Alexander looked up and saw Walter above him.


    He raised his hand, signaling the sniper to stop.


    Walter stepped back, looking down at Quinn with mockery in his eyes.


    The mountain wind tousled his hair, partially hiding a face filled with despair.


    Walter said, "Take your sins and stay with Alexander."


    Realizing what was happening, Quinn knelt, panic spreading. She tried to stand but couldn''t.


    She crawled towards Lucas, struggling. "No."


    Walter watched her,ughing sadly.


    "All these years, I''ve been a joke. I searched for my enemy for twenty years, gave up everything to infiltrate the Kennedy family to repay Henry for adopting me. But Quinn, you''re the real Mellon."


    Quinn looked at him, tears blurring her vision. She couldn''t see Walter clearly but heard the sadness and disappointment in his voice.


    "Since you love him so much, the Mellon grudge isn''t worth avenging."


    He retreated to the cliff''s edge.


    Quinn shook her head frantically. "No, Lucas. I was wrong. Please, don''t leave me. Please."


    She used all her strength to crawl towards him, almost reaching him.


    Walter watched her. Just as she was about to touch him, he fell backward off the cliff.


    Quinn grasped at nothing.


    As he fell, Quinn''s heart sank.


    "Lucas!"


    Her desperate voice echoed through the valley, making Kyle below look up sharply.


    Quinny at the cliff''s edge, the echo fading, with no response.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The sky darkened, and the bottom of the cliff was shrouded in darkness.


    How disappointed he must have been to jump, leaving her with a lifetime of guilt and regret.


    She became aplete sinner.


    From now on, she''d live in self-me and regret, never finding peace.


    This was Walter''s punishment for her.


    Quinn''s gaze lost focus, her face showing numb defeat as she struggled to get up.


    There was nothing left for her in this world.


    Memories shed through her mind. An afternoon from her childhood. Shey on a small boat in the backyard lotus pond, with lush lotus leaves overhead, dragonfliesnding on the budding lotuses, and the sound of cicadas filled the air. Lucas sat beside her, gently fanning her. When she wanted lotus seeds, he picked them for her, peeled them, and ced them in her mouth.


    Her brothers joked, "What would you do without Lucas? Starve?"


    She retorted, "Henry and Sophia said Lucas will always be with me."


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    She turned to Lucas, "Am I right?"


    Lucas smiled, cing a lotus seed in her mouth, gently saying, "Yes."


    Quinn clutched her chest, pain spreading from her heart to her entire body.


    She found it hard to breathe, gasping for air, and took a step towards the cliff.


    Quinn closed her eyes, facing the fierce mountain wind, and fell forward.


    But then, she was pulled back by a force, falling heavily to the ground.


    Quinn opened her eyes and saw Alexander above her.


    She froze, then raised her hand to push him away. As her palm pressed against his chest, she felt hot liquid flow down her fingertips, onto her hand, and into her sleeve.


    It felt like a bug crawling along her skin, apanied by the overwhelming smell of blood.


    She didn''t stop. Even though she knew it was his wound, she used all her strength to push him.


    But his hand on her shoulder didn''t budge, even though his blood stained her entire hand.