Chapter 784

Harrison's heart ached for Nathaniel, longing to remain at his bedside. Yet she understood the cruel necessity of departure. Her presence would only intensify his suffering.

Without a backward glance, she turned to leave.

"Stay!"

Nathaniel flung aside the blankets, his muscular frame surging forward. His arms encircled her waist in a desperate embrace from behind.

He buried his chiseled face in her cascading chestnut hair, his voice raw with emotion. "Don't walk away. Please...I can't lose you."

Harrison trembled, his anguish mirroring her own. "You must release me. The curse worsens with every moment we're together."

His grip only tightened. "The pain means nothing. Only your absence would destroy me."

Without warning, a violent spasm wracked his body. His vision darkened as his powerful legs gave way. Harrison barely caught his collapsing form. "Nathaniel!"

When consciousness returned, moonlight streamed through the windows. Henry and Isabella stood vigil beside his bed.

"Welcome back," Isabella murmured, helping him sit upright.

Nathaniel's gaze darted across the room. "Where's Harrison? Has she gone?"

Henry exchanged a glance with his wife. "She's..."

"Tell me she hasn't left with Charlotte!" Nathaniel threw off the covers, his bare feet hitting the floor.

Isabella blocked his path. "She's right next door. The Heartchain Curse prevents physical contact."

Nathaniel's piercing gaze searched their faces. "Swear this isn't a lie."

"On our lives," Henry vowed. The guilt weighed heavily—this curse was Eleanor and Isabella's doing, and they bore responsibility.

But Nathaniel wasn't satisfied. "I need to see her!"

"Your body can't—"

Meanwhile, Harrison sat in the adjacent chamber. After administering acupuncture, she'd withdrawn, though every fiber of her being yearned to return.

Had the treatment eased his suffering?

Was he resting comfortably?

Did the pain still grip him?

Her thoughts shattered at the commotion outside.

"Nathaniel, you must conserve your strength!" Henry's voice carried through the walls.

"I don't care! Take me to Harrison!"

Her pulse skyrocketed at his voice. Then—three soft knocks.

"Harrison?" His voice, rough yet tender, seeped through the door. "Are you there?"

Her hand flew to the knob, fingers trembling. One turn would reunite them.

But the curse's poison would flow stronger with each shared breath.

She recoiled as if burned. "I'm here."

Separated by mere inches of wood, their souls reached for each other.

Hearing her voice, Nathaniel's frantic heartbeat steadied. A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "When I woke alone...I feared you'd taken Charlotte and vanished from my life forever."