Chapter 519: Refusing To Give Up

Skylar felt like she was on a roller coaster. Just when she thought things were going up, everything came crashing down.

She hadn’t expected this. Dave seemed to care, but his feelings weren’t real.

He was just paying back a debt.

A life for a life? That didn’t make them even.

Then a cold thought hit her—maybe this was all planned. Maybe Dave just wanted to clear the past and be done with her.

“Good for you!” Skylar snapped, then broke into wild laughter. “Dave, you did all this for Bianca, didn’t you? You had Wyatt kidnap me so you could show up and act like a hero? You really think that makes us even?”

Dave frowned. He couldn’t understand why she saw it that way.

Skylar started coughing. The heart monitor beside her beeped faster.

“You think I’ll tear up that agreement just because of this? That you can marry Bianca now? Keep dreaming!”

This was Skylar’s last stand. Whatever feelings she had left for Dave were now gone.

The man standing in front of her no longer felt like the one she once dreamed of marrying.

Dave looked at her with a cold stare and no emotion. “Do you really think your tricks can hurt Bianca and me? Honestly, I think everything you’re doing is pointless.”

Pointless? Skylar started coughing hard, shocked by his words.

Marrying him had been her goal. How could that mean nothing?

Dave’s voice stayed calm. “Even if I keep my word and don’t marry Bianca, it won’t change what we have. You’ve been chasing a lie all along. You just never saw it.”

“Real love doesn’t need rules,” Dave said. “Marriage isn’t everything. It’s just a formality. Even if Bianca never becomes my wife, she’s still the one I love.”

“You treat the title ‘Mrs. Evans’ like it means the world. But to us, it’s just a name. A marriage certificate is just paper. It doesn’t mean much.”

He thought of Bianca as he looked at Skylar lying weak in the hospital bed.

The distance between them felt greater than ever.

“Bianca doesn’t care about titles,” Dave said. “She doesn’t need a name or status to be respected. People respect her because of who she is. I’m not sure you understand that.”

He stood tall, and a cold smile formed at the corner of his lips.

“When two people truly love each other, nothing can break them apart. Even without marriage, they’ll still be together.”

With that, Dave turned around and walked out.

He had nothing more to say.

Anyone with a bit of sense would understand what he meant.

But someone stuck in their own illusions never would.

As the saying goes—you can’t wake someone who’s only pretending to sleep.

Skylar watched as Dave walked away, his figure getting smaller.

She wanted to call out. She wanted to stop him but no words came. Her strength was gone and tears slowly fell down her cheeks.

Skylar couldn’t keep up the act anymore. Dave’s words had hit her hard.

He was saying it plain—everything she had done meant nothing. Bianca would stay by his side, married or not. Their bond was deeper than anything she could touch. It wasn’t just physical. It was soul-deep. It was real love.

Skylar felt crushed. Useless. Lost.

She had thought the agreement could tear them apart. But now, that idea felt foolish—like a bad joke.

In the end, she saw the truth. She didn’t even know what love really was.

Her future felt like it held nothing but pain and regret.

But why?

“Bianca, how did you do it?” Skylar cried out. “How can you not care about being his wife? This has to be some trick between you and Dave. You’re trying to make me give up so you can win! That’s what this is!”

Her voice shook with desperation.

Outside the room, Dave stood still, listening.

Just as he thought—Skylar was still refusing to give up.

There was nothing left to say.

Dave shook his head and let out a quiet sigh.

He couldn’t understand how the girl who once saved him had changed so much.

After everything, he had made up his mind.

It was time to let go. Without turning around, he walked away. Bianca was waiting for him.

After Dave left, Skylar was overwhelmed with emotions.

One moment, she thought Bianca was pretending not to care. She believed it was just a clever trick.

The next moment, she felt hopeless.

She used to believe no one would ignore social status. But Dave’s words shook that belief.

Doubt kept creeping in. The pressure wore her down.

She hated feeling so weak. At one point, she even thought about ending her life.

“No,” she whispered into the empty hospital room.

“This isn’t who I am.”

With sudden determination, she pulled out the tubes. The pain shot through her, but she didn’t stop.

She felt alone as her heart was heavy. She needed to get away. She wanted to feel safe somewhere else.

Outside her room, the hallway was quiet. Sunlight came through the windows, casting soft spots of light on the floor.

Every step hurts. The frostbite had drained her body and mind.

As she turned a corner, Skylar heard voices. It was Bianca and Wyatt, speaking softly.

She stopped and slipped into a shadowed spot. She leaned on the wall and listened closely.

Wyatt’s tone had changed. It was calm, almost gentle. Nothing like the way he used to speak.

He sounded unsure. Like a child who had done something wrong.

“Dave must be really mad at me,” Wyatt said. “I never thought I’d be scared to face him.”

Bianca could sense Wyatt’s worry.

She knew Dave’s anger wasn’t something that could be brushed aside. She also knew Wyatt was hoping she’d help calm him down.

But Bianca had something else on her mind. She wanted the truth.

She looked at Wyatt and asked, “Why did you take Skylar?”

Wyatt’s eyes moved nervously. He looked unsure.

He opened his mouth to answer but stopped. His lips pressed into a thin line.

A quiet struggle played out across his face.

Bianca observed him carefully. She could see he was torn.

She let out a quiet sigh.

“Do you know what upsets Dave the most?” she asked.

Wyatt shook his head.

“It’s because he sees you as family,” she said. “But you made a choice without telling him.”

Family?

Wyatt had always seen Dave that way too.