Chapter 1462
Nicole struggled to let go of the past, regret tying her firmly to Millie’s side. She longed for the day Millie would open her eyes again. More than once, she stayed so long caring for Millie, she nearly collapsed herself.
Helga did what she could to ease Nicole’s sorrow and distract her, but the melancholy remained.
Little Ari turned six this year. Her adoption paperwork was finalized right before her fifth birthday. Despite the hurdles of a tough beginning and health challenges, proper care and a successful surgery had left her looking every bit as healthy as any other child her age.
Friends and family filled the house for Ari’s sixth birthday celebration. As Ari squeezed her eyes shut to blow out her candles, she wished for only one thing: “I hope Mom wakes up soon.”
But Millie still slept on, untouched by the world outside.
At the hospital, Myron kept a quiet vigil at her bedside. Tomorrow would have been their first wedding anniversary.
Outside, the tree had dropped most of its leaves, a sight that brought back memories of the leaf roses he and Millie had made together for Ari not so long ago.
Myron carefully gathered a fresh handful of leaves and set about arranging them, his hands repeating every careful movement they’d shared together.
The silence in the room felt almost sacred.
When he finished, he turned the rose toward Millie, a gentle smile on his face.
“What do you think?” he asked softly. “Doesn’t it look just like the one we made last year?”
Myron didn’t seem bothered by Millie’s silence. Instead, he snapped a photo of the new leaf rose and shared it online, echoing last year’s quiet ritual.
The caption beneath the image read, “This year’s leaves fall just like last year’s.”
The simple post struck a chord with many, stirring a familiar ache. Everyone who saw it remembered that time had changed so much.
Millie and Myron’s wedding still lingered in people’s memories, a celebration so grand it was impossible to forget. That magnificent cruise ship, christened with Millie’s name, had hosted crowds of guests as it sailed across countless seas. Yet the woman it honored slept on, untouched by any of it.
The church on the top of East Mountain, too, was never short of visitors. People still talked about the prayer Myron had made during last year’s rainstorm, the moment vivid in their minds.
Despite the weight of loss, Myron had made his mark this year. Elliott Group and JM Investments both continued to flourish under his steady hand. Even with Millie lost in her dreams, he made certain every piece of her legacy was protected and cherished.
That March, he’d risked a journey to the island she mentioned, chasing elusive clues—yet many questions remained unanswered. Maybe fate was still waiting for the right moment.
Everywhere he went, Myron brought Ari along. Though Ari was just a little girl in primary school, she often sat in on board meetings, joining Myron at the tables of Elliott Group and JM Investments, a small but steady presence at his side.
Myron made no secret of his intentions—he wanted everyone to see Ari as his and Millie’s daughter, a living connection to Millie herself.