Delete My Love for You novel Chapter 281

On the third morning after surgery, Darren slowly opened his eyes, his gaze coming to rest on the figure at his bedside.

“Sha... Sha...”

His lips were dry and cracked, barely able to move.

At the sound of his voice, Charlotte leaned in, dipping a cotton swab in water and gently moistening his lips.

The cool touch snapped Darren into clearer consciousness. He fixed his eyes on her. “This... isn’t... a dream?”

“It’s not,” Charlotte replied, her tone softer than usual. “You’re awake.”

As his thoughts began to settle, relief and a hint of joy flickered across Darren’s pale face. “So the surgery was a success?”

“Yes,” she said.

“How long was I out?”

“Two years.”

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Then exhaustion crashed over Darren again, and he fell back, slipping into sleep.

When he woke again toward evening, he felt much stronger.

He devoured everything brought to him—five dishes and a hearty soup, plus three full bowls of rice.

As he ate, Charlotte spoke in her usual businesslike manner. “While you were in a coma, I managed the Harrington Group for you. Now that you’re awake, I’ll hand everything back over within a month. The company will be exactly as you left it.”

Darren set down his bowl, wiping his mouth and fingers carefully with a moist towelette. After making sure every finger was spotless, he reached out suddenly, gripping her hand.

His gaze burned into hers. “You’re giving the company back to me. When do I get my Charlotte back? When will you come back to me?”

Only the steady beeping of the monitors filled the silence.

Charlotte considered her words before answering. “First, I want to thank you for your invaluable contribution as a volunteer to the artificial heart project.”

“Second, we can’t go back to how things were.”

Charlotte’s reply was cool as ever. “Heart rate: 72. Absolutely no fluctuation.”

No wonder she’d been utterly unmoved, even when he’d knelt outside her door for seven days and nights... Her heart was harder than diamond.

Darren let out a short laugh. “Understood. I’ll do my best.”

Over the next two days, they worked through the company handover.

On the third evening, at seven o’clock, Charlotte arrived at a top-tier restaurant as Darren had invited.

At the far end of a petal-strewn aisle stood a floral archway. Darren, tall and impeccably dressed, emerged from the other side, walking toward her with slow, measured steps.

He wore an elegant suit and carried a bouquet, his presence calm yet magnetic.

He stopped in front of her, his voice a low, velvet timbre. “Charlotte, do you like what I’ve prepared for you?”

He handed her a bouquet of ninety-nine roses, each one chosen by hand.

Charlotte frowned. “Spending so much money on momentary thrills is practically meaningless.”