After completing his work for the evening, Mich gathered his belongings and returned them to his room. The house was quiet, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Claudia. Hoping to clear his head, he made his way to the balcony where she was already waiting.
Out on the balcony, a crisp, cold night wind swept over them. They sat together on the outdoor sofa, watching the dark horizon in silence. While the night was peaceful, the atmosphere between them grew heavy. Claudia sat perfectly still, her eyes fixed on nothing at all. She was completely lost in her own mind. Mich sat quietly beside her, studying her expression as he had done many times before. He could see the familiar shadow of sadness clouding her face.
Unable to watch her suffer in silence any longer, Mich broke the quiet. "What is it?" he asked softly. "What is bothering you?"
Claudia let out a long, heavy sigh at his words. The weight she had been carrying finally broke through. "I am just thinking about my past life," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I keep wondering how I ended up washed ashore here. What if I never regain my memories? I truly hoped that the vivid dreams I've been having were a sign that my past was returning. But weeks have passed, and they remain just dreams—nothing more. What if I have a family out there who is worried sick about me? Or worse, what if they believe I am already dead?"
She poured her heart out, her voice cracking under the immense weight of her anxiety. She looked at Mich, desperate for comfort, or at least some reassurance.
Mich remained quiet for a long moment, processing her pain. When he finally spoke, the words were not what she expected. "Are you in a hurry to leave?" he asked.
It was the only question that escaped his lips, sounding sharper and more detached than he intended. Claudia stared at him, completely caught off guard by his response. The question stung, but it also opened a wave of conflicting emotions. While she desperately wanted to unlock the secrets of her past and reunite with her biological family, she felt a profound bond forming in the present. Wanting to go home did not mean she would ever forget the immense kindness Mich and his sisters had shown her. They had saved her life when she had nothing, and she was deeply grateful. Looking at him now, she realized that leaving this new life behind might hurt just as much as losing her old one.
Claudia knew she would never forget Mich; the man was truly remarkable. Whenever she was with him, she felt as though a massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders. He created a safe haven where she felt entirely comfortable pouring out all the worries weighing on her heart. She couldn't bear the thought of separating from him, even if today was the day she might finally regain her memories and find her long-lost family. The fear of losing him was a shadow that never quite left her mind.
Unexpectedly, Mich pulled her closer, gently placing his right palm against her cheek. "I know this makes me selfish, but I wish you would never leave," he whispered, his eyes searching hers.
He leaned his head closer, tilting her chin up, and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her tenderly at first, pouring all of his unspoken longing into the touch, showing her just how deeply he would miss her when she was gone. But within moments, the gentle kiss shifted, growing deep and passionate as Claudia eagerly responded. The world around them seemed to fade into a blur of warmth and emotion.
After a few breathless minutes, he slowly broke the kiss. Neither of them said a word at first; they simply leaned against each other, taking a moment to catch their breath and listen to the frantic beating of their hearts.
"I am really going to miss you," Mich murmured, his breath brushing against her skin.
"I will miss you too, Mich. I truly wish I didn't have to leave," Claudia replied, her voice thick with emotion.
"Rian..." Mich called her by the name he knew best, his voice as soft and gentle as a summer breeze. "How about we enter into a serious relationship? I really like you, Rian. To be honest, I had planned not to get involved with anyone anytime soon, because the first woman I set my eyes on did not like me back. But with you, I can't help myself. I don't mind you gaining your memories back and leaving to live with your family. I don't even mind a long-distance relationship. I really, truly like you. Let's just give us a try," Mich suggested, his voice dropping to a vulnerable, quiet whisper.
Claudia blinked several times, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her cheeks as she desperately searched for the right words. The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.
"Mich... I am just not sure," she began, her gaze dropping to her tightly intertwined hands. "Yes, I admit that I feel different when I am with you. There is a safety here that I haven't felt anywhere else. But what about my past? What if I already have someone out there looking for me?" Claudia cooed, the uncertainty tearing at her chest.
That was the ultimate problem. That exact question had been relentlessly eating away at Mich's peace of mind ever since he first admitted to himself that he was falling for her. It was a terrifying phantom hanging over them.
