Would he blame himself for what happened back then? But he misunderstood her intentions and chose to run away. She even doubted whether Ethan Brooks had heard the second half of her sentence. Over the past ten years, Alice Grant had searched for him countless times, but she had never been able to find him. Was it her method that was wrong back then?

She just wanted to give Ethan Brooks a push, to motivate him to strive forward, not to get distracted, and to wait until after graduation to talk about love—there was still plenty of time.

Alice Grant's thoughts drifted back to an ordinary day fifteen years ago, a day so similar to today. That year, Alice Grant was only a junior in high school, and just like today, she was stopped on the street by three young thugs. But Alice Grant knew their background. They had ruined the innocence of countless high school girls, and because one of their fathers was a police chief, the three of them had always gotten away with it. It wasn't until three years later, when she was already in college, that they were finally arrested.

If it hadn't been for Ethan Brooks, Alice Grant couldn't imagine what would have happened. At that time, it was also Ethan Brooks who happened to pass by and rushed up to stop the three of them. He didn't even get a good look at Alice Grant's face, just told her to leave first.

Alice Grant hid nearby and saw with her own eyes as this student named Ethan Brooks single-handedly took down all three. Only then did she think to go and talk to Ethan Brooks, but by then he had already disappeared without a trace.

From then on, Alice Grant kept thinking about this Ethan Brooks. She never expected that two years later, he would actually get into the same university as her. It was only then that Alice Grant learned his name, and she had been quietly caring about him ever since. What surprised Alice Grant even more was that Ethan Brooks actually came to ask her out with a bouquet of roses.

That was when Alice Grant became truly angry. She knew how hard things were for Ethan Brooks—he was an orphan, even his tuition was scraped together bit by bit, and he had to save on food every day. To avoid hurting Ethan Brooks's pride, Alice Grant had always helped him in secret, though her own family's situation wasn't great either.

Because Alice Grant knew Ethan Brooks's circumstances so well, she was furious at his gesture and lost her temper on the spot. If he wanted to ask her out, he could have just come and called her—this bouquet of roses must have cost a lot, enough to cover his meals for a whole month.

The words Alice Grant said in anger were very hurtful. She wanted to use them to provoke Ethan Brooks, to make him stop focusing on this. When she said there was still plenty of time, she thought Ethan Brooks would understand.

But after Ethan Brooks left, Alice Grant regretted it. She felt that what she said was too harsh. Even if she wanted to push him, she shouldn't have said such hurtful things. Afraid that Ethan Brooks would overthink, she immediately went to look for him, wanting to explain herself, to tell him that wasn't what she meant. She was poor herself—she would never use such words to hurt someone who had helped her.

But Ethan Brooks never returned to the dormitory; instead, he left this bustling metropolis altogether.

This matter had weighed on Alice Grant's heart ever since, gnawing at her. She wasn't a harsh person, so she felt she owed Ethan Brooks, even to the point that he hadn't even finished his studies because of her. She had picked that bouquet of roses out of the trash and kept it ever since. Though it had long since withered, it had become Alice Grant's most treasured possession.

Maybe it was because of this comparison that, after entering society, she always felt that the men who pursued her were always lacking something compared to Ethan Brooks. Maybe it was psychological, but she had never married, always searching for Ethan Brooks. She didn't know if she would fall in love with him if she found him, but she felt she should at least give him a chance.

Because of this persistence, she waited ten years.

But she never expected that after ten years, she would meet him here. All she could do was cry; she didn't know what to say. But immediately, she began to worry for Ethan Brooks, because she knew who the man blocking her was—his father was the infamous "Poison Wolf" of the Beijiang underworld.

"Kill him for me, I'll take care of the rest." The young man suddenly pulled out a gun, shouting as he did so.

Ethan Brooks's eyes turned cold. He even had a gun—clearly not an ordinary person. How could a normal person carry a gun on the street? Without hesitation, he snatched the gun from the young man.

Before Ethan Brooks could even aim the gun at the youth, he sensed danger. The gun was pointed at him, and he sensed the threat instantly—a kind of instinct. Normally, Ethan Brooks would have dodged immediately, but this time he didn't dare. If he dodged, Alice Grant behind him would surely be shot.

In that moment of hesitation, the gun went off. Ethan Brooks was shot three times.

With a self-mocking smile, Ethan Brooks never expected that at the moment of his death, he would see the woman he had never been able to forget. Raising the gun in his hand, several shots rang out, and none of the young man and the three who shot at him survived.

Holding Ethan Brooks as he collapsed in her arms, Alice Grant could no longer contain her grief. After searching for ten years, all she found was a corpse. Only then did she realize that Ethan Brooks was the one she truly needed.

She took off a jade pendant from around her neck and placed it on Ethan Brooks, held him tightly, and without hesitation, picked up the gun in Ethan Brooks's hand and pulled the trigger on herself.