While holding back the rumbling in his chest, Max stepped quickly into the ICU room. Along the way, he kept thinking about what to say when he arrived in front of his father. Should he say hello, say everything will be okay, or apologize? Nothing felt right to express his feelings.
"Sir," Minnie sighed when she noticed the man's arrival. With teary eyes, the woman pointed towards the door. "Your father is waiting."
Without a chance to say thank you, Max nodded and rushed to the door. His pace was so fast. He had never faced such a tense moment in his life.
However, as the door opened, his steps slowed down. The air had grown heavier. It took more effort for Max to be able to go through. After taking a quick breath and clenching his fists tightly, he went closer to the bed.
The first second Max's eyes caught the image of his father, he suddenly caught the breath. His chest tightened with a feeling that was hard to describe. The old man's condition was much
Max couldn't stay still. He kept walking back and forth, clutching his head. Every now and then, he sighed, hoping the pressure in the chest would ease. Unfortunately, the fear in his mind became clearer."Max," Gabriella sighed as she couldn't bear to see her husband's restlessness.Hearing the woman's soft voice, the man finally changed the direction and stopped in his wife's arms.“What should I do, Gaby? I still have a lot to talk with Dad. I haven't told him about our Little Prince, or said thank you. I've only hugged him for a minute,” Max whispered, spilling anxiety.Receiving such a confession, the woman's brows furrowed deeper. Gently, she rubbed her husband's back."Let's just pray that he will survive, Max," Gabriella said in a low voice. The woman didn't know if her words were of any use, but she couldn't stand still.“I should have come to see him earlier, Gaby. It wouldn't be this bad," the man regretted as he
"So, the results of my medical evaluation meet the requirements, Doc?" Max asked with his eyebrows raised to the max. "Yes," the doctor nodded firmly. "I will prepare for the transplant operation as soon as possible." A sigh of relief suddenly blew into the air. A second later, Max turned to the woman who was still holding her hand tightly. "Don't worry, Gaby. I'll be fine," the man said as he knew the meaning behind the curve of his wife's stiff lips. "That's right, Madam. You don't have to worry. Your husband has a fit body. Donating a small part of his liver will not cause any problems,” the doctor said reassuringly. With slightly pursed lips, Gabriella released the pressure in her lungs. "I hope this operation will go smoothly," she said in a thin voice. In a sudden, Max caressed and kissed his wife's head. "Amen. Now, how about we visit Dad? I want to see him before we go home and rest.” Gabriella nodded. After tha
"Don't worry, Gaby. I'll come back to you," Max said to the woman who was struggling to hold back tears. The bed was almost at the door, but his wife was still reluctant to let go of his hand."You have to wake up as usual," Gabriella whispered with furrowed brows."Yes. Then, we will immediately invite the Little Prince,” the man sighed with a faint smile.When the door to the operating room opened, Gabriella finally loosened her grip. With a heavy heart, she watched her husband was pushed away until her vision was blocked by the door.“There is no need to worry, Madam. Your husband will be fine," Minnie said as she shifted to the woman's side."I don't know why, but my heart is uneasy," Gabriella admitted with a stiff look."It's just your feeling, Madam. You must love Mr. Evans too much, so worrying becomes excessive," Mia said in helping her mother calm Gabriella.Seeing the support from two people beside her, the woma
"What's wrong, Madam?" Mia asked with furrowed brows, not understanding.Without giving an answer, Gabriella walked over with a bag full of "weapons". However, before she had gone far, the secretary restrained her pace."Madam, where are you going?" the girl asked, still confused."Someone sent a strange message," Minnie interjected with hands clasped together.“Yes, and I have to catch him,” Gabriella implied before swinging her legs again.However, when she took one step forward, the secretary had pulled her back.“Please don't be rash, Madam,” Mia said with a small frown at the base of her brow.A second later, the girl grabbed the woman's cell phone and checked the message. After a glance, a quick sigh escaped from her mouth."Who else is this?" she muttered before gritting her teeth.“That must be the criminal who attacked Max, Mia. I have to stop him,” Gabriella said as she took
"Is that true?" Gabriella exclaimed happily.After receiving confirmation from the other side of the cellphone, the woman glanced at her husband with sparkling eyes. After a while, she let out a sigh of relief and nodded lightly. "Okay, thank you, Auntie."As soon as Gabriella lowered the phone, Max immediately grabbed his wife's hand. "Is Dad's operation finished?" he asked hopefully."Yes. The operation went smoothly. Dad is being transferred to the ICU. If the monitoring results for the next few days are good, he can go home," Gabriella explained with a wide arch of lips."I hope his body can accept my heart and there is no complication," Max muttered in a prayer.A second later, the woman nodded in agreement. She was happy because her worries turned out to be unfounded."Sleep now, Max. You need a lot of rest," Gabriella said while caressing his husband's cheek.Without warning, the man's expression turned flat. After a moment of
