Love's Tangled Web by Donna Taylor

Chapter 386 The atmosphere in the hospital room was suffocating like the air had frozen solid.

Everyone's eyes were locked on Alex, waiting for his response.

Alex stood frozen, his back stiff as a board.

He avoided Ellie's gaze, hesitating as he knelt by the hospital bed. Leaning his elbows on the edge of the bed, he carefully reached for Ellie's hand.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to speak, remaining silent for what felt like forever. Finally, he took a deep breath, summoning all his courage. "Last winter... Mr. Thompson passed away." Slap! Ellie's hand shot up, striking Alex hard across the face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shouted, "You're lying!" Her words hung in the air, plunging the room back into an eerie silence.

Ignoring the burning pain on his face, Alex locked his red-rimmed eyes on Ellie. "Yesterday, you went out with friends and fell into the water. You hit your head and forgot sthings. Even if you don't believe me, your brother Aaron and Mrs. Thompson wouldn't lie to you." Ellie's lips trembled as large tears fell endlessly. She turned her blurry gaze toward Aaron. "Aaron?" Aaron's eyes were red, his lips moving slightly, but instead of speaking, he turned to glance at their uncle, Jason. Jason frowned deeply.

"Joanna!" Ellie's voice cracked in panic as she saw Aaron's reaction. She struggled to get out of bed, but Alex quickly stopped her.

Joanna spoke up gently, "Ellie, he's not lying to you." Ellie froze, stopping all movement. She sat there on the bed, stunned, whispering to herself, “It's my fault. I couldn't make enough money to buy Dad his medicine. He must've decided he didn't want to be a burden..." Alex stayed by her side, listening to her every word.

Each one was like a knife stabbing into Alex's heart, leaving him gasping for air.

"No!" Alex suddenly shouted, his voice cracking. "It's my fault! I'm the one who killed Mr. Thompson!" Everyone in the room froze, their expressions changing instantly. No one expected Alex to take full responsibility for Harold's death, especially after Ellie lost her memory.

"What are you talking about, Alex?" Ellie stared at him in disbelief.

Alex's hands trembled as he gripped Ellie's tightly. Meeting her disbelieving gaze, he forced himself to speak. "It was my fault! I caused Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson to get upset.” "That day, I went to apologize to them, but Haley followed me. She said terrible things to them, and that's why Mr. Thompson went to the station late at night to find you... and got into the accident." 1/3 21:25 Sun, 16 Feb Chapter 386 "No way!" Ellie cut him off sharply. "Haley is Aaron's girlfriend. She'd never say awful things to my parents!" No one interrupted, leaving Alex to continue explaining.

"She did it because... Haley stole the necklace I gave you. I mistook her for the person who saved my life, and... 1.

Alex's voice faltered, his eyes meeting Ellie's. He opened his mouth, but no more words cout.

"If Alex has nothing else to say, then stop talking!" Jason, silent until now, finally spoke with authority. "Aaron, help Whitney pack Ellie's things. She needs to rest at home" Ellie's mind was in utter chaos. She glanced at the imposing man standing not far away, but she couldn't focus on who he was. All she wanted was to figure out how she ended up in the hospital and how she lost her memory.

"Jason!" Alex suddenly stood, grabbing Ellie and holding her tightly as if someone was trying to take her away. "Please, I'm begging you, givea chance to take care of her!" "Take care of her? You're not worthy!" Jason shot Alex a sharp warning glance before helping Joanna leave the room.

Alex's parents, who had been too embarrassed to speak, rushed after Jason and Joanna without a word to their son.

"If you want the truth, cfind me." Alex ignored Aaron's attempts to stop him. He hugged Ellie tightly, whispering the words in her car before slowly letting go. He stood by the bed, numb, watching Aaron carry Ellie away.

As the door closed, Alex instinctively clutched his chest, his fingers gripping his shirt. He staggered backward until his body hit the wall.

Smack! Alex's mother, Nancy, slapped him hard across the face. "Alex, listen to me! Ellie might have lost her memory, but the Thompsons haven't forgotten anything!" Pointing a finger at him, Nancy warned, "You bullied Ellie and her family behind our backs before. Now that Jason's back- someone even the mayor respects-you're on thin ice. Don't you dare try to deceive Ellie while she's like this!" Alex covered his stinging cheek, lowering his head to hide the emotions in his eyes. He stayed silent while Nancy scolded him, not uttering a single word.

But his stubbornness, visible in every inch of his body, only made Nancy angrier and more worried.

By noon, Ellie had returned to the Thompson residence. After fainting from a headache, Jason had a military doctor examine her before leaving.

The massive living room felt stifling, the atmosphere heavy.

Whitney, distressed over Ellie's condition, suggested, "Maybe we should send Ellie abroad for a while. It'd give her tto calm down and keep her away from that lunatic Alex." Joanna sighed. "Ellie seems soft, but her temper's just like her dad's-stubborn as a mule. Until she gets the answers she 2/3 21:25 Sun, 16 Feb Chapter 386 wants, she won't leave." 47% +13 Whitney hesitated. "Ellie doesn't remember any of the bad things. If we tell her everything now to keep Alex away, it might hurt her more than it helps. I'm worried she won't be able to handle it." She thought to herself, 'When Ellie was desperate, she sang at my bar to make ends meet. I know about her seven-year crush on Alex.

Joanna said, "If telling Ellie the truth will make her suffer, and not telling her will still make her suffer, maybe we should only share what can be said for now and leave the rest for later?" take on this?" She turned to Aaron, "Aaron, what's your b Aaron sat on the couch, his brows furrowed tightly.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Mom, Whitney, I know you're both thinking about what's best for Ellie. But even with good intentions, hiding the truth means Ellie's decisions will be based on incomplete information." He continued. "If we don't tell her the truth now and let her make informed choices, when she regains her memory, things will only get worse."

Jason nodded, his voice calm but firm. "Ellie has a head injury and m shouldn't overthink things right now. Let's compromise- let her recover first, and when the tis right, we'll tell her everything she's forgotten.”

Aaron agreed, his expression serious. "I support Jason's suggestion. This can wait for a little while but wem e must tether. Even if it's painful, she has to face it and process it herself. It's better than her being left in the dark and making a wrong decision." Jason added decisively, "In the meantime, I've arranged for military doctors to check on her daily. No one else is allowed into The Thompson Ellie woke up again, but it was already late at night.

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