“Nia!”
Facing the air, Kendrick shouted out Niamh’s name, but the only reply he got in return was the sound of the tree branches being blown by the night breeze.
‘Where are you, Nia?
‘Silly, your Kendrick is right here.’
Kendrick felt as if his heart was being set on fire where it was roasted, burning him.
At that moment, he heard a yell and the sound of someone falling on the ground from afar.
“Nia!”
Kendrick quickly headed over in the direction of the sound and saw it was Niamh who tripped over.
Not knowing the reason, she had run to the river behind the villa. Under the street lights, Kendrick could clearly see Niamh having fallen onto the ground.
Kendrick ran over to her. Niamh was trying her best to get up.
“Nia.”
He rushed over to her side at lightning speed and carried the woman who was fumbling.
The moment their skin touched, Kendrick could feel Niamh trembling in fear.
The moment she snapped out of it, she pushed Kendrick away again.
“Let me go! You’re Ryan’s lackey, right? He’s the one who ordered you to catch me back? What about my mom and dad? What did you guys do to them?”
Niamh kept pestering, her face pale and bloodless under the yellow street lights.
“Kendrick? Where’s Kendrick? He said he’s coming to get me. But why hasn’t he arrived even after I’ve waited for so long…” she muttered, then suddenly put on a terrified look.
“I know! It’s Ryan! It must be Ryan who did something to Kendrick! Kendrick…”
Niamh spun around anxiously, attempting to look for Kendrick.
Kendrick tried to suppress the hurt and mixed feelings within him. He then carried Niamh in his arms.
Niamh kept struggling. “Let me go!”
“Stop searching, Nia. Your Kendrick is right here.” Kendrick comforted patiently with a gentle tone. His hatred and anger toward Ryan were growing strong within him.
However, Niamh was still struggling with all she had. “You’re not my Kendrick. Kendrick has been captured by Ryan! You let go of me. I’ll go find Ryan. I’ll promise him not to run away again, as long he’s willing to let go of my parents and Kendrick!”
Niamh wanted to leave after she spoke. Seeing Kendrick was insisting on not letting her go, she got exasperated and raised her hand. Then, she slapped Kendrick hard across the face.
“Didn’t you hear me telling you to let go of me?!” Her face was dark with rage.
Kendrick turned his head away, enduring the searing pain on his face. His orbs were glittering as he felt sorry for Niamh.
He emphasized while grasping Niamh’s shoulder, “Nia, I’m Kendrick. Just look at me!”
“You’re not! Kendrick doesn’t look like this!” Feeling agitated, Niamh denied it.
“Yes, it’s me.” Kendrick looked into Niamh’s red and teary eyes, continuing to gently comfort her. “Nia, I’m your Kendrick. Ryan didn’t do anything to me. I’ll also never let him harm you again. We’re already at home.”
Niamh seemed to be dumbfounded after hearing what Kendrick said.
She stared at him for some time before shaking her head. “No, you’re lying.”
“Nia, I’m not lying to you,” said Kendrick as he took out an item from the pocket of his pajamas, presenting it to Niamh. “Look, Nia. This is the best proof that I’m Kendrick.”
Following his comment, Niamh fixed her gaze upon the item in Kendrick’s hands.
A thin layer of mist was shrouded in the moonlight, quietly shining on Niamh’s face that had suddenly become much more gentle.
At that moment, she was like a very quiet doll. She was quiet and obedient without moving an inch. Her eyes reflected the colorful rays.
“Kendrick.” Niamh raised her hand and took away the colorful but faded shell from Kendrick’s hand.
Her childhood memories were flashing in her mind vividly.
“This is the shell that I gave to Kendrick,” Niamh said softly, her emotions not as agitated as previously. “Why is it with you? So it’s true that you guys captured Kendrick, right? You stole it from him!”
Kendrick held Niamh’s cold hands. “Nia, this is the gift you gave to me as a token of love. I never gave it to anyone, and no one ever took it away from me, silly. Listen to me, I’m your Ken.”
