Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 368: Heartbreaking, yet so beautiful…

When Vanessa woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.

Her first reaction was pure confusion.

As she sat up in bed, she instinctively pressed her hand to her forehead, frowning. “Ugh, my head hurts. What happened?”

As that thought crossed her mind, her memories slowly started to come back.

“I remember… there was fog… and someone with red eyes?”

In that instant, a chill ran down Vanessa’s spine.

Oh no, this time she might’ve really been kidnapped!

But then, something struck her as odd.

In her mind, if someone successfully kidnapped you, wouldn’t they tie you up and throw you in a dark room for a few days?

This kidnapper didn’t even bother to restrict her movements?

Wow, that’s bold.

As she thought about it, she climbed out of bed and noticed a pair of soft slippers by the side. She slipped them on and walked out of the room.

And that’s when she realized—this kidnapper must be seriously loaded.

Once the daughter of a wealthy family herself, Vanessa could tell at a glance that this was a penthouse duplex. From the window, she could even see the Sky Tree. The price of a place in this area? Yeah, that was way beyond anything she could comprehend right now.

Then, she noticed another room nearby, its door slightly ajar with light spilling out.

Vanessa swallowed nervously, her guard up, and quietly crept toward it.

Just as she reached the doorway, she heard a familiar tune—one she knew all too well.

“Eyes full of sorrow, trembling endlessly…”

“I’m all alone in this world…”

“In the ever-fading spring…”

“Every year, I only feel the cold…”

Vanessa’s eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.

It was Shadows of Spring.

But something was off. While she recognized the voice, the instruments weren’t right. This wasn’t Shadows of Spring by VibraMyst.

Wait a second…

Before she could fully process it, her hand had already pushed the door open.

Inside was a bedroom, and sitting at a computer desk, completely absorbed in what he was watching, was Ethan.

Wait, had she mistaken him for a kidnapper again?

But she didn’t have time to dwell on that. Her attention was locked on the glowing computer screen.

On the screen was what looked like a stage from The Pulse, and under the spotlight, singing, was her former best friend, Elise.

It wasn’t just Elise. Vanessa also saw Zara and Sophia, along with two other girls she didn’t recognize.

Was this… a new band?

Her sudden entrance startled Ethan, who had been completely engrossed in the video. Almost instinctively, his right hand flew to the pause button, while his left hand quickly switched the screen to a blank search page.

There was only one person who could make him react like that—Vanessa. And when he turned around, he saw her storming toward him, clearly furious.

Ethan immediately knew that Vanessa had figured out what he’d been watching.

His heart skipped a beat, but he tried to play it cool.

“Nessa, you’re awake! Why didn’t you call out or something?”

But she wasn’t having any of it. She marched right up to him, staring him down.

“What was that Shadows of Spring just now?”

Wow, straight to the point.

Her bluntness threw Ethan off, and he started to panic a little. He hadn’t even come up with an excuse yet.

He never expected Vanessa to wake up this soon. He figured she’d be out until at least tomorrow.

As for why he was listening to Shadows of Spring? Well, it was music time, and he was just listening to a song that hit him in the feels. What was wrong with that?

“Don’t even think about lying to me!”

Vanessa’s cold voice cut him off before he could say anything.

Ethan’s face immediately showed a hint of fear.

Ethan thought to himself, I haven’t even said anything yet, how do you already know I’m trying to make up an excuse?

Seeing that he had nothing to say, Vanessa immediately decided to take matters into her own hands. She reached for the mouse, but Ethan quickly grabbed her hand.

“Wait!”

“Wait for what?”

“This isn’t right!”

“I don’t think so.”

It was obvious that Vanessa was getting a bit worked up. When Ethan grabbed one of her hands, she immediately reached out with the other. And when both of her hands were caught, she started to struggle, completely unfazed by the physical contact between them.

This gave Ethan a headache.

In the next moment, he stood up, spun around, and gently but firmly pushed Vanessa down into the chair.

“Nessa, calm down!”

Vanessa, now held by the shoulders, stared at Ethan with a complicated expression. I’ve been calm this whole time. You’re the one freaking out, okay!?

Seeing that Vanessa seemed to have cooled off a bit, Ethan finally let go of her shoulders. He scratched his head in frustration and tried to reason with her. “I really think you shouldn’t watch this. You won’t want to know what it is.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Vanessa’s gaze was unwavering, filled with determination.

Since Ethan didn’t have a memory-wiping device on hand, he eventually gave up. He sighed and looked at her. “Honestly, it’s not a big deal if I tell you. But are you really ready to know the truth?”

Seeing him relent, Vanessa’s stance softened a little. She nodded firmly.

“I’m ready.”

“If that’s the case, then go ahead. This is the truth you wanted.”

Ethan clicked the mouse, and the video resumed from where it had paused.

“Even knowing hope is futile…”

“I still keep searching for redemption…”

“Heartbreaking, yet so beautiful…”

“Maybe now, I finally understand…”

As Vanessa watched what seemed to be a recording of a performance, her eyes locked onto the stage where Elise was singing. In that moment, her heart clenched painfully.

As the song continued, the camera angle shifted, and Vanessa spotted someone familiar in the audience.

Wait, was that Kylie?

But what she saw next was what truly left her at a loss.

Vanessa saw a figure from behind, standing next to Kylie. It was her own silhouette.

In that instant, she felt like she was spiraling into confusion. A whirlwind of emotions tangled inside her, making her chest tighten with pain.

She couldn’t understand—if she had been at this performance, why didn’t she remember any of it?

But more than that, the fact that the band on stage wasn’t VibraMyst, and that they were performing Shadows of Spring without all five original members, hit her even harder. Her fingers twisted together, trembling.

She couldn’t help but think back to the time that had once been the happiest, most beautiful part of her life.

The people on stage were shining, but she could no longer stand there with them.

Just like the hand she saw herself reaching out and then pulling back on the screen, it was a past she could never return to.

The weak version of herself seemed to come alive again in that moment.

Vanessa watched as the version of herself on screen ran out of The Pulse concert hall, crying. And the emotions that her on-screen self felt were exactly what she was feeling now.

Her shoulders shook, and at some point, tears had already started streaming down her face.

When the video ended, she unconsciously pulled her legs up, curling into the chair, hugging her knees, and sinking into a long, heavy silence.

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