Falling for the Goddess

A Token of Gratitude? That's Not Enough

After Sara Hart fell asleep, Adrian Blake dealt with some pressing matters related to his business.

As he returned to the bedroom, the bedside lamp cast a warm, golden glow. He paused when he saw Sara silently shedding tears in her sleep.

The sight of her crying even in her dreams tightened a vice around his heart.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, her breathing uneven, and the tears streaming down her face didn't stop. Adrian quietly approached and gently woke her.

Sara opened her eyes, her gaze clouded with a mix of confusion and sadness, and for a moment, she seemed to look right through him, as if lost in another world.

"What did you just say?" Adrian asked, catching the faint murmur that escaped her lips.

Sara's consciousness slowly returned. She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Then why are you crying?" he asked, his fingers gently brushing away the tears trailing down her face.

She had dreamed about high school again—about the first time she had met him.

In her dream, she hadn't yet heard what he said before she woke up.

She rarely dreamed about those years, but tonight, the past replayed vividly in her mind.

"I... I was just thinking about my grandmother."

Adrian stiffened. He had known that Sara had been raised by her grandmother and had heard her mention her in passing, but this was the first time he felt the depth of her sorrow.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. "Can't sleep?"

"No."

"Then tell me about your childhood," he suggested softly, holding her close.

Sara leaned against his chest, drawing warmth from him. His presence had always been a guiding light, piercing through her darkest days, giving her direction and strength when she had none.

He had been her only beacon in a life shrouded in fog and darkness.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, her voice gentle and subdued.

"When I was four or five, my parents divorced. One was too focused on building their career, and the other chased their dreams. I became an inconvenience, someone neither wanted to take with them."

Adrian's grip on her tightened ever so slightly.

"So, I grew up with my grandmother in South City. Even though my parents weren't around, she gave me everything I needed. I was happy there..." Sara's voice softened. "Until she passed away. That's when I came to Beicheng. You already know what my high school years were like. But eventually, I found a reason to push forward, and I stopped letting people bully me."

She paused and turned to look at Adrian.

"What is it?" he asked, meeting her gaze.

Sara took a deep breath, as if summoning the courage to say something important.

"Back then I—"

Before she could finish, her phone vibrated, cutting her off and scattering her resolve.

The courage she had painstakingly gathered dissipated in an instant.

Her phone's screen lit up with the name "Ethan Brown."

Adrian glanced at the screen, his expression unreadable.

"I'll take this," Sara said nervously, picking up the call.