"Madison, you can't die, if you die... what am I going to do? Spend my life alone in loneliness?"
He couldn't abandon her, especially after all that she had been through.
Marrying her, making her happy, was a responsibility he had to bear.
The shirt on Mark Reed's chest was soaked through from her scorching tears, burning into his heart, enveloping him in unbearable guilt.
If she hadn't met him, she might have been happier. He owed her too much, too much, only a lifetime could repay it.
Valentine Teller... silently reciting the name that had turned a thousand times in his heart.
In the end, he could only pass her by, companionship for a lifetime was just an elusive dream.
The love for her could only continue to be buried in his heart, covered by the dust of time.
The woman in front of him needed his love, needed his care and protection more.
Mark Reed held Madison Barton's frail shoulder.
He couldn't bear to let her carry so much pain alone; he had to share it with her.
