Chapter 522

On the edge of the rooftop of New York's tallest building.

Nathan White stood there, the wind whipping through his hair.

He looked down below, his eyes empty.

Hurried footsteps and cries came from behind him.

"Nathan! Don't do anything stupid!"

Amelia White's voice was hoarse, trembling with despair.

A rescue worker held her back tightly, afraid she would rush forward.

Nathan slowly turned around.

His face was streaked with tear tracks.

"Mom." His voice was soft, almost carried away by the wind. "Jane said she will never forgive me."

Amelia's legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to her knees.

"Son, I'll beg her! I'll kowtow to her! She'll forgive you! Please, come down, okay?"

Nathan shook his head.

"It's no use."

He looked into the distance, where a cluster of low, tiled houses stood.

Jane's home was there.

"Since I was little, you always said it was for my own good," Nathan said slowly. "Forcing me to drink milk, forcing me to wear the clothes you picked, forcing me to study a major I didn't like... Even the only person I ever wanted to marry, you forced me to give up."

Amelia cried out, "I know I was wrong! I'll never force you again!"

"But it's too late now."

Tears streamed down Nathan's face again.

"I've lost Jane. Completely lost her."

He remembered Jane's clear eyes.

The shallow dimples that appeared when she smiled.

The times they walked together on campus.

Those were the happiest memories of his life.

"Mom, do you know?" Nathan whispered. "When you threatened to kill yourself to make me break up with Jane, I actually had a very despicable thought."

He gave a bitter smile.

"I thought, even if I married someone else, I could still secretly see Jane. With our family's power, I could force her to stay by my side, even without any official status."

Amelia was stunned.

"But..." Nathan's voice choked. "But Jane turned out to be a daughter of the Evans family. Our family's power is nothing in front of hers."

He closed his eyes.

"I've lost her completely. Forever."

Amelia tried to say something.

But Nathan cut her off.

"Mom, I love you. But my death has nothing to do with you."

He opened his eyes and looked toward the direction of the tiled houses.

"I just... can't live without Jane."

After saying this, he spread his arms.

Like a bird finally breaking free from its cage.

He leaped.

"Nathan—!"

Amelia's scream pierced the sky.

She lunged toward the rooftop edge, reaching out to grab something.

But she only grasped cold air.

Nathan was falling.

The wind roared in his ears.

He kept his eyes open, watching the tiled houses draw closer.

His tears were blown away by the wind.

In the last few seconds, his mind was filled with Jane.

Her shyly lowered head.

Her frown when she was angry.

Her smile when she was happy.

He had never said it.

He truly, deeply loved her.

Loved her enough to give up everything.

Loved her enough to give his life.

"Thud!"

A heavy impact sounded.

The crowd on the street gasped in shock.

On the live stream, Amelia collapsed to the ground, wailing in heart-wrenching sobs.

Rescue workers held her back firmly, preventing her from jumping after him.

Below, a white sheet was placed over the body.

Evelyn stared at the TV screen, her fingers gripping the remote tightly.

Her face was pale.

"Why..." she murmured. "Why commit suicide?"

Alexander stood beside her, his brow furrowed.

"Some people value love more than life itself."

Evelyn stood up abruptly.

"What about Jane? How is Jane now?"

She suddenly realized something and looked at Alexander.

"Nathan is dead. What will happen to his mother?"

Alexander was silent for a moment.

"She might break down. Or she might... hate."

Evelyn's heart sank.

"Let's go! To Jane's house!"

The two rushed out of the room and got into the car.

On the way, Evelyn opened a live stream on her phone.

On the screen, medical personnel were handling the scene.

Amelia's cries came from off-camera, piercing and desperate.

But soon, the crying stopped.

Evelyn stared at the screen.

"Where is Amelia?"

The camera panned over the crowd, but the grief-stricken figure was nowhere to be seen.

Evelyn's heartbeat began to accelerate.

"Alexander, drive faster!"

Alexander stepped on the gas.

The car sped through the streets.

Evelyn's mind raced.

"If I were an enemy of the Sterling Family, what would I do?" she suddenly asked.

Alexander glanced at her.

"Damage your relationship with the Evans family."

"How?"

"Make Jane never acknowledge the Evans family."

Evelyn frowned.

"Jane may not forgive the Evans family now, but blood ties are hard to deny. Justin is trying so hard; she might soften one day."

"So," Alexander's voice was low, "make that possibility disappear completely."

Evelyn looked at him sharply.

Their eyes met.

They spoke simultaneously:

"Kill Jane!"

A chill ran through Evelyn's body.

She looked down at the live stream on her phone.

Amelia's disappearance.

Nathan's death.

Could all of this be part of a carefully designed plot?

Using Amelia's grief and hatred to kill Jane?

"Faster!" Evelyn's voice trembled.

Alexander pushed the accelerator to the floor.

The car shot forward like an arrow.

But the distance was too great.

From the luxury mall to Jane's house would take at least forty minutes.

Even driving as fast as possible, it took a full half hour.

The car screeched to a halt at the entrance of the alley.

Evelyn pushed the car door open and bumped into John, who was returning from grocery shopping.

"Evelyn?" John was taken aback. "Why are you here again?"

"Has Nathan's mother come here?" Evelyn asked urgently.

Before John could answer, a neighbor sunbathing nearby chimed in, "I just saw a middle-aged woman, crying and sobbing, heading toward Jane's house!"

Evelyn's heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

She turned and dashed into the alley.

She moved so fast she created a gust of wind.

Before John could react, she was already more than ten meters away.

"Wait! What's happening?" John called from behind.

Evelyn had no time to answer.

She ran desperately, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Faster.

Just a little faster.

The gate of Jane's house came into view.

It was open.

Evelyn saw Jane standing in the yard, her back to the gate.

She also saw Amelia standing in front of Jane, holding something in her hand.

The sunlight reflected a blinding glint.

A knife!

"Jane—!"

Evelyn shouted with all her strength.

But it was too late.

Amelia raised the knife and stabbed it fiercely into Jane's chest.

The sound of the blade piercing flesh.

So soft.

Yet so heavy.

Evelyn's pupils constricted violently.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.