she was so scared that her legs went weak and she didn’t know what to do.


    In that critical moment, a bullet flew by and hit the knife handle, creating a spark of silver light.


    The intense friction made the knife hot instantly. It fell to the ground right by Pearl’s feet.


    Seeing the assassination fail, the attacker decided to finish Pearl off by ramming her with the motorcycle.


    Twisting the throttle to its maximum speed, the front wheel charged straight at Pearl.


    “No, don’te any closer!”


    Pearl sat on the ground, hugging her head in fear as the motorcycle wheel approached her face. She thought: This is it; I’m really going to die here today. I’m still so young and beautiful; am I really going to die here unnoticed?


    Most importantly, she hadn’t seen Sam yet.


    Just when Pearl thought she was doomed, a stern voice came from behind.


    “Stop!”


    Hearing a third voice, the mysterious assassin feared exposure and quickly fled.


    On the groundy the knife with a bullet hole in it.


    Pearl looked up and saw a tall figure running towards her through the white light.


    The man wore a clean white suit paired with a deep blue striped shirt and a matching blue sapphire brooch on his chest.


    The breeze tousled his hair, revealing deep-set eyes filled with worry.


    Seeing him, all of Pearl’s fear and anxiety turned into tears.


    “Why did youe sote?”


    Pearl threw herself into his arms, clutching his shirt tightly with her small hands.


    Her tears soaked his expensive white suit, staining it unevenly.


    “Do you know how scared I was… I thought I’d never see you again.”


    Sam had never seen her cry so miserably. Her round face was scrunched up in tears; he found it both pitiful and amusing.


    He had been following her all along; it was just that Pearl hadn’t noticed him until now. When he saw the assassin almost kill her, his heart leaped into his throat.


    In the past, he would have chosen to stand by indifferently. But at that moment of life and death, images of Pearl’s smiling face shed through his mind. The thought of never seeing her again unsettled him.


    He didn’t care about exposing himself to the enemy and chose to save Pearl instead.


    “Stop crying. Are you hurt anywhere?”


    His voice was as gentle as ever. Sam took out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away her tears.


    But no matter how much he wiped, more tears kepting. He patiently waited for her to finish crying before speaking again.


    Her sobs gradually subsided from loud cries to soft whimpers. Sam felt an indescribable emotion in his heart.


    “So this is what heartache feels like?”