Chapter 348
Chapter 348
"Which movie of mine do you want to watch? I'll watch it with you."
Izabella thought momentarily and finally picked a movie Casey had just starred in.
The film told the story of a not-so-smart young man with high athletic talent who was spotted by the national football team and went through all kinds of difficulties to win the championship final.
The plot was simple, but the setting was excellent. There was a shortage of such hot-blooded films in the market. Added to Casey's good acting skills, even Izabella, who originally had no interest in sports-themed films, found it fascinating. The film was worth watching over and over again in the cinema. It's no wonder it ranked first at the box office. It truly deserved it.
In the film, Casey's portrayal of a fool was very lifelike. Not only did it not annoy people, but it also seemed very cute. The film had set a lot of deeply moving plots.
Izabella was moved by such a scene in the film.
"Brother, I want to eat doughnuts. All my classmates have eaten them. Only I haven't. I want to try it."
"When I have money, I'll buy you lots of doughnuts."
...
"Bro, are you leaving? Will you come back after you leave? Can't you pick me up from home from now on? I want you to carry me on your back all the time."
"I have to go out and make money. Don't you want doughnuts?"
The scene changed. The brother got in the car, the sister ran after the car, her short little legs stumbled, and she fell to the ground. She sit on the floor and cried loudly, "I don't want doughnuts. I want my brother, come back and carry me. My foot hurts."
Izabella was so moved that she was crying all over her face. Her breathing was trembling. Casey noticed her abnormality. In the dim light, Izabella was huddled in the corner of the sofa, holding her knees curled up.
He had not known Izabella for a long time, but in his impression, Izabella was powerful. She was fearless on the stage, she could ignore the malice of others, and she was overly calm.
Sometimes Casey felt that Izabella had no feelings, like a cold-blooded animal.
But Izabella, at this moment, like the little girl in the movie, curled up on the side, crying secretly.
Casey was not good at comforting people. He brought water, fruits, and tissues to Izabella.
Izabella took the tissues.
Casey watched Izabella silently, the film continued to play, but both were not paying attention to the movie. He felt that Izabella had a lot of stories in her heart.
"Why are you crying?"
"Because I thought of some past events." Izabella looked at Casey's face and asked, "What is your relationship with Brett?"
"He calls my mom Auntie. I'm not close to him."
"Did you grow up in the Dempsey family?"
Casey frowned, "Are you doubting my background?"
"No, I just wonder why I've never seen you in J City. You just popped up these past two years." Izabella casually found an excuse. The two of them are not of the same social status. It's normal that they've never met before. Besides, when Izabella was in R City, the Dempsey family was in J City, and there was no connection between them.
Casey did not doubt whatever Izabella asked. He would answer seriously, "I only returned to the country in the past two years. My heart is not good. I have been treated abroad."
"Your heart is not good?" Izabella looked eager to explore, trying to find a flaw in Casey's face, but there was none.
Casey replied, "I was born with a heart disease."
Izabella suddenly asked, "In your memory, have you ever forgotten anything important?"
"Forget?" Casey shook his head, "Sometimes my memory is not good. I don't know if I have forgotten anything."
Could it be that Casey lost his memory? Izabella had been hypnotized by Brett before. She had no memory. She was like an idiot at that time and she believed whatever others told her.
But Casey's situation ewas different from hers.
"Have you ever broken your leg, for example? Have you ever been shot?"
"No, I've never had these injuries. Why are you asking these?"
The feeling of loss came instantly, like being splashed with cold water in the winter, freezing to the bone. Izabella stared at his left chest.
"What's wrong with you? Izabella, do you want to know about my past."
Izabella looked at Casey's moving lips. She suddenly leaned over and touched his face with her right hand, her thumb brushing against his canine tooth.
Ryker was a fool. Casey was not.
Ryker was an orphan who had always been in the country. Casey was not.
...
From all appearances, he’s not him. He looked similar. Just like "Bell Salotti" looked like "Izabella".
Is there a possibility that Ryker, like him, was reborn in someone else's body?
But why didn't he remember her?
Izabella was in a dilemma, as if she had stepped into a quagmire. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank.
She wanted to stay away from Casey but couldn't resist getting close to him.
Casey cared about her, but she had other thoughts, making their friendly relationship a bit impure.
Ryker...
--
" don't cry, I'll carry you home and give you doughnuts. this time you have to find your way home by yourself. I can't carry you anymore."
She wanted to see this face, open his mouth and call her "Cry Baby".
The person she had liked since she was seven years old. If she can't get him, she can't forget him. She regretted it all her life, even in death, it's a regret.
Izabella's sudden move made Casey stiff. He looked at Izabella's eyes. Deep in her eyes was sadness. She was looking at him, but it seemed like she was not looking at him.
Her cold hand was right next to his lips. The seemingly intimate action seemed so distant.
Izabella let go of her hand, shifted her gaze and rubbed the phone on the sofa. It was almost ten o'clock.
"I'm a bit sleepy."
"Then go upstairs and rest."
Izabella stood up. She slept in the second bedroom. Casey's room was next to hers.
