The ward was eerily quiet. Theodore lay alone on the bed, staring blankly out the window.The sunlight streamed through the window and cast a faint glow on his pale face. His face was ashen and his eyes were vacant, as if he didn’t have a soul. He looked exhausted and drained.He was as silent as a walking corpse. Even when the doctor came in for his examination, he said nothing.Sydney entered the ward. She visited Theodore every day. He remained silent, not saying a word and continuing to stare vacantly out the window.Sydney walked over and sat in the chair beside the bed, placing her bag to the side. She took an apple from a plate and said, “Let me peel an apple for you.”Theodore still remained silent. He didn’t even glance at her, as if she didn’t exist.Sydney sighed inwardly, and began peeling the apple with a knife. “I don’t know exactly what happened. You haven’t told me anything, and I don’t even know who brought you to the hospital. But I know something must have h
“Care about me?” Hearing these words, Theodore suddenly smiled, but the smile was extremely bitter.Rosalie obviously cared more about Sebastian. At such a critical moment, she had chosen Sebastian. Yet, she said she cared about him? It was simply laughable.Hearing the term “care,” he even felt nauseous.Seeing Theodore’s terrifying smile, Sydney felt very uneasy. “What exactly happened? If you don’t tell me, how can I know?”“You don’t need to know. No one needs to know.”Theodore didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want Rosalie to be blamed, so he would pretend that it never happened. He didn’t want Rosalie to become a disappointment to the Spencer family. After all, she was like an angel in his family. Her parents had also died because of his family.Seeing Theodore’s silence, Sydney knew she couldn’t find out anything more from him.“Rose will come to see you today,” Sydney said. “She told me last night, and I gave her the address.”Theodore clenched his fists. “I wa
“So that’s how it is. You’re back so soon. I thought you’d be gone for a long time.”Theodore replied, “I was originally supposed to be away for a while, but since there were issues back home, I finished up early and came back.”“Theo, you’re running around so much. It must be tiring. You should take some time to rest. You don’t need to push yourself so hard.”“It’s alright, Grandma. I’m fine.”“Listening to your voice, you sound really exhausted. Theo, even though I’m strict with you, it was only because I wanted you to succeed. Now that you’ve truly become successful, I’m content. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Rest when you need to.”Theodore gently rubbed his nose, his eyes slightly red. “I got it, Grandma. I’ll make sure to rest.”“By the way.” Rebecca seemed to remember something. “Rose called me earlier. She asked where you went. Didn’t you meet her before? Why didn’t you tell her where you were going? Did you two argue again?”Rebecca was still worried about their relati
“Alright, Grandma, I understand.”“Good. Then you can get back to your work. I won’t disturb you any longer.”“Goodbye, Grandma.”Theodore blankly hung up the phone. He weakly leaned against the headboard, his gaze vacant.The Spencers all cared so much about Rosalie. It was fine, because he cared about Rosalie too. But she didn’t care about him.Rosalie cared about everyone—except for him.He was the one who made foolish mistakes and lost her. He was now facing the consequences. What right did he have to complain?In Rosalie’s eyes, he was a despised ex-husband, someone who could be discarded at a crucial moment. Their ten years together couldn’t compare to her few months with Sebastian. That was the difference.She had really fallen for Sebastian. Otherwise, why would she choose him so decisively?Indeed, Sebastian was now her husband. Sebastian was despicable, but he would take good care of Rosalie because his love for her was real. What use was there for Theodore now?T
Theodore furrowed his brows. “Do you have someone you like? Tell me, who is it?”Theodore’s expression was like that of a father catching his daughter in an early romance. After all, Rosalie was only fifteen at that time. In Theodore’s view, an early romance was unacceptable. If he found out who the guy was, he would beat him up.Rosalie quickly shook her head. “No, no.”She insisted that there was no one, but Theodore just didn’t believe her.“Who is it then? Is it someone from your school? Is it that low-class guy with a tattoo on his arm?”“No, Theo! Don’t guess blindly. There really isn’t anyone. I’m just studying hard every day. I won’t be dating anyone.”Seeing Rosalie’s serious denial, Theodore believed her. After all, he couldn’t bear to push the little girl too hard. She would really cry, and he would feel heartbroken and guilty.“That’s more like it. Focus on your studies. There will be plenty of opportunities for romance later. You’re still young.”When she grew up
