Delete My Love for You novel Chapter 57

Charlotte felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her—she stood frozen, staring at Darren in disbelief.

Since the very first stirrings of her teenage heart, her entire youth, her very existence, had revolved around Darren and nothing else. And now, he denied it all, claiming her love was nothing but a calculated act—a performance?

It was as if the blood had been drained from her veins, leaving her hollow.

Mr. Nathan Harrington looked utterly lost. He mumbled to himself, “No… That can’t be. I saw it in her eyes—how could I have been wrong? How could I…”

Darren didn’t bother answering. His voice dropped, quiet but commanding. “James, help Mr. Harrington back to his room.”

The butler bowed. “Yes, sir.”

As James guided Nathan out, the old man’s entire body seemed to wilt, all the life and vitality evaporating from him, leaving only a fragile shell behind.

Once the turmoil faded, Darren turned, slipping an arm around Xena—her face had gone a shade paler than usual. He tried to soothe her. “Xena, it’s all right. Nathan may accept you, or he may not, but either way, I’ll keep my promise from years ago. I’ll marry you.”

Xena nodded, a faint smile trembling on her lips.

He took off his jacket and draped it gently over her shoulders.

Then he turned, his tone brooking no argument as he addressed Charlotte. “Lottie, you—”

But the words died in his throat.

Charlotte was clutching her chest with white-knuckled hands, her face ashen, lips bitten raw. Blood stained the pale skin.

Darren frowned, instinctively stepping toward her.

“Don’t come any closer!”

She flung out a trembling arm to block him, her eyes brimming with tears that refused to fall, held back by sheer will.

Her voice was barely a whisper, thin and shaking. “Mr. Harrington… I—I can’t… I need a few days off. Three, maybe…”

Darren’s brow furrowed deeper. “Don’t you have painkillers?”

Charlotte slowly produced a small bottle, turning it upside down. Not a single pill remained.

“I finished them all… They don’t help anymore.”

She forced a broken smile, the expression laced with despair. “Maybe I’ve built up a tolerance.”

Why, she thought, even with my mind dulled by medication, does he still have the power to break my heart?

Darren, if there's another life, I swear—I’ll never love you again…

Her body gave out. But instead of collapsing onto the wet pavement, she fell into the arms of someone—someone cold and rain-soaked but solid and strong.

She barely had time to register what was happening before someone lifted her easily.

As her consciousness slipped away, she caught a voice—familiar, urgent—murmuring at her ear: “Lottie, who are you, really?”

…

The Harrington family estate, late at night.

Doctor after private doctor came to examine Charlotte, but all left shaking their heads.

“Mr. Harrington, all her tests are normal. There’s no medical cause for her coma. She needs to go to a hospital for a full work-up.”

Darren pressed his fingers hard to his brow, a frown etched deep on his face.