Chapter 958

But those grand doors had remained firmly shut.

She had been absolutely convinced she was going to lose the mother who was her entire world.

A suffocating wave of despair had completely swallowed her whole.

It was Seth who had reached into the abyss and pulled her out.

Because that memory was seared into her soul, she remembered every single detail. Even after all these years, his face from that afternoon was branded perfectly into her mind.

It was permanently etched into her heart.

It was why she had been so wildly, unconditionally devoted to him for seven straight years, demanding absolutely nothing in return.

But now, Seth was staring her in the eyes, telling her that wasn’t the beginning of their story.

Noreen was desperate for the truth.

Seeing the burning need in her gaze, Seth reluctantly pulled his arms from around her waist, stood up, and walked over to the desk.

He pulled a small box from the drawer, walked back, and immediately pulled her back into his lap.

He placed the velvet box in her palms. “Open it.”

Noreen stared down at the dark velvet.

It was obvious the box had been handled obsessively over the years; the edges were entirely worn down and faded.

Under Seth’s intense, expectant gaze, she slowly flipped open the lid.

Nestled inside was a gleaming medal, its brilliant gold contrasting sharply with its red ribbon.

Noreen’s breath caught in her throat. She froze completely.

She couldn’t believe her eyes.

Her trembling fingers reached out to lift the heavy metal, flipping it over to check the inscription on the back.

The winner’s name was clearly engraved on the smooth surface.

Noreen Gilmore.

This was her Gold Medal!

The exact one she had won at her very first International Mathematical Olympiad!

She had been seventeen that year.

It was the very first time she had scored a perfect mark in a global competition, bringing home the gold.

That legendary score was exactly what had caught Halley Joyner’s attention, eventually leading to him taking her on as his most prized protégé.

“Do you remember now?” Seth murmured.

Noreen’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “You… you were the patient on the roof who was trying to jump?”

The suppressed memories came flooding back with violent clarity.

She had just received the Gold Medal and had been absolutely ecstatic, rushing to deliver the amazing news to Rosalind.

But when she sprinted into

Rosalind’s workplace, a terrified coworker told her that her mother had collapsed and had already been rushed to the emergency room.

Noreen had flown to the hospital in an absolute panic, only to be pulled into

a sterile office where a

el?

grim faced doctor delivered the

crushing diagnosis.

Severe aplastic anemia.

The only viable treatment was a bone marrow transplant.

To a seventeen-year-old girl, the news was like a brutal physical blow, completely destroying her reality.

She had fought back her tears with everything she had, desperately trying to put on a brave face.

But she was only seventeen. She simply didn’t possess the mental fortitude to cope with the looming threat of death.

As she stumbled back toward the ward, she had witnessed a family completely breaking down over the loss of a loved one, wailing until they collapsed.

Her fragile composure had instantly shattered. She had fled to the desolate hospital rooftop and sobbed until her throat was raw.

She had cried so hard her contact lenses had completely washed out, but still, she couldn’t stop the flood of tears.

She had no idea how long she had been crying when the frantic shouts of hospital staff suddenly echoed from the stairwell.

“Did anyone check the roof? This patient is an extreme flight risk with multiple suicide attempts on his chart! We have to find him before he jumps!”

A group of nurses had burst onto the roof, swept the area blindly, and raced back downstairs when they didn’t spot anyone.

Still sniffling, Noreen had slowly pushed herself off the ground, intending to wash her face in the restroom before heading back to sit with Rosalind.

But just as she neared the exit, she spotted a dark silhouette standing on the absolute wrong side of the safety ledge.

Since she hadn’t gotten laser eye surgery back then and her contacts were long gone, she could only make out a blurry shape, utterly incapable of seeing his face.

Certain he was the suicidal patient the nurses were hunting for, she had cried out in

pure panic, “Don’t move!”

Her voice had shaken violently, but she had desperately tried to sound calm.

The figure hadn’t even flinched. From behind, he looked so utterly fragile and broken, like a gust of wind could scatter him into dust.