The moment he saw that message, all his exhaustion vanished. Finally! John rushed to the edge of the hospital garden. It was the perfect season—flowers in full bloom, their colors vibrant and lively. But amidst the sea of blossoms, a single figure in white stole all of John’s attention. She stood there, draped in a flowing white dress, a vision of purity among the riot of colors. She looked as if she had wandered into the mortal world by mistake, an ethereal being untouched by time. She did nothing but stand there, yet the flowers at her feet seemed to dim in her presence. Though she had her back to him, John recognized her instantly. Renee. Even after ten years, she hadn’t changed. She was still the same as the first time he met her—aloof from the world, untouched by filth, pure and beautiful. John was entranced. He stared, unable to move, until she sensed his presence and turned around. She looked startled by his sudden appearance. “Johnny?” Hearing that voice, seeing the face he had longed for day and night, John—nearly fifty years old—couldn’t hold back his tears. His lips trembled as he whispered, “Renee…” Then, he lost all restraint. He rushed forward in just a few steps and pulled Renee into his arms, holding her in a crushing embrace. How many nights had he dreamed of her? The gentle smile, the soft voice always thinking of him. He had thought he’d lost her forever. But she wasn’t dead. She was alive. And he still had a chance to see her again. When he first found out she was alive, he had been so overwhelmed that he couldn’t sleep for days. He had desperately wanted to see her, but back then, Zac had told him she didn’t want to. That one sentence had broken his heart.But now—now she was here. She was real, warm in his arms, just like she had been ten years ago. Renee gritted her teeth and endured his embrace, forcing herself to stay still. It took everything in her to suppress her disgust. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, John loosened his grip. His hand trembled as he reached out, brushing his fingers against her cheek. “It’s really you… This isn’t a dream. It’s really you…” John’s voice was full of emotion, but Renee was already on the verge of breaking down. She had barely managed to endure the hug, and now he was touching her face?! She quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it away before she lost control. “Johnny, it’s me.” If she slipped up now, everything she had carefully planned would go to waste. John felt her soft fingers holding his, and his heart ached. “Renee, why didn’t you come back all these years? You could’ve sent me a message, anything! Do you know how much I missed you? I almost went crazy thinking about you!” A flicker of something unreadable passed through Renee’s eyes before she gave him a sorrowful smile. “Back then, I didn’t want to drag you down. I… I planned to end my life, but someone saved me.” She gazed into the distance, as if lost in memories. “I was unconscious for days. And when I woke up… I saw that you had already taken Zac in.” Her expression grew even more pitiful, delicate and tragic in her white dress. “I wanted to come back to you. I really did. But then… I saw…” Her voice trailed off, as if she couldn’t bear to continue. John’s heart clenched. “What did you see?” he asked anxiously. She had come back to find them? Why didn’t he know about this? If he had known—if he had known—he would have never let her leave. He wouldn’t have suffered through all these years of longing! Renee hesitated for a long moment before finally whispering, “I saw you and Raelynn… holding Zac’s hand… smiling so happily.” She took a deep breath, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You looked like a real family. I thought… maybe without me, you’d be better off.” John’s chest tightened painfully. He had never imagined that he had unintentionally hurt her so deeply. Guilt flooded him. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to give Renee everything he had—to make up for the pain she had endured. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Renee’s sorrow deepened. “But I never thought that after entrusting Zac to you… you would go around telling people he was your illegitimate child.” The words barely left her lips before she broke down, covering her face as she sobbed. Her frail shoulders trembled with every cry, making John’s heart twist in agony.