She planned to tell Theodore that she had slowly come to terms with things, but at a later time.Right now, she was still in a nominal marriage with Sebastian. The situation was messy with the three of them involved. Once Sebastian recovered, the divorce would be finalized, and the child would be here. She would talk about it then.If Theodore knew that they had a child, he wouldn’t give up. Moreover, Sebastian couldn’t handle any more stress in his current situation.Theodore nodded. “If you don’t want to hear it, I won’t talk about it anymore. I won’t bring it up again.”“Theo, actually, after what you told me today, I feel like you’ve grown up. You've started to consider things from other people's perspectives. I take back the harsh words I said to you before.”This was the most comforting thing Theodore had heard all day, and it soothed his wounded heart slightly.“Yes, I was immature and foolish before, even blunt and stupid,” Theodore admitted.Rosalie shook her head. “No.
Rosalie nodded. “I approached you very carefully at that time, trying hard to be as obedient as I could. I was worried that if I weren’t, you’d hate me. You held my hand so gently when I approached you.”“You were trembling at that time,” Theodore said. “I could feel it. When I held your hands, they were shaking so badly because you were so scared.”“But you didn’t let go of my hands. Instead, you kept whispering to me, ‘Don’t be scared. You won’t be hurt from now on. I’ll protect you.’ From then on, I stayed with the Spencers and was always with you, going everywhere you brought me. Whenever I encountered a question I didn’t know the answer to, you would teach me patiently until I got it. You were never anxious or impatient with me. “When I was bullied, you were always the first to step forward and scare the bullies away. When I missed my parents, you would stay by my side quietly, saying nothing but simply being there. When I felt exhausted from crying, you would quietly hand me
“Rose.” Theodore turned around, and looked at her. “I’m just so sad. You’re so near to me right now, but I know that I’ve lost you and we can never go back to what we were in the past. I really…really miss you.”Theodore looked down, despondent. “Do you know? On your birthday, I was drinking at Caleb’s place. You came over, and I thought he was bullying you, so I hit him.”Rosalie nodded. “I remember that. You took me as Cynthia.”That memory still made her slightly upset and very uncomfortable. She remembered feeling disappointed and miserable at that time.Theodore smiled bitterly. “I knew it was you. I didn’t mistake you for Cynthia. I deliberately called her name.”“What did you say?” Rosalie said, shocked.Theodore inhaled sharply. “After asking for a divorce, I felt terrible, which is why I kept drinking. I couldn’t tell you about it because at that time, you treated me as a brother and you were happy when I brought up divorce. I didn’t expect you to be at Caleb’s pla
Theodore smiled bitterly. He said no further but lowered his head, looking as though he was crying.Rosalie lifted a hand and patted his back gently, trying to comfort him. She didn’t know what to say right now. Be it comforting or cruel words, she would only end up making him sadder—because she could never go back to him.Even without Sebastian in the picture, she wouldn’t go back to Theodore.Theodore was stuck in a never-ending cycle of sorrow, unable to walk out of it no matter how hard he tried. Nothing she said would be able to help him, unless he managed to figure things out himself and let go of things.“Had you known things would come to this, would you have done things differently?” she asked. People were often like this, never treasuring the things they had and only caring for them when they lost it.Rosalie really didn’t want to go back to Theodore. It was no longer a question of love. Just the mere thought of it hurt her immensely.It wasn’t just the two of them—it
Theodore nodded. “Fine. Forget it if you don’t want to share.”In fact, he hadn’t asked Rosalie because he was clueless. He had asked precisely because he knew Sebastian’s current state. It wasn’t difficult to find out that, apparently, Sebastian had lost his memory. Rosalie was the sole exception, being the only person he remembered.Theodore didn’t believe that was the case, and felt that Sebastian was putting on an act. How could he possibly only remember Rosalie if he had really lost his memories? It was too much of a coincidence.However, he wasn’t sure about his conjecture. Sebastian was probably the only one who knew the truth.Sebastian wanted to keep Rosalie by his side—but come to think of it, they were already husband and wife. There was no need for him to pretend that he lost his memories.Everything was in a mess, and it frustrated Theodore very much.“Rose, I have something to attend to. I won’t go into the hospital. Go on back. As much as you’re taking care of Seba
“I see. Vonnie must be having a hard time right now,” Rosalie said. “Don’t worry about her. She has to learn how to manage the company instead of relying on her brother for everything. It’s good for siblings to share the burden together,” Christopher said.Rosalie nodded. “Yes, I trust Vonnie is up to the task.”“Can you join me for dinner?”“Me?” Rosalie exclaimed in shock. She already had dinner, and couldn’t have another meal.“Oh.” Christopher smiled. “I know you’ve already had dinner. What I meant was, could you sit down for a chat with me as I eat? I haven’t talked with someone for a while. So many things happened, I do feel quite regretful about things.”Rosalie found it hard to reject Christopher’s invitation, but the thought of Sebastian still waiting for her made her bite and bullet and say, “Seb might still be waiting for me, so…”“Don’t worry,” Christopher said. “He was in good shape when I saw him. He even told me you’ve been taking care of him, and he feels quite
