Ch. 517: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life Chapter 517

Chapter 517Norah is a mother. How could she possibly stand by and watch her child go into surgery?

She shook her head, her voice trembling. "I can’t go into the operating room. I just… Kevin, I’m so scared."

"I get it," Kevin said softly, his tone steady but empathetic. "I understand how you feel. But Norah, Cooper’s already been through so much. The odds of something going wrong are one in ten thousand—it’s not going to happen to him. And come on, don’t you trust your dad’s skills?"

"Yeah, Norah," Jace chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "And I’ll be there too, assisting Pharaoh. I’ve got Cooper’s back."

Seeing Norah and Kevin embrace made Jace uneasy, but his concern was for Norah, not himself. He was determined to see Cooper’s surgery through.

Norah’s eyes welled up with tears.

From the moment Cooper was poisoned until now, Jace had never left her side.

His loyalty had left a deep impression on her.

She let go of Kevin and said, "I need to talk to Jace."

"Alright, I’ll go check on Cooper," Kevin replied, gently brushing his hand over Norah’s head. He had wanted to kiss her, but with Jace there, he held back. He knew how Jace felt about Norah, and he didn’t want to rub it in his face.

Kevin and Norah had their whole lives ahead of them. There would be plenty of time for intimacy later. But Jace was their friend, and Kevin didn’t want to overstep.

Once Kevin was gone, Norah gave Jace a meaningful look.

Jace followed her without a word, walking quietly by her side.

After a moment of silence, Norah spoke softly, "Jace, thank you for always being there for me. You’re a good person, and I know how you feel. I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but I need to say this—I want you to be okay. You’ve got so much life ahead of you. You can’t just spend it alone, right?"

Jace hadn’t expected this. He thought Norah just wanted to talk, not try to set him up with someone.

The truth was, if he couldn’t be with the person he loved, he’d rather be alone. Being with someone he didn’t truly care about would only hurt them both.

But to ease Norah’s worries, he forced a gentle smile. "Of course I won’t be alone forever. I just haven’t found the right person yet. Don’t worry—when I do, you’ll be the first to know."

Norah wasn’t convinced.

If Jace had really moved on, he wouldn’t have stayed by her side for so long.

Especially after Kevin’s death, when Jace had finally confessed his feelings. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have opened a clinic in Country S.

"If you’re okay with it," Norah said carefully, "once things settle down here, maybe I can help you meet someone? As your friend, I just want to see you happy."

Jace’s throat tightened, and it felt like a sharp dagger was twisting in his chest. His heart was already bruised and bleeding.

He couldn’t bring himself to agree, but he also couldn’t admit that he still held onto hope for her. If he promised Norah, she’d actually go through with it.

"Norah," he said slowly, his voice strained, "thank you for caring about me. I get where you’re coming from, but please respect my feelings too. I don’t like blind dates."

Jace wasn’t angry—he genuinely disliked the idea.

But more than that, it hurt to see the person he loved most try to set him up with someone else. It was like being torn between ice and fire, a constant, agonizing tug-of-war.

"I’m sorry," Norah said, her voice tinged with regret. "I just want you to be happy. I want you to…"

"I know," Jace interrupted softly, offering her a gentle smile. His dark eyes met hers, filled with sincerity and warmth.

"Norah," he said quietly, "can I hug you?"

This was the first time Jace had asked, and he knew it would be the last.

Once Cooper’s bone marrow transplant was successful and he recovered, Pharaoh and Baimo would prepare a celebration for Norah. She wouldn’t stay in the Yi Patriarch’s estate—she’d return to the capital with Kevin.

Jace was in Country S now. If he closed the clinic and followed her to the capital, his feelings for her would only become more obvious.

He and Norah might not feel anything had changed between them, but others would notice.

Jace didn’t care about his own reputation, but he couldn’t let Norah suffer because of him.