Fled Believing She Was Scorned, Crowned as Everyone’s Only Love Chapter 09

I flew to St. Thomas first. Then, dragging my suitcase, I made my way from Cyril E. King Airport to the dock

and took the ferry to St. John.

As the boat approached Cruz Bay, warm, humid sea air hit my face.

Palm trees swayed gently in the wind.

It was the perfect place for me to clear my head.

I found a small seaside inn in Coral Bay.

The owner asked how long I planned to stay.

I thought about it and said, “I don’t know. Let’s just see.”

The first day, I went to the island market to buy necessities.

The second day, I sat by the sea until dusk.

I often woke up to find my pillow wet with tears.

Back at the Hartwell family, I would have grabbed my pillow and gone to Declan, or knocked on Mom and

Dad’s door to whine.

But now, I just rubbed my eyes in silence, flipped the pillow over, and went back to sleep.

It wasn’t until the evening of the fourth day, when I was walking back to the inn with a bag of bread, that I ran into an unexpected visitor at the door.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long.

Declan sat on the steps, hands on his knees, an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

When he saw me, he shot to his feet.

I instinctively stepped back. “Why are you here?!”

He’d changed completely in just a few days,

His eyes were bloodshot, dark stubble on his chin, his shirt wrinkled beyond recognition, one button even fastened wrong.

Declan was never like this.

He was always calm, always neat.

Whether serving in the military or later running Vale Global Security, he was the kind of man who could fix

his cufflinks before the sky fell.

But now, he just stood across from me in silence.

“I came to find you.”

My nose stung. I thought I’d cried all my tears away last night, yet they threatened to well up again.

“You already have someone you like. Why did you come find me?”

Declan walked up to me and dropped to one knee.

His knee hit the ground with a dull thud.

“I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t tell the truth. The person I like… is you.”

His fingers clenched, his voice rough.

“I’ve known you weren’t my sister for a long time. Probably longer than Mom and Dad.”

His throat moved. “I suffer from hyperarousal, with severe impulse control issues.”

“You’re my biggest trigger.”

“When others get close to you, I get irritated.”

“When you go on dates with other men, I can’t sleep all night.”

“After you turned eighteen, I didn’t even dare to be alone with you for too long.”

My eyes flew open.

Everything clicked into place.

No wonder Mom and Dad never wanted to tell me.

No wonder he started avoiding me after I became an adult.

He said quietly, “I’ve been on medication. My emotions are unstable.”

“I was afraid I’d lose control, afraid I’d hurt you. And afraid my condition would drag you down for the rest of

your life.”

“So I shunned you. I thought it was best for you.”

“I arrogantly believed that you’d be happier as my sister than as my lover.”

“But I never thought you’d leave.”

“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

Tears fell from my eyes. I sniffled and said quietly, “You’re an asshole. I thought you didn’t want me.”

He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“I thought Mom and Dad didn’t want me either. I thought no one wanted me.”

His fingers clenched, knuckles white, and he said, panicked, “No, Romy. Everyone loves you.”

He promised in a low voice:

“I’ll take my medication properly. I will never hurt you.”

“The new medication has stronger suppression. Even under the same roof, I would never…”

I leaned down and covered his mouth with my hand.

Declan stared at me blankly.

I wrinkled my nose and said quietly, “What’s the big deal? You hid it from me for so long.”

I tilted my head at him. “With me around, why take medication to control it?”

I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, the last words dying on my lips.

“I’m your antidote.”