Chapter 806

After Melina fell silent, they were mostly quiet. Andrew was never one to speak much; they sat in silence for a long time. Then, Melina pointed to a steep slope in the distance and said, "Back then, I fell from here." Andrew's brows furrowed instantly. Lost in thought, Melina continued, "There was a cluster of wild kiwis over there. I couldn't afford fruit, and I heard they were really sweet. I just wanted to pick one and taste it, but I slipped and fell." Andrew stared at the steep incline, his expression darkening. Just imagining Melina tumbling down that slope made his chest tighten. If he could, he would flatten the entire mountain. Melina lowered her head and went on, "When I fell, I thought I was going to die. I had no family—no one would even realize I was missing. No one would come looking for me. I lay there, bleeding, waiting for death. That kind of loneliness—it was terrifying. That's why I developed a fear of heights." Andrew's jaw clenched as another memory surfaced