There was a trace of melancholy and sadness in her absent-minded eyes as she clenched the bedsheet tightly. There was also a slight redness at the corners of her eyes.Seeing Rosalie's expression, Sebastian had a hunch as to why she was distracted. He lowered his eyes; after a faint dimness flashed in them, he raised his head again, but this time with a smile."Alright." Sebastian stood up and reached out to her. "Come on."Rosalie snapped out of her daze and lifted her head to look at him, puzzled. "What for?""I'll support you. What if you fall?"He spoke naturally, as if he was just talking to a good friend. It was informal and free of any other meaning."Oh." Rosalie reacted, and realized that she had involuntarily thought of Theodore again. She felt annoyed with herself. She tried to banish the words "Theodore Spencer" from her mind, and gave Sebastian her hand.Sebastian helped Rosalie up from the bed, after which he held her arm and led her out of the ward. When the two
"Because I know how you feel. Your whole family despises you, you have no status at home, and no one invites you to any celebrations. You're practically being driven out, so you're clinging onto Theodore for dear life. Marrying him is your only way out, your chance to hold your head high, and perhaps even to get back at the Zellers!"Every single detail of Cynthia’s life was completely exposed before the man.Cynthia gritted her teeth, and said word by word, "Who exactly are you?" The man smiled. "I am your father’s illegitimate child—your brother."Cynthia was thunderstruck."What did you say?!""I said, I'm just like you. I'm not accepted by anyone. Your father had an affair back then, but after my mom gave birth to me, he abandoned me. We're both children of the Zellers, so why should I suffer outside alone? That's why we have the same goal. I'll help you get a heart, and when I need your help, you must help me too. Both of us will benefit from it."Cynthia hadn't fully regi
Meanwhile, Sebastian escorted Rosalie back to her residence. There, Rosalie poured him a glass of water. "Seb, thanks for bringing me back.""You’re welcome. I've already called someone to drive your car back. It should be here soon.""Okay, thank you." Rosalie thanked him again."Don't be so polite with me. I should be the one thanking you." Sebastian stared at her deeply. "If it weren't for you, I might have ended up in the hospital today.""I just did what I could," Rosalie humbly replied."No, what you did wasn't a small favor." Sebastian's gaze warmed even more. "You exerted a lot of effort. Even though you're pregnant, you stayed up late for me. I really feel guilty. I'd rather take a beating."If anything happened to Rosalie because of this, he would never forgive himself."Don't say that." Rosalie's tone was gentle and composed. "We're friends, so let's not be so polite.""What can I do to repay you? You name it, I'll do it." Sebastian was eager to do something for he
Sebastian’s mind went numb upon seeing how enthusiastic Rosalie was at pairing him and Lily.Her excited expression was a rare sight. Yet, he had to witness it in this context.“How about this,” Rosalie suggested, as yet another idea came to mind, “ask Lily out, and all four of us will head out for a meal.”“The four of us?” Sebastian asked. “Which four?”“You, Lily, Vonnie, and me,” Rosalie said. She looked straight at Sebastian, as if questioning the delay in his train of thought.“The four of us together?” Sebastian was confused. “But why?”“If you ask her out for a meal just between you two, it’ll look too much like a date. But if you and some friends ask her out, that makes things different. What’s more, with some ladies around, she’ll feel more relaxed. Didn’t you say that she recently broke up?”Sebastian said hesitatingly, “Yes…but will this really work?”The thing was, Lily didn’t even exist. He had made her up, so how was he going to ask her out? “Why are you so hes
Sebastian saw Rosalie’s eyes dim; he wanted to say more, but his phone rang before he could speak.His father was calling him to deal with that project again. Geoffrey wanted him to come right away, as the personnel involved were already waiting for him.Sebastian didn’t want to leave just yet. However, Rosalie, knowing the situation, urged him to attend to company affairs first.After bidding her goodbye, Sebastian left her house.Not long after his departure, she received a text. There were only two words in it: [I’m sorry.]It was from Theodore.Rosalie furrowed her brows, doubtful. Why did he text her that for no apparent reason? She replied to him with three question marks. Theodore texted back. [The day I took the incoming call, I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I just forgot about it. I’m sorry I upset you.]Rosalie shook her head, feeling helpless.She was taken aback by Theodore’s severely delayed reaction, what with his apology coming so belatedly. The last tim
Rosalie thought Theodore would be upset with her text, and that they might end up fighting again. She mentally prepared herself for that to happen. She even prepared many responses to him to retaliate.To her surprise, he replied very quickly.[Alright, I won’t say it anymore if it upsets you. Just tell me in the future if there’s anything you’re not happy with. I’ll change.]Rosalie wondered what the occasion was today. She even checked the calendar. Today wasn’t April Fool’s Day and not any special occasion, either. It was just another ordinary day. Why was Theodore being so yielding? He was acting just like a well-behaved puppy.That’s right… That was the best way to describe him right now. All he needed to do was to whimper for attention.Theodore sent another text that read, [Rose, eat well and sleep well. Please don’t torment your own body. And…thank you.]Rosalie became even more confused. [Thank me…for what?]Theodore sent her a cheeky-looking emoji. [For the things
