CHAPTER 183: CHAPTER 183: AWAKE BUT DULL

After the National Day holiday, autumn began in Beldon.

After Holly was discharged from the hospital, she spent most of her time recuperating at Glynmere.

Aside from a brief trip back to Port Kallow, she rarely went out.

She found the Mutton Fat Jade Pendant in a suitcase in the attic of her old home.

It seemed like everything had come full circle.

Director Lennon told her that when she was rescued from the river back then, she had a persistent high fever and was in a daze, but she tightly held onto the necklace around her neck and wouldn’t let go no matter how hard they tried.

Later, she recovered and was lively again, but she couldn’t remember anything from those two months of summer vacation.

She and Teacher Crowe later went to pray to Buddha, thinking that perhaps it was destiny; the things that were unclear and unpleasant should be forgotten completely.

So they put away all the things related to her illness, including the pendant.

They thought forgetting was the end, but who could have predicted that fate would turn and entwine them together again.

Since marrying Blake Sinclair, they were not unaware of the voices online.

Coupled with this accident, although nothing was said, Holly could sense their worry and concern.

Several times, they subtly suggested, "If it’s too tiring, maybe it’s better to let go."

Holly didn’t respond directly; she just said she’d wait until he woke up.

After Blake’s condition stabilized, he was transferred from the hospital back to Sinclair Manor to recover.

Laurel Sinclair took on the burden of the Sinclair Group alone, while it was rumored that Sebastian Shaw frequently appeared at Sinclair Tower under the guise of cooperation, with unclear intentions.

Holly had promised Sinclair she would visit Sinclair Manor twice a week.

The little one seemed to have grown up overnight.

Knowing that his uncle was ill, he would always lie by the bedside, talking about what happened at kindergarten during the day, as if that could awaken his sleeping uncle.

Every time she looked at the man asleep on the bed, Holly felt a mix of emotions.

The scars on his face gradually faded, and he still looked elegant, but the familiar sense of distance was stronger than ever before.

Several times, she was in a trance, thinking she saw the young boy who used to sit in a wheelchair.

No one knew when he would wake up.

Perhaps next year, or perhaps as soon as tomorrow.

The day Blake Sinclair woke up, Holly was at Glynmere, helping Director Lennon sort the seasonal wardrobe.

Her phone rang; it was a call from Laurel Sinclair.

When she heard the crying yet crystal-clear voice on the other end saying, "Holly, Blake is awake!" the short-sleeved shirt she was about to put away got mixed in with the autumn clothes.

Her mind went blank, her eyes welled up with tears.

The string that had been tense for so long finally relaxed.

Director Lennon, seeing her expression, guessed most of what had happened.

She quietly took the short-sleeved shirt from the pile of autumn clothes, folded it neatly, and put it back in the summer wardrobe.

"In the evening, your dad and I are taking a crochet class at the senior university, so I won’t prepare dinner for you; do whatever you like."

The road from Glynmere to Sinclair Manor was very familiar to Holly.

But this time, she turned on the navigation.

Auntie Ward was already waiting at the door, and as soon as she saw Holly’s car, she happily shouted inside, "She’s here, she’s here! Holly’s here!"

Holly almost ran upstairs, where she found Laurel Sinclair waiting at the door, who immediately hugged her tightly when she arrived.

Holly hugged her back, patting her back to comfort her.

She understood this fear; they were both afraid that the person on the bed would never wake up.

Laurel Sinclair wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand and looked at Holly, "Holly, you... need to be prepared."

Holly didn’t understand what she meant.

Until she opened that door.

The room was draped with sheer curtains, and sunlight streamed in through them.

Blake Sinclair was half-sitting on the bed, covered with a thin blanket, his complexion still pale but able to sit steadily.

Little Sinclair was lying by the bedside, his little head leaning close, curiously watching him.

Hearing the door open, Blake Sinclair lifted his head and looked over.

Those incredibly familiar amber eyes, which always held a hint of a smile, even when he was angry, and hid a sense of indulgence towards her.

But at that moment, those eyes were devoid of any emotion, calm and unruffled.

That calmness wasn’t the usual steadiness, but a kind of alienation, and even a hint of obvious caution when looking at her.

Just this one glance made Holly’s heart clench.

She instinctively took half a step back, her thumb unconsciously rubbing the ring on her ring finger.

As if that could give her support.

"Auntie,"

Little Sinclair got up from the bedside and ran over to grab her hand, his little brows furrowed, "Uncle got dumb. He doesn’t recognize me or mom anymore."

Blake Sinclair had lost his memory.

His memories were stuck at before the age of seven, a time entirely spent at the Sinclair family ancestral hall.

Therefore, he was filled with instinctive distrust and wariness towards everything around him.

He had forgotten the life at Sinclair Manor, forgotten Laurel Sinclair, forgotten Little Sinclair, and forgotten her, forgotten everything about their past.

The doctor who arrived later conducted a thorough examination on him and concluded that the amnesia was likely a result of a severe impact that caused neural damage, along with a brain hematoma.

As for when his memories might return, it was uncertain; it could be soon or take a long time.

After the examination, Blake Sinclair seemed to be exhausted and fell into a deep sleep again.

Holly stood by the bed, looking at his sleeping face, with the glance he gave her earlier still on her mind.

Fate, it really knows how to play tricks on people.

When the car returned to the building at Glynmere, she saw Director Lennon and Teacher Crowe standing at the entrance of the unit, clearly waiting for a long time.

Seeing her car, they quickly pretended to be just returning from the senior university.

Holly knew they were worried about her and didn’t expose them. She parked the car, went upstairs with them, and briefly explained Blake Sinclair’s situation.

Director Lennon stayed silent for a long time after hearing this, her expression heavy.

Eventually, she just patted Holly’s hand, speaking earnestly, "For some things, you should let go when it’s time; don’t make things too hard for yourself."

Holly understood the deeper meaning behind her words.

The autumn chill was deepening, and the night breeze carried a coolness, stirring the curtains and revealing the divorce papers on the desk.

That morning, the senior university organized a three-day, two-night autumn tour group activity, and Director Lennon and Teacher Crowe had left early.

Holly was home alone, lazing in bed until noon before ordering takeout.

When the knock on the door sounded, she slipped into her slippers and opened the door, "Thank you..."

Before finishing her sentence, she stopped short upon seeing who stood outside.

The person standing outside wasn’t the familiar delivery guy in a blue helmet.

Blake Sinclair, dressed in a crisp, dark, long trench coat, stood tall at her doorstep.

However, incongruously with his attire, he was holding a takeout bag of spicy hotpot.

He handed the takeout over, "I ran into the delivery guy downstairs, and since it was for the same floor, I offered to bring it up."

"Oh, thank you," Holly said as she took the takeout and thanked him.

This scene was reminiscent of the time back at Lunar Lotus Studio when she had period pains and ordered takeout. When she opened the door, it was also him standing there.

"You’re welcome."

He nodded slightly, glancing over her face, "May I come in?"

His request was straightforward.

Holly paused for a moment, then stepped aside, "Please come in."