Rosalie nodded. “He hasn’t, but I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose. He seldom tells me about his family, and I only found out he had a sister when I met her in person.”She was afraid Christopher might be upset, so she tried to offer an explanation.Christopher took a sip of his tea. “Don’t be so anxious to explain things to me. It’s fine. I don’t really mind that Seb didn’t mention me to his wife. Since you two are together now, it’s a matter of time before we meet. Aren’t we both seated here at the moment? It’s not too late for us to get to know each other.”Rosalie smiled politely. “Yes. I never knew he had an uncle like you before this.”“An uncle like me?” Christopher asked curiously. “What sort of uncle do you think I am?”“I know that you’re of high status, but keep a low profile.” “I’m not someone important, just a government worker. At the end of the day, no matter how high-ranking I am, I am but a civil servant. It’s just a matter of address,” Christopher said indiffe
“She did get it, but…” Rosalie said helplessly, “she spent it all, and ended up unable to take care of me financially. She left me at the entrance of a company building. Thankfully, Mr. Spencer saw me and took me to the Spencer residence. I lived there until I got married to Theodore.”“Were they making you a child bride for their family?” Christopher asked, brows furrowed.Rosalie wasn’t sure if she heard it right, but she thought she heard his voice turning cold.She immediately explained, “No! Grandma didn’t take me as a child bride, but treated me like her own granddaughter. She treated me very well, and I married Theodore willingly. No one forced me into it.”“So you married him for love, and not because you were forced or to repay their kindness?” Christopher pursued further.“Yes, I married him because I loved him. The Spencer family is powerful and rich, with hoards of women fighting to marry into it. Why would they force me?”She could be frank with others and say that s
"You'll…you'll help me get a new heart? How will you do that?" Aurora asked."Why not? You can choose not to believe me, but once you miss this chance, it's gone," Yerick said. "The pill is right here. Eat it when you feel like it. If you really don't want it, you can throw it away—but that's akin to throwing away an opportunity."Yerick released his hand. "It's late. Go to sleep."Aurora looked coldly at the pill in her hand. "How can I possibly fall asleep?"She couldn't eat or sleep knowing that Theodore was with Rosalie. Hatred filled her heart right now.Suddenly, a pocket watch appeared before her and started swinging. Yerick's voice drifted into her ears as he fixed his gaze upon her. "Go to sleep."The pocket watch swung before her for around ten seconds. Aurora suddenly felt dizzy; she then collapsed on the bed, falling into a deep sleep.Yerick looked coldly at her as he kept the pocket watch away. He reached out to pull the sheets over her. "Good night, Ms. Payne.
But now that she thought about it, if she had really done that, Theodore would surely have found out."Let's go back to your ward first. I'll tell you what to do," Yerick said, extending his hand.Aurora took his hand, following him back to the room in a daze. Once inside, she sat on the bed and burst into tears."Theodore lied to me! Why did he lie to me? How could he do this to me?" She clutched her chest, struggling to catch her breath.Yerick's lips curled into a cruel smile, and he said seriously, "With your frail health, how can you compete with Rosalie?""What should I do, then? It's not my fault that I have bad health! I have no other choice."Yerick raised an eyebrow. "What if I told you that you do have a choice?""What do you mean? Can you help me?" She grabbed his arm, her voice trembling with emotion. "You can help me, right? Please think of a way for me! I can't lose Theo. I've fallen deeply in love with him. If I have to leave him now, I'll go crazy. I'd rather die!"Th
Aurora collapsed onto the bed and gripped the sheets tightly, tears streaming down her face. "What do you want from me? What do you want?""Welcome to my game, Aurora. What I want is random, based on my mood. Before this, all of you were players in my game. The rules are set by me."Aurora lifted her head, finally realizing that she had walked straight into a trap. Yet now, she had no choice. If she told Theodore, it would prove that she had been lying to him. She had saved Theodore not by accident, but by deliberate design.Aurora wiped the tears from her face. "Are you going to hurt Theodore?""That depends on how cooperative you are. When the game's over, if you listen well, maybe I'll let you both grow old together. After all, I was the one who made you two go from strangers to being acquainted, to being in bed together. My abilities are greater than you think."Yerick's eyes gleamed with confident amusement. Aurora knew she was no match for him, so she could only resign herself a
"Aurora, you still haven't seen the thing that will break your heart even more. If you saw it, you wouldn't be saying this," Yerick countered."I still don't know your name," Aurora said. "You've been telling me you're Theo's friend, but he never mentioned he had such a friend.""He certainly wouldn't mention me, because things between him and I are very strained."Aurora was rendered speechless. He had told her that they had severed ties."By the way, Aurora, did he go back?" Yerick asked.Aurora nodded. "Yes. He originally wanted to stay and take care of me, but I was worried he'd get tired, so I told him to go back and rest. He'll come to see me again tomorrow.""Did he really go back?""I'm absolutely sure," Aurora said. "I told him to go back. Otherwise, where else could he go?""Have you thought about the possibility that he went to find Rosalie?""Rosalie! Are you saying he's with Rosalie now? No, that's impossible! Theodore wouldn't do that," Aurora protested."Why not? Didn'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