?Chapter 680:

    The joy on Ruben’s and Jarrett’s faces was impossible to miss as they watched Cole improve, though Cole himself felt a new kind of worry blooming inside him. Even as his strength returned, a heavy feeling lingered in his chest—the third injection, likely to alter or even erase his memories, was creeping closer. Going to sleep each night became harder, and every morning brought a sharp sense of urgency, marking fewer days left before he might forget Elliana and their shared past.

    Elliana noticed Cole’s nervousness but chose to ignore it, hoping that by doing so, she would help him stay determined to finish his treatment. Today, she was scheduled to give him his second injection. As she drew the liquid into the syringe, Cole sat silently on the chair, unwilling to remove his shirt for the injection.

    “Don’t let fear decide for you, Cole. We can’t afford to stop this treatment,” Elliana said sincerely. “You’ve seen how happy your grandfather and father are because of your gradual recovery. If you stopped now, their joy would turn to heartbreak, and that pain would be too much for them to bear.”

    Lifting his eyes to meet hers, Cole asked gently, “And what about you?” Did her goal of his recovery dominate her mind, or did she silently worry that he would soon forget her?

    Elliana’s response was steady. “What I want most is for you to be healthy, Cole. If you rpsed and ended up hurting yourself again, it would break my heart.”

    Cole said nothing after that. He slowly undid his shirt and slid it down from his shoulders.

    Elliana moved closer with the syringe in hand, noticing the tension etched on his face and the sadness in his eyes. “I’ve told you before, the second shot won’t have much effect on your memory. You can rx today,” she said gently.

    With that, she injected the medication into his body and then removed the syringe.

    Cole reached for his shirt, slipping it back on and carefully fastening each button. Then, all of a sudden, he asked, “Elliana, was our wedding day also your twentieth birthday?”

    “That’s right,” she answered as she started packing up her medical supplies. “That day, I had meant to remove that unattractive disguise and let my real face show, but the whole mysterious marriage registration caught me off guard, so I kept the awful makeup on until now.”

    A memory surfaced in Cole’s mind. The day they officially registered as husband and wife was her eighteenth birthday. When they discovered that and decided to hold the wedding, it happened to be their second anniversary. Although they had legally been married for two years, neither had ever celebrated their anniversary. He found that rather sad.

    “Elliana, has anyone ever done anything special for your birthday?” Cole asked.

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    Elliana shook her head slightly. “Nobody ever has. After my mother disappeared, no one has celebrated my birthday. Every year, I spend it alone.”

    “I know what that feels like,” Cole remarked. Even with the Evans family beingrge and Ruben caring for him, he never found joy in birthday parties. His mother had vanished without a trace, and his father was hardly ever around. As the only child in a broken family, he often felt like an orphan. Birthdays always seemed lonely and difficult.

    Elliana snapped the lid closed on her medical kit and faced him.

    Cole rose from his seat, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her hair. “Elliana, let me be the one to celebrate your birthday with you. Since it’s also our wedding anniversary, we can make both days special together.”

    Elliana nodded softly. “Alright.”

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