CHAPTER 48 FAREWLL, ETHAN

“But it means I won’t be coming back,” Bianca added, her voice wavering slightly. “I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I just…I wasn’t sure how to say it.” Ethan’s mind reeled as he tried to process the news. Bianca, the woman he’d come to care for deeply, was leaving. And not just leaving, but leaving the country. “When are you leaving?” Ethan asked, his voice low. Bianca gave a sad smile. “Soon,” she said. “I don’t have an exact date yet, but it won’t be long.” Silence fell over the table as they both grappled with the weight of the moment. Ethan felt a sense of panic rising in his chest, like he was watching the future he’d been building for himself slip away. And there was nothing he could do about it. “What about us?” Ethan finally managed to choke out, the words catching in his throat. Bianca reached across the table and placed her hand over his. “Ethan, I care about you,” she said, her voice earnest. “I don’t want to leave you, but th