Chapter 24

Winona listened in silence, her face expressionless, as though she were hearing a story that had nothing to do with her. When Dylan finally finished, she gave a faint nod, then turned and left the hospital ward without another word. A few days later, Caleb's fever finally broke, and his condition stabilized. The moment he woke, he struggled to ask for Winona. Dylan handed him a document with a heavy expression. "Mr. Solt, this is from Ms. Nander. She asked me to give it to you." It was a signed contract—an invitation to a three-year artist residency at a renowned art village in Leif. It meant Winona would be gone for at least three years, far away from everything here. Caleb stared at the contract, his pupils narrowing sharply, his fingers trembling so violently he could barely hold the paper. Days of pent-up emotion—worry, fear, remorse, and now the crushing despair of losing her for good—erupted like a volcano. He suddenly swept everything off the bedside table. The IV bot