Chapter 426

The Polaroid photo that had been lying quietly in the drawer last night was now gone.

It was the only solace he had carried with him for years, the thing that had gotten him through countless dark moments.

In the entire Roland household, only two people could freely enter this study—himself and her.

Adrian Roland slowly lifted his gaze, his piercing eyes locking onto Stella Valentine standing at the door.

She instinctively clenched the hem of her shirt, afraid he would demand the photo back. Preemptively, she asked, "Do you need my help?"

"No."

After knowing each other for over a decade, he could read every micro-expression of hers.

Her forced composure was utterly transparent to him.

But he didn’t want her to know he still kept memories of her, either. He moved to the bed with deliberate slowness, his movements painfully sluggish.

Stella held her breath as she carefully supported his cast-bound leg, terrified of causing further injury. Only when she was sure he was settled did she exhale. "Rest first. I’ll go take a shower."

"Go be with the kids." He deliberately lowered his voice, trying to sound cold. But half-propped against the headboard, he only looked fragile.

Her shirt was still dripping, yet she stubbornly shook her head. "They’re already asleep."

"There are plenty of guest rooms."

"I’m afraid of the dark."

The excuse made Adrian’s breath hitch. If only she had said those words on their wedding night.

He suddenly met her eyes, his voice rough. "Do you know what that means?"

"I’ve always been afraid of the dark. You know that." She held his gaze, refusing to back down.

A silent standoff ended when Stella leaned over to tuck him in. As she turned to leave, she heard the faint sound of fabric tearing—his fingers were clenched tightly around the sheets.

In the children’s room, the three little ones slept soundly. Stella quietly fetched her pajamas, her heart aching as she looked at their innocent faces. If she couldn’t fix things this time…

The shower stopped soon after. When she returned to the bedroom, Adrian was already asleep. His thick lashes cast shadows under the bedside lamp, his breathing steady like a child’s.

She slipped into the empty half of the bed. This contradictory man—harsh words on his lips, yet he’d left the covers ready for her.

Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, outlining his gaunt frame. Unable to resist, Stella turned onto her side, studying the face that was both familiar and foreign. Prison had hollowed his cheeks and drained the color from his lips.

Her fingers hovered over his brow before gently smoothing out the crease there. "I’m sorry."

The man who should have been deep asleep opened his eyes in the dark.

He had wanted to say those words for so long. But between them lay too much blood and too many tears—even an apology couldn’t find the right moment.

The scent of jasmine lingered in the air as he wearily closed his eyes again.

In a daze, he dreamed of standing in the foyer in his school uniform. His grandfather sipped tea while reminding him to be careful, his mother stuffing star candies into his backpack. "Give these to little Stella."

Even his usually stern father smiled and said, "Don’t make her cry again."