Chapter 307

Melanie thought for a moment before shaking her head. She gazed at the ring in her hand and sighed deeply. "I don't know what might be important. He gave me many things, all meaningful in their own way, and I've kept them all." She paused, the weight of her words hanging in the air. It took her a long moment to continue. "But after marrying into the Whitlock family, I kept those things away. They were from another time, another life... This ring is the last thing he ever gave me." Her trembling voice carried a sense of wistfulness, perhaps regret and struggle as well. Aurora could hear the bitterness woven into every word. "I heard he brought this ring to you the night before your wedding to Mr. Whitlock," Aurora said gently, not out of a desire to pry but to understand Gabe's state of mind back then. Melanie froze, her body stiffening as a flicker of recollection crossed her face. "Yes... He came to me that night," she said, her voice distant and soft. "He asked me