"Faded Bonds" or "Shadows of Love" Chapter - I

---"Ah..."

---"Ugh, Amelia, do you really need to get out of bed in this condition?" (It's been three days since Amelia hasn't recovered from her fever. For three days, she hasn't left her bed. Or rather, Ethan hasn't let her. But today is her seventh day of medical school, and there’s an important lecture with critical notes in class. Ethan can't manage it alone, so Amelia insists on getting up and going to college.)

---"You know you can't handle it alone, Ethan. Please try to understand."

---"Look, if you get up in this condition, you know my mom will scold me terribly, right? I can manage one more day without you."

---"No, I'm going. End of discussion!"

Saying this, Amelia gets up and heads straight to the bathroom to freshen up. After getting ready, she leaves for college. However, this time Ethan doesn't let her go alone; he accompanies her to make sure she's okay.

Now, let’s introduce Amelia and Ethan.

Amelia's Introduction

Amelia Blake

Father: Edward Blake

Mother: Charlotte Blake

Younger Brother: Ethan Blake

Ethan's Introduction

Ethan Reed

Father: Martin Reed

Mother: Rose Reed

Sister: Julia Reed

Grandmother: Edith Reed

Great Aunt: Marianne Reed

Aunt: Elizabeth Reed

Uncle: Henry Reed

Ethan's aunt and uncle don't have any children of their own, so Ethan and his sister are the only heirs of the Reed family. His great-aunt Marianne never got married and has always remained single. Ethan, being the youngest in the family, is dearly loved by everyone. But there is one more person who is very precious, though not to everyone—Amelia Blake.

Now, you might be wondering how Amelia came to be a part of Ethan's family and why she has the same last name as him. Let me explain everything.

Amelia's father, Edward Blake, worked as a manager at a company, and her mother, Charlotte, was a housewife. Amelia also had a younger brother, Ethan, who was about three years old at the time. The two siblings enjoyed a simple yet happy life with their parents. They lived in their ancestral home. Amelia didn’t have her grandparents around, but she had a grandfather on her mother’s side, Peter Hales.

Their small family of four was happy and content. However, this happiness didn’t last for long, as a terrible storm approached.

It was the first of May, and Edward Blake had taken a day off from work. Charlotte had prepared a feast for the family. They all sat down to eat, but just as Edward was about to take a bite of food, the phone rang. He stepped aside to take the call, and when he returned, his face was pale and tense. Seeing his expression, Charlotte asked what had happened, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

After much persuasion, Edward finally began to speak, revealing the shocking truth...