“You don't have to make up stories, Mia. I just stopped the car in the parking lot. In a moment, you will see me standing in front of you. I'm not a coward anymore, you know?" Julian said before unbuckling the seatbelt. Hearing the CEO's relaxed response, Mia was pushed closer into despair. With a narrow throat, she said, "It's not about your bravery anymore, Sir, but Mrs. Evans' life." Doubting the hearing, Julian didn't budge and furrowed his brows. Slowtly, he began to detect Mia's sobs from the other side of the phone. “I beg you, Sir. Save her …” the secretary sighed in a trembling voice. “I couldn't tell Mister Max. He would panic if he finds out his wife is missing. I only found Madam's bag and a pen that was covered in blood." Knowing the seriousness of the secretary, Julian suddenly gulped. With hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, the man forced his brain to think. "Where did you find Gabriella's bag?" "On the emergency stairs,
"No," Julian groaned, pressing his stomach. With great difficulty, he strangled the criminal. "Don't touch her ...."Annoyed, No Name turned around and pushed Julian's hand away from his body. "Apparently, you really care about this woman more than your life, huh?"Without the slightest bit of pity, the man threw a fist into Julian's jaw. As his opponent staggered, he returned to Gabriella.Feeling a lot of energy being eroded, Julian finally ambushed the criminal with both arms. With all his might, he dragged the man by the neck to back away from the woman.“Apparently, you're persistent too?” No Name sighed in an indistinct voice. A second later, he struck the waist of the person behind his back. A muffled groan suddenly resounded, shaking the air."Do you still want to play?" the big man challenged while turning the handle in his grip.Instead of loosening up, Julian tightened his arm lock. However, the more suffocated the cri
“Why do Gabriella and Mia take so long? Where do they actually go?" Max grumbled as he continued to stare at the door and the clock alternately. “Do they purposely make me wait alone?” the man muttered as he couldn't decipher the furrowed brows. Something had stuck in his heart. "Or maybe, something happened out there and they don't tell me." After pondering for a moment, Max finally reached his hand out toward the table. Afraid that the wound would open again, he pressed his stomach with the other hand. "Tch, why did Gaby put my phone so far away?" While grimacing, the man tried to slide his cell phone with the fingertips. Inadvertently, the object slipped out of the line of the table and fell to the floor. A sigh of disappointment instantly released into the air. “Why did I drop it when I'm not allowed to bend down? Tsk, at this rate, I have no other choice,” Max muttered before taking a deep breath. A second later, with all his might,
"Whoa!" Cayden sighed as his father placed him on the back of a pony. With round eyes, he surveyed his height from the ground. Even though it was not much, the toddler in the cowboy hat still showed a happy smile. “How is it, Little Evans? Are you happy?” the woman who held the horse's rein asked. Not daring to move much, Cayden nodded at a limited angle. "Yes, Greta. I am happy. It's thrilling!” he answered enthusiastically. “Thrilling?” Gabriella muttered, furrowing an eyebrow. While continuing to rock her niece, the woman expressed astonishment. “Where did you learn that word, Little Prince?” "Daddy often mentions it," the toddler replied, successfully making his father wince. "Daddy said that the nights spent with Mom were always thrilling." As Gabriella glared at her husband, Greta burst out laughing. "Gosh, Max. I think you should be more careful now. Your genius son can absorb all the words you speak.” "Right. I'll be more caref
"If you kept avoiding me, I would really quit the company," Julian said, successfully freezing Mr. Hunt's steps. The old man was then blinking, digesting the words he thought he heard wrong. “Actually, my position as a CEO is being threatened for some reasons. I tried to keep it a secret from all of you. I didn't even let Mia know. But as it turned out, it wasn't easy at all. My mind became adrift. And because the burden was too heavy, my emotions finally exploded. I'm so sorry it had to happen in front of you." Hearing the tone that seemed honest, Mr. Hunt slowly turned his focus. Two seconds later, he saw the tears slide from the grandson's eyes. "I've tried to be strong and tough, Grandpa. I thought I could solve all problems. But it turns out, I haven’t found any solution yet. That's why I was angry when I failed to find Grace and you at the cemetery. It got me think that I am a useless man," Julian explained with the gloomy eyes landed on the grass.