Before she could send the text, a call came in. It was a foreign-looking number.Rosalie answered the call. “Hello?”A mature-sounding voice of a middle-aged man greeted her. “Ms. Young, it’s me.”The voice sounded very familiar, from someone she just heard today. It was clearly Sebastian’s father, Geoffrey.Rosalie’s mind buzzed. “Mr. Carter?”Geoffrey’s voice sounded peaceful and courteous, a stark contrast from how cold he had sounded when talking to Sebastian.Rosalie thought she must have heard him wrongly. Why did Sebastian’s father sound so calm and kind?Geoffrey seemed to have sensed her surprise over his sudden call, and explained leisurely, “Don’t worry. I’m not calling to reprimand you.”Doubtful, Rosalie asked, “How may I help you, then?”“Is Sebastian still with you?”“He’s left. The moment he received your call, he went off to work.” Then she added, “He’s very hardworking and very outstanding, for that matter.”“It seems you regard him highly,” Geoffrey said l
“You’re not as insignificant as you claim to be. Since you know President Harper, why don’t you introduce us? Skycrest might need to take a loan or two in the future,” said Geoffrey. Rosalie finally understood the reason behind his call today. It was none other than for corporate interest.“To be honest, Mr. Carter, I’m sure an enterprise as outstanding as Skycrest would have many banks fighting to give it a loan. There’s no need for you to look for a bank, not to mention asking someone insignificant like me for help on that,” Rosalie said firmly. For someone like Geoffrey Carter to look her up for an introduction with a bank president, something fishy must be going on. There was clearly an unknown reason behind this—one that Geoffrey would certainly refuse to say.“That’s true,” Geoffrey said, “but the choice always goes both ways. There’s no loss in getting to know the president of a bank. Could you help me out, in light of the fact that I didn’t punish my son on your account t
"Next time, I'll make sure to not leave evidence behind." Sebastian gently caressed Steve's face."Steve, Daddy will win in the end. Just wait and see. When you grow up, you'll be like Daddy, always winning. We'll never lose." Sebastian laughed, his eyes bloodshot.Steve seemed startled, fear beginning to show on his face. He seemed like he was about to cry.-In the middle of the night…A peaceful atmosphere filled the ward, with the soft light of the night lamp casting a warm glow on Aurora's pale face. She lay alone in bed, her body seemingly blending into the silent night.Through the window, the night scenery appeared calm. Moonlight shone on the curtains, casting shadows in her room. Stars adorned the sky like diamonds, flickering as if silently telling tales of endless loneliness and thoughts.The door creaked open, and a man in black quietly entered the room. He was slender, and walked lightly. He blended into the shadows of the darkness. His gaze was sharp, like a star in th
Theodore gripped the magazine tightly in his hands, flipping through the pages. In truth, he didn't absorb a single word.Rosalie felt like she was suffocating. She couldn't continue speaking to Sebastian. "Seb, I'll hang up now. I'm going to rest."She was afraid that if she kept talking, she would lose control."Alright," Sebastian said, gently waving Steve's hand. "Steve, say goodbye to Mommy.""Goodbye, darling." Rosalie waved at the camera.Thinking about Steve made her heart ache deeply. This whole situation was just absurd. Steve's biological father was right next to her, but he could only remain invisible.After a while, Rosalie ended the video call with Sebastian. She set her phone aside and covered her mouth, crying.She was deeply upset. So many things had happened recently.On one hand, Theodore suddenly appeared in Melrine with his pregnant girlfriend. On the other hand, there was Justin. And then, Sebastian had done something terrible and lied to her. Now, he had returned
Rosalie asked this on purpose as she wanted to hear Sebastian's response. Had he truly returned to the country out of guilt, or was everything just a coincidence and the company issues had truly forced him back?"Actually, Rose," Sebastian said, "after I came back, I realized the situation is worse than I thought, so I won't be going to Melrine anytime soon. I just can't find the time.""I see." Rosalie lowered her gaze, a little disappointed.It just so happened that he returned to the country now, but it seemed that he also didn't dare to come back to Melrine. Was he really avoiding the authorities?But who had tipped Sebastian off? Could Sebastian have planted someone around Theodore? Who could it be?Rosalie forced a smile. "Alright then, I hope you sort out the company's matters at home. Don't worry about things here in Melrine. I'll come back as soon as I finish my studies.""Okay. Rose, why don't you talk to Steve for a bit?"Rosalie looked at the child on the screen, her eyes f