He turned around, his face frighteningly pale. “If you still don’t love Mom, you wouldn’t even be here right now! You wouldn’t care about the child she gave birth to, either.”“Theo, you’re my son! I care about you, no matter what.”“Then why were you always not around when I was young? Why were you always with other women when I needed you most?”Wesley was at a loss for words.Theodore sneered. “You’re here not because you’re a good father. You’re at best a bastard who suddenly had his conscience pricked and wants to go back to your family.”Wesley clenched his fists. “Did your mom say something to you?”“No, she didn’t say anything. She doesn’t even talk to me about you.”His words were blades piercing through Wesley’s chest.Theodore’s words were cold and cruel, but they exposed the truth that Sydney never talked about his father to him.Her hatred toward Wesley had faded to cold indifference.Although they still met and interacted with each other, a huge chasm laid betwe
They didn’t want to play games with Theodore.Therefore, they didn’t verbally agree to Theodore’s demand on one hand and then secretly contact Rosalie on the other.They did feel guilty toward him, and it drove them to do as he said. They didn’t want to bear the consequences of worsening their relationship.The only thing Wesley could do right now was to comfort Theodore as best as he could, in hopes his son wouldn’t do anything foolish.Silence ensued between the father-son pair.Theodore didn’t move and Wesley didn’t dare move a muscle too, for fear that he might provoke him to jump.“Theo, Grandma really wants to see you. Your mom and I have treated you unfairly, but not Grandma. She might be fierce to you, but she raised you and genuinely dotes on you. Even if you don’t care about your mom and me, you should at least care about your grandmother.“She’s advanced in her years, and might not be able to take it if she were to receive such shocking news.“Theo, I know it feels t
A day flew past in the blink of an eye.Rosalie stared at the sunset in a daze. She didn’t say much the entire day, and remained mostly silent.She was in a gloomy mood, upset and anxious that she couldn’t see Theodore.However, she had no choice. She had to bear with it for the sake of her baby.She wondered how he was doing right now.“Rose.” A voice sounded by Rosalie’s ear.Rosalie turned around, and saw someone enter her ward. She smiled weakly. “Yerry, you’re here.”Yerick chatted with her over text today and found out that she was hospitalized, so he rushed over to see her.“How are you doing, Rose? You don’t look very well.”Yerick sat on the chair by her bedside with a worried look on his face.Rosalie shook her head. “I’m fine. I’ll be going for the operation tomorrow.”“Don’t worry, Rose. The operation will be a success.”“Thanks for coming all the way here to see me, Yerry.”“It’s no trouble at all. What’s more, you’re hospitalized. I’ll rush over, no matter ho
'Why?! Why are you doing this to me? What's so good about Rosalie Young? Why are you like this? She's another man's wife!' she cried inwardly.Aurora clutched her chest and stumbled back to her ward. 'Theodore Spencer, how could you stomp on my feelings so cruelly?'Aurora shut her eyes, overwhelmed by pain. She felt as though her world had turned dark. All she could see was black and white. Colors no longer existed in her life.That was all there was to life. Where was its beauty? Only lies and schemes existed between people, even between kin and loved ones.Aurora suddenly thought of something and pulled out a pill from her pocket. It was the pill Yerick gave her last night.'Should I really take it? What if I die?' she thought.However, if that man really wanted to kill her, he would have done it long ago. There was no need for him to do it in such a roundabout manner.Aside from getting a heart transplant, there was no way around her heart disease.However, if she were
When Aurora arrived, she noticed Theodore leaving the ward.She hurriedly hid behind a corner as he walked forward. At first, she wanted to call out to him. Then a thought came to mind, and she followed him in secret. Theodore left the hospital to buy breakfast from a nearby store. Who was he buying breakfast for? Was it for her?Aurora saw a glimmer of hope.Since Theodore stayed with Rosalie for an entire night last night, was he buying breakfast for her out of guilt?She saw Theodore buying two portions of breakfast in two boxes before returning.Aurora quickly hid herself again. She continued following Theodore, and saw him walking back into Rosalie's ward with breakfast in hand.Her world imploded before her eyes. Was Theodore going to have breakfast with Rosalie, too? He had already spent the entire night with her!'Oh Theo, what do you see me as? Am I not your girlfriend? Why are you keeping your ex-wife company?' Aurora thought, anguished. Gritting her teeth, she p
"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