Chapter 1909
Chapter 1909
The bone-piercing cold of the morgue was a constant reminder that it was not a world made for the living. Bella and Justin stood in the shadowy doorway, allowing Ryan to see Yasmin for the last time.
Under a snow-white sheet, Yasmin's face was devoid of any color but still radiated a mesmerizing beauty.
She lay peacefully with her eyes closed, her lips curving slightly as if she were having a sweet dream, one that she would never wake up from. Ryan hung his head solemnly. The chill in the room was an invisible weight that threatened to overwhelm his already-burdened spirit.
His throat tightened as he delicately traced the graceful curve of her lips with trembling fingertips.
He could not understand why she was smiling as she left this world.
She had been shot in the abdomen and had fallen from such a height. Her bones had been shattered. It was unbearable to try to imagine the pain she went through.
Most girls feared pain. Was she in pain?
"You know... Your smile is so beautiful. Why didn't I see you smile more often?" Ryan murmured, asking earnestly as if seeking an answer from the person lying still in front of him.
"Yasmin, smile for me one more time."
"Stand outside the door again and wait for me to come home."
"Call me 'Mr. Hoffman' one more time."
Bella could no longer bear to watch any longer. She covered her face with both hands and leaned into Justin's embrace, crying silently.
Justin held her trembling shoulders, and his chin rested on her head. His dry lips opened and closed, but no sound came out.
At that moment, footsteps approached from behind.
Ralph walked in with a sorrowful expression, holding a small box in his hand. The couple silently stepped aside, letting him pass.
"Ryan, please accept my condolences."
Ralph stood behind the man's solemn figure and whispered, "These are Yasmin's belongings that I've organized. Take them with you when you leave later."
Ryan felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen as he turned around slowly.NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.
Other girls usually carried lipstick, face powder, and hair ties when they went out.
However, Yasmin did not carry anything other than her phone and a hidden dagger on her person-Ryan knew this was not for self-defense but rather to protect him and Carrie.
Ryan lowered his swollen eyelids, and his lips trembled as he took out the blood-stained cross.
Its icy touch spread through his palm and flooded his lungs with excruciating pain. It stiffened his body.
He had given her the cross as a lucky charm to keep her safe. Yet, it wasn’t until this moment that he suddenly understood—Yasmin was his lucky charm.
She had sacrificed herself to keep him and Carrie safe.
The funeral arrangements for Logan and Yasmin, the turbulent stock price of the Hoffman Group, the stalled projects, and Zoe’s subsequent punishment—all these matters came crashing down at once, but with the help of the Salvadores, everything was taken care of smoothly.
Steven and Ian, leading the PR departments of the KS Group and the Salvador Corporation, respectively, worked overnight to thoroughly delete all online videos related to this tragedy.
Meanwhile, Bella and Justin did this to prevent themselves from seeing videos of Carrie’s abuse on the internet.
Carrie had also woken up and gradually recovered from the mental shock.
However, they did not stop public opinion from brewing. This time, they wanted to unite the entire nation to punish those irredeemably wicked people.
[I am a former classmate of Carrie from middle school! Zoe’s group bullied Carrie throughout middle school. I was timid back then and didn’t dare to stop their evil deeds. But today, I hope to speak up for Carrie. If needed, I can testify against Zoe and that scumbag! They deserve the worst death!]
[I am also from that school. I can testify too!]
[In high school, Zoe was a bully who abused power! I once witnessed a girl accidentally stepping on her newly bought shoes and getting slapped five or six times in a row!]
[Does Jason think he can get away with it?! Rape, illegal detention, intentional injury—these are multiple crimes that should be punished together. He needs to face the music!]
[His own son committed such an outrageously immoral act, yet Mayor Solloway still wants to run for the election? He should be put out to pasture, although that would be too kind to him!]