His love

Willow was keenly aware of Matthew’s intentions. She instinctively tucked her hand behind her back. 

The piece of cloth and the button, stained with Aaron’s and Nicola’s blood, held the memories of their final moments. Willow couldn’t bear the idea of letting go of these last fragments. 

“Willow, hand them over!” Matthew’s voice, typically smooth, now carried a chilling edge. 

“These belong to Aaron and Nicola. Why should I give them to you?” Willow’s response was sharp and unwavering. 

Willow clenched her fist and retreated, but Matthew was faster. He closed the distance in a few swift strides and roughly grabbed her wrist. 

“Matthew, let go of me!” Willow demanded. 

Matthew’s grip was unyielding, causing Willow’s eyes to redden with tears. She suppressed a sob and yelled, “Matthew, you’ve already destroyed Nicola’s grave! What more do you want?” 

“You claim you’re seeking revenge for Wilhelmina and her unborn child, but I never laid a hand on them! 

“It’s you who keeps tormenting me–so who am I supposed to seek justice against?” Willow’s voice 

cracked with emotion. 

Even at this moment, Willow’s refusal to admit any wrongdoing only intensified the darkness in Matthew’s 

expression. 

He didn’t waste time arguing with her. Instead, he forcefully pried open her fingers and retrieved the items from her grasp with a cold determination. As the button and the blood–stained piece of cloth fell to the ground, Willow felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. 

Frantically, she reached out to pick them up. But before her fingers could even touch them, Matthew’s foot came down hard, crushing them mercilessly. 

The wooden button from Nicola’s boot, sturdy and substantial, was no match for the force with which 

Matthew destroyed it. 

“Matthew, get your foot off! Give me back my things! They’re mine–what gives you the right to stomp on them?” Willow’s voice cracked with desperation. 

Truly pushed to her breaking point,/Willow lunged at Matthew, exerting all her strength to push him. But he stood firm as a rock, unmoved by her efforts. 

Finally, he relented and moved his foot. Without hesitation, Willow reached for the items on the ground. 

To her dismay, Matthew’s men were quicker. They swiftly snatched up the items and tossed them into a nearby fire. 

In an instant, the flames engulfed the cloth and wood, consuming them until they were nothing but ashes scattered by the wind.. 

22 

Willow desperately wanted to rush forward and snuff out the dancing flames. But Matthew’s vice–like grip on her shoulders held her back, rendering her powerless. 

As the fire dwindled, Willow collapsed to the ground, utterly spent. 

This time, Wilhelmina and Skyler had succeeded. 

They had succeeded in wrenching away her last semblance of attachment to this world. 

“Matthew, I will never forgive you. Never…” Willow murmured as if in a trance. She couldn’t shake the notion that if he ever came to his senses, he’d be haunted by self–condemnation, too. 

Though Matthew believed Willow was the one at fault, her shattered demeanor stirred an unsettling fear within him. It was as if she could crumble into nothingness, fading from existence. Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.

This 

thought made Matthew deeply uneasy. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on her, as if only by holding her so tightly could he prevent her from disappearing from his life. 

“Willow, just shut your mouth!” 

Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out