She Died With My Name on Her Lips novel Chapter 20

Stephen didn’t look surprised at all. He walked into the chapel with a calm, steady expression, quietly following each of the priest’s instructions.

When he finally held the protective charm in his hand, a gentle warmth spread through his chest. Real or not, he figured it was worth trying. Why not? At this point, a life spent among flickering candles and quiet prayers was just another way to get by—a lifetime is a lifetime, whether it’s long or short. If he didn’t end things himself, there were plenty of other ways to disappear.

He stepped forward again, and suddenly, he was standing right in front of his bodyguards.

They froze for a split second, then rushed over in a panic. “Mr. Barker! Where have you been? We searched the entire mountain for you, and you just vanished. Did you run into a ghost or something?”

Stephen shook his head. “No ghosts. Honestly, if there were, maybe I’d be able to see my family again. Maybe even Louisa.”

The bodyguards went quiet, each of them thinking about people they’d lost, too.

Back at the villa, Stephen didn’t try to end his life again. But everything he’d put in place for his final days kept moving along as planned.

Eventually, he picked up the bracelet the craftsman had restored for him and headed home. The bracelet looked almost like it used to, gold and jade mended together with so much care. But no matter how much work went into fixing it, it would never be the same as before.

Just like him and Louisa.

Ever since that accident on their wedding day, no matter how hard they tried, their relationship couldn’t go back to what it was. There was too much pain between them, too many old wounds. Neither of them could let go, and neither could forget.

So, maybe it was time to let this life end here. Next time, he hoped, things would be different. Next time, they’d actually get their happy ending.

When everything was finally done, Stephen grabbed a bouquet of fresh flowers and the protective charm, then walked to Louisa’s glass casket.

“Louisa, I’m coming to be with you,” he whispered.

He opened the casket, got in beside her, and closed it again with a soft smile. He held Louisa close, not caring about the way her body had gone cold. All he wanted was to be as close as possible—so close they couldn’t be separated.

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