?Chapter 917:


    As they stood there, locked in that long embrace, the weight of the past began to dissolve.


    Rachel, her heart aching with the realization of everything she had missed, couldn’t stop her tears. She remembered how, for so long, Brian had been the dream of her youth, the person she had always imagined would be there. Now, in his arms, all those memories rushed back.


    With infinite patience, Brian gently wiped away each tear with his fingertips, his touch tender and steady. As thest of her tears faded, he pulled back slightly, his gaze searching hers. His voice, quiet but filled with longing, finally broke the silence.


    “Rachel,” he asked softly, “Tell me… why are you here?”


    Rachel slowly lifted her gaze to him, her eyes red and swollen from tears. Her voice quivered as she asked, “And you? Why didn’t you leave?”


    He met her gaze without hesitation, his voice steady yet full of sincerity. “I couldn’t bring myself to leave you.”


    Her hand tightened around his, and she returned his gaze with unwavering sincerity. “I couldn’t bear to leave you either.”


    His heart swelled with hope, his breath catching as he gently cupped her face, his hands trembling, voice thick with emotion. “Did I hear you correctly?” She nodded, her tears flowing freely once more.


    “Yes, you did,” she whispered, her wordsden with everything they had both been holding back.


    With regret, she whispered, “I’m sorry, Brian. My stubbornness cost us so much time. Dora was right… You’ve already made amends, and I should have forgiven you long ago.”


    Her words broke, and she trembled, barely holding back the ache in her chest. “I was blind to your efforts. I became so ustomed to you being there, to your quiet love, that I failed to appreciate it. Now, I see… But… is it toote?”


    Brian, feeling every bit of her pain, held her face even more gently, shaking his head as his own tears threatened. “It’s not toote. It’s never toote, as long as you still want me.”


    Her tears slowed, but her voice was firm and full of longing. “I want you, Brian. Please, don’t leave me. Stay with me—and with Dora. Stay with us.”


    “Then… will you marry me?” Brian asked, his hands gently cradling her face, filled with tenderness and hope.


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    “Yes,” she breathed, a smile tugging at her lips as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face against his chest. “Yes, I do.”


    As Rachel listened to the rhythmic beat of his heart, the warmth of his embrace enveloped her, and she felt her heart stir once more.


    After everything they had endured—the twists, the storms, and the obstacles—they had somehow managed to hold on to each other. Now, with a new chapter unfolding before them, they would walk through life hand in hand, never to be separated again. From this moment on, they would cherish each day together, growing old side by side and weaving their hearts into a beautiful tapestry of memories. (The End)


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