Niamh’s eyes gleamed as she focused her gaze on Kendrick. She appeared to be in deep thought, and the more she thought about it, the more she frowned.
“Kendrick? You’re Kendrick? You’re really Kendrick?!” she muttered, raising her hand to touch Kendrick’s face.
The familiar, warm feeling traveled from her fingertips all the way to her heart. Niamh’s eyes looked much softer now, but at the same time, they still looked troubled.
“Why didn’t I manage to recognize you? How is it possible that I can’t even recognize you?”
Niamh was finding it hard to believe. At that point, she was sure that the man before her was the man she loved most.
Kendrick felt even more heartbroken when he saw her blaming herself.
“It’s not your fault, Nia. You’re just sick. When you’ve recovered, you’ll no longer have problems recognizing me.”
“I’m sick?” Niamh asked, feeling puzzled. It made her feel even worse. “What sort of illness will make me even fail to recognize you? Hiss…” She hit herself in the temple with a closed fist over and over. “What’s wrong with me? It’s so tormenting. Kendrick, it’s too hard for me…”
Kendrick was worried and hugged Niamh. “Don’t be like that, Nia. Don’t harm yourself.”
After feeling Kendrick’s concern for her, Niamh suddenly got anxious and struggled to free herself from his arms. She grabbed his elbows with both her hands and reminded him in an anxious tone. “Kendrick, quick, take me away! Ryan is a crazy guy. He’ll really do anything!
“Mom, Dad… He took control over my parents. Dad was shot by his men.”
“Everything’s fine, Nia. Mom and Dad are fine.” Kendrick quickly comforted her when he realized Niamh was starting to lose control over her emotions again.
“No, something is bound to happen. We have to leave, fast!” Feeling insecure, Niamh grabbed Kendrick’s hand. “Kendrick, let’s leave, quick!”
“Calm down, Nia, calm down!” Kendrick yanked her to his front again.
“Nia, Mom and Dad are safe now. Don’t be like that. Stop letting your thoughts run wild, Nia.”
He held onto her shoulders and embraced her fragile body that was being blown by the night breeze. He choked as his eyes reddened.
“It’s me who came too late. It’s me who didn’t protect you well and made you suffer so much, Nia.”
He touched her head, trying to calm her and stop her from breaking down.
However, Niamh remained agitated as if she did not hear what Kendrick was saying. She tried her best to break free from his arms and insisted on bringing him away.
“Stop saying all these, Kendrick. Let’s go! If Ryan sees you, he’ll kill you!”
“Nia.”
“Are you leaving or not?! You said you’ll listen to whatever I say, but why aren’t you going when I ask you to go?!”
Niamh suddenly lost control of her emotions as she roared, her red, teary eyes wide open.
“Fine! You’re not leaving right?! I’ll leave if you don’t want to!”
Exasperated, she shoved Kendrick’s hand and spun around. She was not even sure why she would behave so aggressively.
However, as soon as she turned around, Niamh stumbled and fell on her side as if her energy was being drained.
“Nia!” Kendrick sprinted ahead and grabbed hold of Niamh who had suddenly lost consciousness. “Nia, Nia!”
He called out to her anxiously, but Niamh was already unconscious.
Kendrick wrapped his arms around Niamh’s tiny waist and carried her before rushing back into the house.
Feeling Niamh’s icy cold body, Kendrick held her dearly and tried to transfer the warmth from his body to her.
That night, he dared not go to sleep as he was scared that Niamh might have another nightmare. He was afraid she might think of him as a bad guy and secretly run away.
When it was approaching dawn, Kendrick heard a commotion coming from outside. He went out and reminded Karen to keep an eye on Niamh if she woke up.
Karen was puzzled but still nodded and agreed. Just when she wanted to ask about the reason behind it, Kendrick had already spun around and returned to the room.
As Niamh was still sleeping, Kendrick could close his eyes to take a nap.
However, not long after he fell asleep, he started having nightmares. He dreamt that Niamh had escaped again and this made him jitter.
He suddenly woke up because of shock and realized the other half of the bed was empty.
“Nia.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.