"How early are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Seven o'clock."
"I'll see you off. Where are you going?" Casey asked.
Izabella nodded, "I'll just call a car to go."
Izabella's expression left Casey speechless. So, he nodded and let his assistant deliver the clothes for Izabella to the villa that night.
The next day, Izabella got up early. To her surprise, Casey woke up even earlier. When she came downstairs, she saw him sitting on the sofa with a delicious smell coming from the kitchen.
Casey handed Izabella the shopping bag on the sofa, "Here are some clothes for you to change into."
Izabella took a peek and saw that the clothes at the bottom were intimate apparel.
"How much do I owe you?"
"No need. Consider it a gift."
Izabella smiled at him, "Giving intimate apparel as a gift?"
Casey blushed instantly, "It's just a few thousand bucks, not expensive."
The clothes had their tags removed, but Izabella could tell at a glance these were not something a few thousand could buy at least six figures.
Izabella asked for his phone, and Casey handed it to her in confusion. Izabella swiftly transferred a hundred thousand to Casey.
Hearing the sound of the transfer, Casey tried to stop her but was too late. Izabella had already sent the hundred thousand.
"There you go."
Casey looked at his phone, "A hundred thousand? That's too much."
"I've been around. I know how much these clothes are worth. Given how much you care for me, I know you wouldn't buy cheap clothes for me. Keep the money. I don't like owing people."
Casey was both touched and saddened that Izabella could feel his care, saddened that she didn't accept his goodwill.
Izabella took the clothes back to her room to change and found them to be a perfect fit.
When she returned, Casey had already prepared porridge. Izabella drank it while studying Casey, noticing bloodshot eyes and dark circles.
He didn't wake up early; he didn't sleep all night.
Izabella only had a small appetite in the morning. Half a bowl of porridge was enough. "I need to go."
Casey glanced at the time, 6:45. He was visibly disappointed.
"I'll walk you out."
Izabella didn't refuse. Casey carried her bag, and they walked to the door to change shoes.
Izabella had called a taxi, and it was waiting at the gate of the villa. The driver had parked at the side of the road with the hazard lights on.
"My taxi is here."
Casey wanted to walk her there, but Izabella stopped him, "You don't need to go any further." She took the bag that Casey had been carrying for her and smiled at him, her eyes shining.
Casey stood frozen, wanting to say something to keep Izabella, but didn't know what to say. Watching Izabella's retreating figure, he felt the distance between them grow instantly.
"Will we see each other again?" he asked gently, almost pleading. Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
"Sure, I'll take you out for a meal if I get the chance." Izabella laughed, waved her hand and said, "Goodbye."
Casey watched her for a moment, forced a smile, and murmured, "You promised to take me out for a meal."
Izabella got into the taxi. The navigation showed R City cemetery as the final destination.
Izabella glanced at her phone. Casey had sent her a message.
"Text me when you get there. Let me know you're safe."
Izabella simply responded okay and then switched to the weather forecast.
During the rainy season, R City was forecasted to have two weeks of rain. Half an hour into the drive, the rain started. The weather was foggy, and the rain got heavier as they went along, hitting a few traffic jams.
The driver chatted with Izabella while operating the windshield wipers.
"I think your voice sounds like a celebrity. What's her name... My memory is terrible. I just heard it a few days ago."
Izabella remained silent. Given her current reputation online, she was afraid the driver would abandon her halfway if he found out her name.
The closer they got to the cemetery, the heavier Izabella's heart became, as if a stone was lodged in her chest.
Fortunately, the second half of the drive was smooth. When they reached the cemetery, it was almost nine. Izabella got out of the taxi and said, "Thank you."
The driver was very friendly. He warned, "Take care. It's raining outside. Stay warm."
Izabella nodded and closed the door. The driver was about to drive off when he suddenly remembered something. He poked his head out of the window and said to Izabella, "I remember who you sound like, that celebrity, Izabella. Yeah, your voice is as nice as hers." And come to think of it, she looks like her too, but with her mask on, it's hard to tell. But surely, Izabella wouldn't be taking a taxi to a place like this, right?
At a shop outside the cemetery, Izabella bought two bouquets of lilies.
Holding the flowers and her bag, she had no hands left to hold the umbrella. Izabella simply left it at the shop and walked into the drizzling rain.
The cemetery had changed the most. In the years since she left R City, many more tombstones have appeared.
Izabella followed her memory and found her parent's graves. She stood there for a long time, the cold rain seeping into her eyes and streaming down her face.
"Dad, Mom, I'm here to see you." Her voice was hoarse and faint, almost ethereal against the sound of the rain, dissipating with the wind.
The photos on the tombstone had yellowed and faded. Izabella only took one glance, afraid her tears would pour out uncontrollably in the rain.
It had been so long that she was starting to forget their faces.
Izabella knelt in front of the tombstones, her hand tracing the uneven carvings. She put on a brave smile.
"Mom, are you doing well there? Have you seen two cute kids? Though they were your grandchildren, they only spent a few months in my belly."