<h4>Chapter 364: Gone</h4>


    Mnie couldn’t move either. Her breath caught in her throat as she drank in his appearance. The man before her was not the one she remembered, not quite. His face was thinner now, the hollows of his cheeks more pronounced. His skin looked slightly drawn, and the sharpness of his jawline was more defined, not from strength but from exhaustion. His shoulders had dropped, as though he carried something he hadn’t been able to put down in weeks. Maybe even months.


    He looked tired. So tired. And that glint in his eyes-the quiet mischief, the spark that used to make her feel like everything would be alright-was gone. The faint smirk that always yed on his lips when he teased her, the confident look he wore even in tense moments, had vanished. Now, his expression was unreadable. Guarded. He was a different man.


    She stared at him, her fingers curled tightly in the nket, her throat dry. And in that moment, all she wanted to do was get up and walk into his arms. She wanted to hold him close and forget the ns, forget the lies and games. She wanted to feel safe again. But she didn’t move. Couldn’t.


    While both Adam and Mnie stared at each other, lost in that silent current, Melody’s gaze followed Mnie’s. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of Adam, and she stilled mid-step. For a split second, her mask slipped. What was he doing here?


    Her mouth pressed into a thin line, her posture straightened as she began walking toward him with slow, measured steps. She stopped in front of Adam, positioning herself between him and Mnie like a physical barrier, her head tilted up as she offered him a soft, deliberate smile.


    "Adam," she said, and lifted her hand to his. She took his fingers in hers and carefully inteced them together, holding his hand in full view of everyone in the room. Her tone was light, sweet, the kind that masked everything unpleasant beneath it.


    Then, she turned back to the bed, her eyes locking with Mnie’s, and said with a fake smile, "Melody, this is Adam. Your brother-inw... my husband."


    Mnie didn’t react at first. She simply blinked once, eyes moving to Adam, watching the subtle change in him. The stiffness in his stance, the quiet tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw locked under Melody’s touch. He had not pulled away, but he had not weed her either. And in that stillness, something passed between them. A message, a silent confirmation.


    He hadn’t said a word. But he didn’t need to.


    Because she could tell. He had guessed.


    And though Dr. Jung had told her it might happen, had even given her hope that Adam would sense the truth, seeing it with her own eyes made it real. Adam knew.


    She met his eyes again, just briefly, and in them she saw that flicker. Not recognition of a name. But of her. Of <i>Mnie</i>.


    Then, she turned to Richard Thomas, who had been watching everything in heavy silence. Her voice was steady when she spoke.


    "I want to see Dr. Jung..."


    "Dr. Jung had to leave, Mel," Richard answered quickly. "He got an urgent call and had to return to the city. But don’t worry. He told me he remembers the promise he made. He said he would bring back the person who saved you."


    Mnie stilled.


    The words were simple, spoken in front of others without weight. But to her, they were loaded. A quiet warning. A signal. Dr. Jung had gone to get Cadence.


    She nodded slowly and allowed her expression to fall. She let her body rx slightly, her posture sag. She closed her eyes for a moment and spoke in a quiet, dejected voice.


    "Where will I go, then... if Dr. Jung is gone?"


    "What do you mean, where will you go?" Marianne said, her voice immediately rising with emotion. "Melody, even if you don’t remember us, you are our daughter. Of course you wille home with us."


    Her tone was warm, affectionate. As if there was no room for doubt.


    But now that Mnie had seen Adam, now that her feelings had surged back with such rity, she no longer wanted to keep going with the n. She didn’t want to live under the same roof as people who had lied to her, or worse, harmed her. She didn’t want to be away from Adam.


    And yet, unexpectedly, it was Melody who ended up creating the opportunity for her.


    "Yes, Mother," Melody said, her voice lilting as she sped Marianne’s hand. "And I would like toe and stay at home as well. That way, I can spend more time with my sister and really get to know her. I think both of you will be happy to have your full family together again."


    Marianne’s face lit up instantly. She turned toward Mnie.


    "Yes, yes. That’s a wonderful idea," she said. "Mnie, youe home too. It will be a proper reunion."


    Richard nodded in agreement as he nced between the two girls. His voice was firm with approval.


    "Yes. We will live together as a family."


    Then he stepped toward the bed and reached for Mnie’s hand.


    "Melody, the doctor already said we could take you home now that you’re awake. Come, let me help you up."


    The parking lot was bathed in afternoon light, the heat pressing down on the cars as Richard opened the back door and helped Mnie inside. Marianne followed and settled beside her, talking softly about the drive and how they would get her settled at home.


    Just as Melody moved toward the car to follow them, Adam stepped forward and blocked her path.


    "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice low but unmistakably sharp.


    Melody frowned at him, visibly irritated. "Didn’t you hear what Father just said?" she snapped, "We’ll have a family get-together for the next few days."


    Adam turned to Richard Thomas, his face neutral but his wordsced with purpose.


    "Am I not family, Father?" he asked with a calm smile. "I always want to live near my Mnie."


    Inside the car, Mnie heard him. Her chest tightened, and a soft, almost imperceptible smile crept to her lips. The warmth that spread through her chest was impossible to ignore.


    Richard nodded, waving dismissively. "Of course, of course. Adam, you are family. You wille and stay with us. Mnie, youe home in Adam’s car."


    Melody’s hands curled into tight fists at her sides, but she didn’t protest. Adam gave her a satisfied smile, caught her elbow firmly, and all but marched her toward his car.