"I have thought of that, and worse," Mich pleaded, reaching out to gently touch her hand, his eyes burning with sincerity. "Like, what if you are already married to someone else? But I still can't help myself, Rian. Let me take that risk. Please, Rian, just let me prove myself to you."
Claudia sighed, a heavy, ragged sound that betrayed the war raging inside her. A part of her wanted so desperately to throw caution to the wind and give them a chance. She wanted the warmth he offered. Yet, the brick wall of her unknown identity stood firmly in the way, blocking her path forward.
"Let me think about it. Let's just wait for a little while," she pleaded softly, looking up into his eyes. "I need to do some research, to dig into public records, and finally find out who I actually am. I don't want a situation where we build a relationship together, only for another man from my past to come our way. I don't want to hurt any of us."
Claudia's practical, protective explanation made perfect, painful sense. The logic was undeniable. Mich nodded his head slowly, the fight draining from his shoulders as he let out a long, defeated sigh.
"At least let me help you," Mich pleaded.
"No, Mich... you have done so much. Let me do this..." Rian replied, refusing the offer.
"No, Rian... I am not doing this for you but myself, so please don't stop me," Mich countered firmly.
Rian breathed heavily, feeling the weight of her words. The man was so incredibly stubborn. She shook her head in defeat before finally giving in and saying, "Okay."
The afternoon of the day after, Eric could be seen walking slowly through the quiet corridor of the hospital, holding a paper bag containing warm food. The crinkle of the bag reminded him vividly of the last time Jackie had brought food for him and Sarah. With a sudden pang, he realized that was the very last time she was seen. To him, he hadn't initially suspected that anything was wrong with her, which was why he hadn't thought twice about not seeing her around. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that everything was not going well, either. Jackie was always so consistent; she would always make it a point to come and greet both him and his mother whenever she came to the hospital. Her absence left an unsettling silence in the Sarah's ward.
While he was walking, lost in his thoughts, he heard a soft, feminine voice call out his name. He stopped in his tracks and turned around on the polished floor. The young woman he saw wasn't familiar to him at all, but she resembled Jackie so strongly that he figured out immediately it must be Jackie's sister.
The girl walked quickly towards him, her footsteps echoing slightly, and greeted him, "Good afternoon." As she drew closer, the harsh hospital lights caught her face, showing clearly that she had been crying.
Eric felt a knot form in his stomach. "Afternoon," he replied gently. "Why were you crying?"
Eric kept his voice low and tone calm as he tried to process the heavy words. "My sister... and my mom. My mom died just last night, and now my sister is gone too? I can't find her anywhere."
"Have you tried searching for her?" Eric asked softly.
"Yes," the girl replied, her voice with so much worrying. "I have already gone to every single place she could possibly be. I even tried calling her phone repeatedly, but no one answers. The call goes through and just rings out, but no one ever replies."
Eric nodded slowly, a look of understanding passing over his face. "Okay... I see." "Ms..." "Cyril." "Ms. Cyril, please give me your sister's contact information," Eric urged, pulling out his phone. "I will see what I can do to help locate her." He quickly noted down Jackie's phone number, assured her, and parted ways with her into the hallway.
When he finally got back to his mother's quiet hospital ward, his hands moved automatically. He began to unwrap and serve her the warm food he had bought for her on his way back. While doing so, his attention didn't seem to be on what he was doing at all; his mind was entirely consumed by the missing Jackie.
"Is everything alright? Your mind seems to be completely elsewhere," Sarah asked gently, having noticed her son's distant, troubled expression.
"It's nothing, Mom. Don't worry," he assured her, offering a faint smile as he forced himself to focus on serving her the rest of the food.
Later in the evening, right around seven to eight o'clock, the ward fell completely quiet. Once Sarah finally drifted off into a deep sleep, Eric stepped away and calmly dialed Jackie's number. He expected to hear the familiar, empty ringing, but strangely, someone actually answered the call on the third ring.
"Hello?" a voice spoke into the line. It was distinctly a feminine voice, but it absolutely did not belong to Jackie.
"I want to talk to Jackie," Eric said straightforwardly, refusing to waste any time with pleasantries.
"Wait a minute," the woman replied abruptly. A heavy silence filled the line. It took almost another full, agonizing minute of static before someone finally said hello from the other end for the second time.