Chapter 138: Apologies in Cash

Sometimes, our own emotions leave us in a state of confusion. It's difficult to distinguish whether we are haunted by the memories of people we've lost or by the times when we didn't have to fake our smiles—those times when we were genuinely happy. As Nora gazed at Dylan's face, she found herself torn between these conflicting feelings. For the first time, she realized that she was afraid of both—the memories of the people who were no longer in her life and the person she used to be. But what scared her the most was how his presence might unravel the facade she had grown so comfortable with. Noticing her dazed expression, Dylan snapped his fingers in front of her eyes and said, "Cartwright, are you really that dazzled to see me?" Nora's eyebrows furrowed as she observed his cheeky expression. "Whoa! What happened to you?" She lifted her hands and playfully squished his cheeks, adding in distress, "What's with these hoodlum manners? Where's the sweet, cute, and sensitive Heidi that I