“Tsk, why does Grandpa run away like this? It just makes me feel even guiltier,” Julian grumbled between gasping breaths. Holding on to Mr. Hunt's message, he walked down the tree-lined path. “What should I do if Grandpa isn't there? Where should I look for him?” the man thought as he couldn't erase the wrinkles from his face. The burden in his heart was too heavy to ignore. After a few moments of struggling with the noise in his brain, Julian finally shook his head and blinked strongly. "No, no. Grandpa must be there. I'll take him home and things will automatically return to the way they were before," the man nodded, fostering hope. Ignoring the anxiety that kept swirling in his mind, he went faster. Unfortunately, as soon as Julian passed the cemetery gates, his steps were frozen. His jaw was dropping while his eyelids were lifted to the maximum. What he had hoped for quickly turned into disappointment. "No way! This is impossible!” he curs
"Dad," Cayden called quietly. A second later, the toddler handed Max a piece of bread that had been cleaned of jam. "I'm already full," he continued with a meaningful smile.Understanding the son's intentions, Max spontaneously raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to finish your bread again?"While showing two rows of tiny teeth, Cayden nodded. After a faint exhalation, the father began to vibrate the air with laughter."Gaby, look at what Little Prince did! I can get fat if he keeps handing me food,” the man said while showing the second bread he received from his son.“Just eat it, Max. You need more energy to help the Little Prince take care of Hasty,” the woman who was cleaning the dishes with a sponge replied.Hearing his mother's response, Cayden's eyes immediately widened. His energy had just risen to the peak. “I've finished breakfast, Mom. Can I go to the stable now?”"Yes, but you have to wash your face
Suddenly, Julian dropped his face into his hands. After exhaling heavily, he lifted his head again and put on an indescribable expression."I didn't mean to scare anyone, Mia. I just don't want Grandpa’s mistake to happen again," the man said with frown on his face."Yes, I know," Mia replied with the same thin voice. “But you can do it without hurting Grandpa's feelings, Julian. This matter can be discussed amicably.”While gritting his teeth, Julian shook his head. Confusion had returned to cover his eyes. “What should I do now? I already made Grandpa sad.""Apologize?" Mia answered with a grimace."Is that enough?" the man asked doubtfully. He began to realize that his anger had indeed crossed the line.Pondering, the woman nodded. “As long as it's sincere, Grandpa will definitely forgive you. And I think, you should also explain to Cayden that what you did was wrong. Don't let your nephew imitate something t
“Greta, have you prepared delicious toast for us?” Cayden asked as the hostess opened the door wider to welcome him. Seeing her father was still able to walk, the woman with high arch of the brows spontaneously sighed in relief. After shaking her head for a moment, she turned her gaze to the toddler who was still holding Mr. Hunt's hand and waiting for her response. "Of course I have. There is also strawberry jam for you. Are you hungry?” Greta asked while faking a smile. “Not me, but Grandpa. I heard the sound of his breathing all the way. Grandpa is very tired! He should eat a lot of bread," Cayden said with his trademark expression—round eyes and pursed lips. While stroking her son's head, Gabriella bent her knees. After leveling their eyes, the woman tilted her head. "You know where Greta put the plate of bread, don't you?" No more than two seconds, the toddler nodded. "Yes. On the dining table," he answered with a big smile. "That
"Sorry, Julian. I took Grace to see your grandmother for a while. Now, I intend to take her home. We're not wandering around or straying like you said," Mister Hunt explained with an indescribable expression. Even so, his hoarse voice was able to touch the hearts of the listeners, apart from his grandson. "But the way home is over there, Grandpa!" Julian snapped, still with eyebrows raised to the max. The young man didn't feel sorry at all for the hunched back that was getting weighed down by guilt. "I really can’t understand what’s on your mind. Don't you realize that your recklessness can lead to trouble? Didn't we agree to go together? Why did you secretly take Grace away?” he continued, thickening the wrinkles on his grandfather's forehead. Sensing her father's anger, Little Princess began to furrow her brows. The baby had never heard such a loud voice. When her eyes fell on Mr. Hunt's gloomy face, she spontaneously pouted. A second later, her heavy cry b
Arriving at the cemetery, Julian was taken aback. What he saw was completely beyond expectation. There were no old man and baby among the tombstones. The grandfather and Grace left absolutely no trace. "This is impossible," Julian muttered as he quickened his pace. Neglecting his initial attempt to remain calm, the man sped toward the direction Greta had given. After searching for a while, he finally found the grandmother's name on one of the stones. “Right, this is the place. They should be here," Julian sighed, sounding desperate. With deep furrows, he circled around, trying to find any trace of either his daughter or Grandpa Hunt. Unfortunately, as far as the eye could see, the two remained off the radar. Confusion instantly grew bigger in Julian’s mind. "Tsk, how could it be like this?" he grumbled while clutching his head. Knowing that irritation, Mia gently touched her husband's arm. She knew that the man had failed to control hi
Carefully, Mr. Hunt wiped his great-granddaughter's cheek. Grace's red eyes no longer shed sadness. However, the old man still felt guilty for making the baby cry. "I'm sorry, Grace. I should have walked more calmly so you wouldn't wake up," he whispered in between his ragged breaths. After her face had been dry, Grace rested her head on Mister Hunt's shoulder. Blinking slowly, she pursed her lips. The furrow of her tiny brows indicated that she still wanted to roll up in the blanket on the crib. The baby wondered why she was with her great-grandfather, sitting on a long bench at the edge of a path. “When I was young, I only need fifteen minutes to arrive at your great-grandmother's grave. But now, why does it feel so long and tiring?” Mr. Hunt grumbled as he wiped his forehead with one hand. After one quick breath, the old man stood up again and held Grace in his languid arms. Although the baby was a bit heavy, his lips still curled up warmly.