The sky gradually darkened.By now, Rosalie's IV drip bag was empty.She wanted to go to the bathroom. She had just gotten out of bed when Theodore stepped forward to support her.Rosalie immediately pulled away from his arm, her tone cold. "I can manage."With that, she carefully made her way to the bathroom, closed the door, and locked it.Theodore felt helpless.Later, she came out of the bathroom. She had finished washing up and returned to bed to lie down. "I'm going to sleep now. You can go back."Theodore didn't say anything but sat down on the couch."Go ahead and sleep." He picked up a magazine, and began flipping through it.Seeing his demeanor, Rosalie knew she couldn't change his mind. She turned to the other side, facing away from him.Theodore put down the magazine and secretly watched her. He cautiously walked over and adjusted the blanket on her, then returned to sit on the couch.Late at night, Rosalie's phone rang. It was a video call from Sebastian.Rosalie glanced d
"So, Dad, I can stay in Blencalgo without worry for now, right?"As they say, experience came with age. His father's connections and resources were certainly more extensive than his own.Sebastian had committed the offense in Melrine, but now he was back in Blencalgo. There was no extradition agreement between Melrine and Blencalgo, and Blencalgo had no law enforcement rights over him. Coupled with his background, he could escape any danger."I can help you this time, but next time, you'd better be more careful. If you're going to do bad things, don't let anyone have anything on you."Sebastian lowered his head. "I understand. I'll be more careful next time."Geoffrey's gaze lingered on him for a long moment before asking, "I heard you brought the child back."Sebastian nodded. "Yes. Rose is staying there to finish her studies, so I thought I'd bring him back to take care of him. After all, I've been looking after him all this time.""You really are something, raising another man's chi
"What question?" Sebastian asked. "Are you pregnant? Which man did you fool around with?""Seb, why are you acting like this?" Yvonne retorted. "I didn't mean that! I was going to ask you something.""Ask me? What is it?"Yvonne thought for a moment, then said, "Have you and Rose...consummated your marriage?"Sebastian furrowed his brow. "What on earth are you talking about?"Yvonne's heart skipped a beat. She had been indirect enough. "Well, Seb… You two are married now, and Rose has a child. Have you…?"Sebastian gave her head a tap, though not gently."Ouch! Why did you hit me, Seb?" Yvonne rubbed her head."Don't mention this again."Seeing the gloomy expression on Sebastian's face, Yvonne seemed to realize something. Could it be that he and Rosalie hadn't slept together yet? If that was the case, then it was great."Vonnie, hold the baby for a moment." Sebastian handed Steve to Yvonne.Yvonne took Steve into her arms. "You're so cute."The baby in her arms was soft and cuddly, lik
"I-I didn't mean it like that. I-I just blurted it out. Why are you being so harsh?" she said, stuttering.Could the treatment he went through damaged his brain and caused a change in his personality?Why did it feel like Sebastian's gaze had become so dark? It was completely different from the warm look he used to have. Was it just her imagination?Sebastian pursed his lips. "Vonnie, stop saying things that upset me. You know very well that I treat him as my own. Next time, don't speak without thinking. It could be bad if someone else hears it. After all, Theodore doesn't know about this yet. Do you understand?"Yvonne nodded. "I understand, Seb, but why is Rose staying in Melrine? Did she not want to take care of him? Or is she coming back soon?""She's busy with her studies over there. I wanted to take care of him, and he's more attached to me, so I brought him back to look after him. Once she's done with her studies, she'll come back.""So, from the way you're speaking, you're not
"Steve, isn't your mother being unreasonable? How could she treat me like this?" Sebastian said. "I just left, and she took advantage of my absence to get together with her ex-husband. I'm livid."But I know this can't be Rose's fault. It must be Theodore who seduced her."Steve, who was awake, blinked his big, round eyes.Sebastian picked him up and held him in his arms."You wouldn't do this to me, would you? Steve, you're with me now. Don't worry, I won't blame your mother. If I blame anyone, it'll be Theodore. It's that man who destroyed everything. I won't let him get away with it."Sebastian held Steve's small hand. "We, father and son, must be of one mind, right? When you grow up, you'll help your dad get revenge. You'll make sure to teach those who've bullied your dad a lesson.""Seb, you're back!" Yvonne rushed in.Upon hearing that Sebastian had returned, Yvonne hurried over. She saw Sebastian sitting on the couch, holding Steve in his arms.Yvonne was overjoyed and ran over
Theodore told Rosalie that Aurora was pregnant, but now, she knew that Aurora had a heart condition and needed a heart transplant. How could Aurora possibly be pregnant, then?"We weren't careful," Theodore said. "We didn't use protection, and she got pregnant. So now, I have to cherish her and make sure she doesn't come to any harm."Rosalie was left speechless. She didn't know what to say. Theodore was absurd—he found a woman who resembled her, and coincidentally, that woman had a heart condition and became pregnant. Was this man out of his mind?If Rosalie thought about it, Aurora did look a little like her. Plus, Aurora shared some traits with Cynthia—heart disease and fragile health.Theodore was a true romantic, wasn't he? He had found a new woman who combined the traits of his two previous lovers.What if, in the future, after breaking up with Aurora, he found a fourth woman? Would the woman have combined features of his first three women?The more Rosalie thought about it, the