When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 265

“When two people who just aren’t meant to be together are forced to stay together, no one ends up happy. Carrie, you can’t just think about yourself. It isn’t fair to make your mom and dad miserable, do you understand?”

Carrie let out a shaky sob and started crying all over again. Sheila, having finally gotten all her frustration out, realized she might have gone a little too far. She let go of Carrie’s hands and handed her another tissue. This time, Carrie just bolted, running for the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

Sheila knocked, her voice rising with worry. “Carrie… I know I was a little harsh just now, but you have to face reality at some point…” She fell silent. There was really nothing else to say. The way Carrie reacted made it clear she’d heard every word. She just needed time to process.

Sheila’s eyes grew colder as she sat back down. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Carrie unlocked the door and came back out. Her head was down, shoulders slumped, like she was carrying the weight of the world. Sheila reached over and gave her hair a gentle pat. This time, Carrie didn’t pull away.

*

After leaving the hospital, Nelly and Jonah headed straight to Nicholas’s estate. Midnight was the deadline. Nelly knew showing up without Ben wouldn’t be enough.

Jonah barely said a word the whole ride. He didn’t ask a single question. Even though Nelly had given him a quick rundown when she asked him to pick her up, she’d been pretty much off the grid while she was stuck in the underground city. It didn’t make sense for him to be so calm.

“Why aren’t you asking me anything?” Nelly finally asked, glancing over at him, suspicion creeping into her chest.

Jonah’s profile looked especially sharp in the shifting streetlights, his features almost mesmerizing.

“As long as you’re safe, nothing else matters,” Jonah said, his voice cool and steady. He turned his head, and his hand moved just enough that his fingers brushed against Nelly’s wrist, like it happened by accident.

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