?Chapter 701:


    Then, a voice shattered the silence.


    “Rachel?” The voice was urgent, relieved, and instantly recognizable.


    It was Brian.


    Even after more than a month apart, his voice was etched in her mind. Rachel knew his voice the second she heard it.


    She froze, then jumped up, ready to run without thinking twice. “Carol, I promise I’ll be back,” she whispered before turning to leave in a hurry.


    But Brian was fast, right behind her.


    Within seconds, he grabbed her wrist, blocking her path.


    Just like her, he waspletely soaked, still dressed in ck. His face looked exhausted, probably from nights without sleep.


    “Rachel…” Brian stared at her, afraid to even blink, as if she might disappear if he did. Fear gripped him—fear that she wasn’t real, that this was just a cruel illusion, a dream he would wake from at any moment.


    For a split second, Rachel stoodpletely still, forgetting she had nned to run.


    Brian slowly reached out, his fingers brushing against her face. As if he couldn’t believe it, he touched her again and again. After what felt like forever, he finally spoke, his voice shaking. “Rachel, it’s you… it’s really you!”


    This wasn’t a dream. It was real. Rachel was alive. She was here, warm and real…


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    Unable to hold back anymore, he pulled her into his arms, his emotions overwhelming him. “Grandma was buried today. You loved her so much, and I thought… if you were still alive, you’de. So I stayed. I waited, just in case. Maybe it was fate, Rachel… I finally found you.”


    Right now, Brian was beyond happy—relieved, excited, overjoyed.


    But Rachel quickly snapped out of it. She shoved him away, her voice sharp. “Let me go!”


    Rachel knew he was much stronger than her, and she figured she’d have to struggle or even call Yvonne for help. After all, she had never been able to push him away before.


    But this time, to her surprise, he let go after just one hard push. Without wasting a second, she turned and ran. She had only taken a few steps when she heard a loud thud behind her.


    She turned just in time to see Brian copse, falling straight into a puddle.


    Rachel steeled herself, resolved to press forward.


    Behind her, an unsettling silence descended, devoid of Brian’s usual chatter. She halted, startled by the absence of any sound.


    On this stormy night, the relentless downpour in the cemetery amplified the cold atmosphere.


    “Brian!” Rachel called, her voice ringing through the rain as she stood motionless.


    Only silence answered her, no whispers of movement or reply. Once more, she shouted, “Brian, stop this nonsense. I know you’re there. Stand up now.”


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