They thought the question would break Nathalia, but instead, it made her tougher. She pointed the finger at the female journalist, looking at her into her eyes, and said, "If I was cursed, you would be the first person to suffer. I would bring all the bad luck I could and ruin all your family."

The journalist was enraged, "If Mr. Spencer Davidson doesn't come back..."

​​

Both Curt and Sue reacted instantly. 'Slap!' Sue jumped up, summoned up all the strength she had, and slapped the journalist on her face hard. "Don't you dare!"

The journalist was shocked. She covered her cheek with her hand and looked at Sue with tearful eyes.

Nathalia glanced around at everyone and said with determination. "Spencer will come back. He loves me. He has promised me that he will come back."

She would do anything, offer whatever it would cost just to see him again, to see the face that spoke of love and adoration.

The female journalists yelled angrily, "This is what you deserve. Because you insisted on being together with Mr. Spencer Davidson, which has hurt a lot of people. Now you are getting punished."

This time Nathalia was immensely enraged. "Get her out of here. Inform her boss and tell him to report back to me." It was possibly the worst time to anger Nathalia. She was known not to be taken advantage of, and when she was angry, she took revenge.

The journalist's face went pale, finally realizing what she had done. Why did I say that?! I'm done! She thought remorsefully.

They got on the helicopter and set off hurriedly. The rescue ships had gathered around the area and been searching carefully.

To everyone's disappointment, nothing was found after a 48-hour- search. Nathalia stayed in the control room all day and all night, staring at the screens silently and growing more and more despair. She refused to eat or sleep. No one could persuade her.

Sophie tried to stay by her side as much as she could. Her heart ached for Nathalia. Even though no one talked about it, she knew that it was very likely that Spencer would not come back anymore.

"Nathalia, please, you have to take care of yourself. Whatever happens, you have to be good to yourself. I have always looked up to you. You are the bravest warrior. I've always been so proud of you. Nathalia?" Sophie said patiently and encouragingly, "Nathalia, talk to me, please."

She had tried and tried, but Nathalia seemed to be oblivious of her presence. I won't give up. Nathalia never gave up on me, and I will never give up on her. Sophie thought.

"You once told me that every experience, every suffering is a disguised blessing because it is to make us stronger, braver, to help us live life fuller. There's still hope. There's the bright future ahead..." Sophie had seen how Nathalia goes through difficulties, meet challenges, get beaten, and stand up again and move forward. She had always thought Nathalia the toughest, but now she realized she was, after all, just a normal girl as well.

"Without Spencer, there's no future," Nathalia replied weakly. She felt like her heart had been dug empty, her body was drained and cold as if soaked in icy water.

Sophie had never seen Nathalia in such despair. "Nathalia, this is not you. You have been through so much, and it was unimaginably hard, but you went through it all. So can you this time. Nothing can beat you. You are an invincible warrior, Nathalia."

Nathalia closed her eyes, and the image of the familiar face appeared. It made her heart ache so much. "I never want to be a warrior. I don't want to be invincible. I just want to be loved. But why? Why is it so hard? I'm not asking too much."

She had been hoping all her life to be loved and protected, to have a home, to feel safe. And finally, Spencer came into her life, and he gave her love and protection and a home, what she had been dreaming of. However, it seemed life would not stop playing tricks on her. When she thought her wishes had been granted, they were taken away from her unexpectedly.

It was the memories of Spencer that had kept her alive. It was what she was living on in the past days. If she could live in the memories, she wished she would never wake up. In her memories, there was the man she loved the most.

She had not cried once, yet her face said more pain than tears would do.

Tears ran down Sophie's face. She wished she could help her best friend, to take part in her pain off her. "Nathalia, Spencer would be very upset if he saw how you are now."

They were the happiest couple Sophie knew. Spencer adored Nathalia, protecting her and spoiling her any chance he got, while Nathalia was her happiest self when she was with Spencer.

Why do the couples in love the deepest have to suffer the most? Sophie thought sadly.

With her hand on her heart, as if it would relieve the pain there, Nathalia stared at the screen blankly and said, "Yes, I want to make him feel upset, make him feel worried so that he would not like to leave me alone, to live this life alone so that he has to come back. How can I live without him?!"

The despair in her words and tone shocked Sophie. She hugged Nathalia tight and summoned up her strength to try to cheer her up. "But even before you met Spencer, you were living your life beautifully. Perhaps you will meet..." But she couldn't continue. She knew that if Nathalia lost Spencer, she would very likely not fall in love with anyone anymore.

"You don't understand. He's the only person in this world that has made me feel truly happy. I had never met him, I would not have understood the joy of loving someone and being loved. He gave me everything. He changed my life."

Before Spencer walked into Nathalia's life, Nathalia had thought that she would live this life on her own, alone; that she would not love and thus would not get hurt; that she would live quietly and died peacefully.

But Spencer came in like the sun and lit up her whole life. He brought her to a new world.

"Nathalia..." Sophie couldn't bear it anymore and started sobbing emotionally. But the more you love someone, the more it hurts when they leave. If this is love, I would rather not have it...

Nathalia handed Sophie some tissue and said quietly, "Don't cry. He's still alive. He's just lost and can't find his way home yet." She didn't know why, but she had the feeling that Spencer was still alive.

Sophie cried even louder. It's so painful. It must be a hundred times more painful for Nathalia! But she won't even cry!