I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 496

Burton.”

The moment he arrived, the director, Johann Morrow, hurried out to greet him. “Are you here to visit Ms. Burton?”

“How has she been?” Sawyer asked.

“Stable enough, but…” Johann exhaled heavily.

Sawyer showed no surprise. Without uttering a single word, he walked inside.

Draventh Sixth Hospital was a psychiatric institution. Iron bars sealed off every ward, and the walls inside were padded with thick sponges.

“She’s still awake,” Johann said, noticing.

Sawyer opened the door and stepped in.

The woman sitting on the bed turned at the sound.

Her face was pale, yet it couldn’t conceal her striking beauty. Her features were so delicate that they seemed almost like those of a porcelain doll.

When she saw him, her eyes lit up. “Sawyer!”

“Hey, Sylvia.”

The moment his gaze landed on his sister, Sylvia Burton, every ounce of tension in his body eased, and a smile softened his face.

The siblings embraced, and Sylvia brushed Sawyer’s hair with her hand. “You’ve grown taller again.”

Sawyer lowered his eyes, remaining silent. He was 30 years old. He hadn’t grown in over a decade.

But Sylvia’s memory had long since unraveled. She was stuck in a constant state of confusion.

They sat together. Sawyer brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You’ve lost weight. You haven’t been eating properly, have you?”

Sylvia pressed her lips into a smile. She looked so pure and gentle.

Her eyes should have held endless light, but instead, a faint gray shadow dulled them.

Ignoring his question, she looked at him with aching tenderness. “Sawyer, am I being a burden to you?”

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Chapter 496

+25 BONUS

Sawyer frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re the reason I work so hard. Without you, I’d have no drive at all.”

“Right.” She nodded firmly. “If I live well, you’ll have the strength, so I’ll take good care of myself. It’s late. You should head home. I need to rest, too.

Sawyer had just taken a seat. He couldn’t bring himself to leave so quickly.

“Let me stay a little longer.” His voice came out hoarse.

“You’re too tired. You need rest,” she chided gently.

Sylvia’s mental state shifted from moment to moment, with no sense of order at all.

That was the reality of mental illness–episodes could strike anytime, anywhere.

Still, Sylvia didn’t hate the place. She had already grown used to it. She had been there for over a decade, and Draventh Sixth Hospital was starting to feel like her second home.

“Go back. Come see me when you can,” Sylvia said. “And I want cotton candy. Remember to bring me

some next time.”

Sawyer was pushed toward the door. He kept his eyes on her. “Sylvia…”

Sylvia’s smile turned dazzling. “Don’t worry. As long as I have you, I won’t give up. I still want to see my younger brother get married and have children.”

Sawyer suddenly clenched his teeth. Slowly, he nodded. “Alright.”

“Go on now.”

Sawyer’s figure soon appeared in the courtyard of Draventh Sixth Hospital.

Inside her room, Sylvia leaned against the window, watching him through the iron bars. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

She reached out her hand, tracing Sawyer’s silhouette through the window.

Sawyer seemed to sense it and turned around.

But the room was too dark. From where he stood, he couldn’t see her face at all.

Sawyer entered the car.

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