abcnovels
Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Chapter 101
“I watched her, became a friend to her. That was the only way I could get access to her, get her to trust
me, to see if she could finally recall something, anything. Besides that, she had nob*dy. So, I went back
to college, and that was it,” Nathan explained, the layers of his own deception unveiled.
“I created a new identity for her,” he admitted, the revelation hanging in the air like a heavy secret.
Axel’s mind was reeling, connecting the dots of Jasmine’s life styles. It all made sense, and his eyes
widened at the magnitude of what he’d heard.
“So just so you know, I have never and would never try to harm her. The lies I told her…” Nathan
sighed, the admission weighed heavy in the air.
“Although selfish, had to be said,” he finished, the vulnerability in his voice revealing the internal conflict
he had harbored for years.
“Even though I stayed around her and became a friend, it was all for this,” Nathan admitted, the
revelation echoing in the space between them.
Axel stumbled backward slowly, his head and mind reeling as the layers of deception unraveled before
him. The scars, the abuse she endured, filled him with a surge of rage that threatened to consume him.
“I couldn’t push her. Her forgetting was her mind trying to escape from what she had been through. She
was a child at that time, been through so much. The accident gave her a means of escape, a place to
hide,” Nathan explained.
“She desperately wanted to forget all she had been through,” he stated, the weight of her pain settling
heavily in Axel’s chest. The room seemed to contract around them, and become suffocatingly small.
Axel’s chest heaved heavily, his fists clenched in an outburst of rage.
“Who was it? Who had hurt her in that manner?!” he bellowed, the intensity of his voice reverberating
through the room.
“I don’t know. We never found out. They were miles away from nothing,” Nathan said through gritted
teeth, frustration etched across his face.
“Here’s what I think. My wife found Jasmine and she had probably trying to escape with her. That must
have happened,” Nathan explained.
After months and months of pondering, that was what he could finally come up with.
“You blame her?” Axel asked softly referring to Jasmine, a note of understanding in his tone.
Nathan turned away guiltily, a heavy silence hanging in the air.
“My wife,” he muttered with a sad smile, “Would never be able to look away from a person in need of
help, even if it means endangering her own life. She must have seen Jasmine and tried to help her.
She was that way, nosy,” Nathan said, a bittersweet chuckle escaping him, carrying the weight of
memories and regret.
“She tried to help everyone,” he stated with a pained sigh. “And now, because of that, she’s gone. I
don’t know how that makes me feel, Nathan admitted, the weight of loss evident in his words.
“Watching her every day, live her life. Life given in exchange for my wife’s, I don’t know how to feel
about that.”
“And the perpetrators are still at large,” Nathan said, frustration boiling over as he threw a fist in the air.
“Not that it would bring her back, but..” he trailed off, his arms dropping to his sides defeatedly, the
lingering sense of justice denied echoing in the room. The pain and helplessness etched across
Nathan’s face created an atmosphere heavy with the unspoken struggles of a man haunted by the
consequences of a past that couldn’t be rewritten.
“You said she’s been followed?” Nathan inquired, his voice tinged with concern.
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Chapter 101
“Like she’s been stalked?” he asked in a quiet voice, locking eyes with Axel, seeking answers.
“Yes. Any idea who it might be or what he wants?” Axel probed, his gaze unwavering.
Nathan shook his head, weariness etched on his face. “Jasmine hasn’t harmed anyone. She barely has
any friends, neither. does she socialize with anyone. I don’t have the slightest idea who would be
watching her. But it’s not me. I wouldn’t do something like that,” Nathan said, sounding exhausted and
thoroughly drained.
“Jasmine, she’s a lovely girl. Who would try to harm her?” he mused with a sigh..
Axel watched Nathan. “Would you tell her the truth?” he probed.
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Nathan sighed, grappling with the internal turmoil. “It’s best we leave things the way they are,” he
replied, the weight of the secret pressing on him.
“I just hope she doesn’t end up too hurt when everything comes boiling over.” He added.
Keeping this from Jasmine did feel like a huge betrayal, it weighed on Nathan’s mind and made him
feel Terrible whenever he looked at her.
But Jasmine innocently looked up to him, a man who harboured anger towards her over the fate that
had befallen his family.
Her eyes lit up whenever she talked about him. To her Nathan had done everything for her. But she had
no idea what kind of secrets it was that he h oarded. The truth would no doubt crush her completely.
There was nothing left to be said.
Axel stood there in silence. The air seemed heavy. Just then, Axel’s phone buzzed with a notification,
the sound slicing through the silent atmosphere. It was a text from Jasmine..
“I’m ready.” The text read.
“Is it her?” Nathan asked, his eyes seeking confirmation. Axel grunted in affirmation, then turned to
leave.
“Take care of her,” Nathan called out just as Axel reached the door and pulled it open.
“Do you actually have the right to ask me that?” Axel asked, his tone frigidly cold.
“No.” Nathan replied gently. “I might have to leave soon. I’m kinda the only one she has left. I’ve been
at this long enough.” He stated with a sigh.
“And you….” he continued, his gaze fixed on and boring into Axel’s.
“You care about her,” Nathan finished, his words hanging in the air. Axel froze, his fingers wrapped
around the door kn ob.
“I’ve seen the way you look at her,” Nathan continued, his voice carrying a knowing tone.
Axel pulled the door open then stepped out, leaving the room and its heavy revelations behind.
He stepped out of the building, his gaze scanning the surroundings until he spotted Jasmine standing
next to where his car was parked.
“Axel?” Jasmine called, her eyes lighting up with a warm smile when she spotted him walking towards
her.
“You’re here. I was wondering where you went; your car was here but you weren’t,” she stated, her
voice carrying a touch of curiosity. Axel was quietly studying her, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Her brows furrowed in confusion’as Axel continued to stare at her, a complicated look lingering in his
eyes. “Is something wrong?” she muttered, picking up on the unusual intensity of his gaze.
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“No,” Axel replied finally, the thoughtful expression giving way to a more composed demeanor as he
continued watching her. “You ready?” he asked.
“Yes,” she nodded.
Nathan remained sitting in his office. Perhaps it was time to unburden himself from the weight of
unresolved questions that had haunted him for almost ten years. He sighed.
Hazel, Liam, and Daisy-a faint smile crossed his l*ps as he thought of them. He couldn’t alter the
course of history, neither could he rewind time to bring back his wife and child. But maybe, just maybe,
he could shape a happier future for himself and those still present in his life.
“I hope I’m doing the right thing,” he whispered, his gaze resting on the photograph of his wife.
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