Geoffrey's earlier seriousness faded away, replaced by fatherly warmth. His words brought Yvonne a little comfort."Dad, I understand.""That's good. I'm really happy you came to have dinner with me tonight. I've asked the kitchen to prepare your favorite dishes."He didn't want Yvonne to discover that Sydney was there. However, Sydney was so exhausted from his torment that she wouldn't wake up, not even if thunder struck.After Yvonne finished eating with him, she would leave. At that point, he would return to his room and continue sleeping with Sydney."Thank you, Dad." Yvonne smiled. "Dad, no matter what happens, remember that we're family and I'll always be your daughter. Even though you and Mom divorced, I know there must have been no way to continue living together, which is why you made that choice. The divorce is good for both of you. As your daughter, I just want you both to be happy. If one day you meet someone who can make you happy, you must tell me. I will support you
Yvonne returned to the dining room.She acted as if she hadn't seen anything and continued drinking and chatting with her father.After dinner, it was time for her to leave.Before leaving, Yvonne tested the waters. "Dad, why don't I stay here tonight and leave tomorrow?""You used to never stay home and are always out playing, and now you want to stay with me? I think you should go out and have fun like you used to."This was Geoffrey's private residence, and Yvonne and Sebastian didn't live here."Dad, are you trying to get rid of me?""Exactly."Yvonne pouted, seemingly a little upset. "I'm your daughter. How can you chase me away?"Geoffrey patted her on the head. "Alright, now. How could I bear to do that? I was just joking. You should go spend some time with your brother. He must be exhausted taking care of your sister-in-law."Yvonne could sense that her father wanted her to leave.It made sense—he was hiding a woman here. If his daughter stayed and she found out, it w
In the early hours of the morning, Theodore sat in the penthouse, gazing down at the view through the large windows. Outside, the lights sparkled, and the bustling streets twisted and turned. Even in the dead of night, the city remained vibrant.He reached out to touch the bottle of liquor beside him, but just as he was about to grab it, the bottle was taken away.Theodore turned around, frowning as he extended his hand. "Give it back.""Don't drink anymore. Your wounds haven't healed yet." Caleb forcibly took the bottle.Theodore snapped coldly, "If you don't let me drink, do you want me to jump off the building?""Don't try to scare me. My heart is weak. If you jump here, I'll die of fright, and then I'll hunt you down in hell and give you a good beating," Caleb said.Theodore chuckled. "Then I won't jump."He had considered jumping and had almost done it, but at the last moment, Wesley stopped him.Later, he waited for Rosalie, but no matter how long he waited, she never cam
The scene shifted back to before Theodore left the hospital. He looked at the time on the wall; it was already nine o'clock. He had planned to wait until nine, but time was up now.9.01 PM, 9.02 PM, 9.03 PM… The minutes ticked away.Theodore stared at the clock and smiled."Rose, you wouldn't even let me see you one last time. You've deceived me again. You said you would come, but you changed your mind. Do you hate me so much? Then I'll die. If I die, you won't hate me anymore. If I die, I won't have to listen to your lies anymore or feel so much pain and despair," he thought.Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door to his ward.Theodore paused in his movements. He turned his head, filled with hope. Could it be Rosalie?The knocking continued.Unable to hear any response from inside, the person outside grew worried and cautiously opened the door, peeking inside.She saw Theodore standing by the window ledge, and was startled. She quickly walked in. "What are you tryin
Aurora was taken aback, thinking she might have misheard. Her expression was one of confusion."What do you mean by compensation?" He had asked her for her number. Wasn't it because he wanted to contact her?"You saved me, so I want to give you some money as compensation. You can leave now." Theodore's expression was cold and devoid of warmth. His words were also filled with a lack of compassion.He had said thank you, but his so-called gratitude was being expressed through money. Aurora felt that this man showed her no respect.Noticing that he hadn't left, Theodore turned his head and glanced at her indifferently. "Is there anything else?""Mr. Spencer." Aurora struggled to hold back her tears. She felt a bit wronged, but maintained a calm exterior.She added, "I feel like you're humiliating me."Theodore responded coolly, "I'm not humiliating you. Perhaps I misspoke. This is a thank-you gift, not compensation."It was the truth. He had not meant to insult her. He merely
"My name is Aurora Payne," she replied."I'm Theodore Spencer. Nice to meet you, Ms. Payne." His tone was no longer as cold as before.Aurora nodded. "Nice to meet you. I know you're Theodore Spencer. I recognized you when I was saving you. I've seen you on TV. You're the CEO of SK Enterprise."Theodore gave her a helpless smile. "So what if I'm the CEO of SK Enterprise?"Hearing the dejection in his tone, Aurora thought about him climbing the window ledge earlier. She quickly said, "I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, I believe it can be resolved. You're so capable, you don't need to—"She wanted to say that he didn't need to resort to extreme measures, but Theodore himself didn't acknowledge it, so saying it would seem like she was overstepping.After all, they weren't close to each other. Even though she saved his life, she couldn't just speak her mind freely."Some problems cannot be solved by being capable. Moreover, you misunderstood. I'm not capable."The
Thus, Theodore arrived at Caleb's place without informing anyone, not even his parents. He didn't want to tell them. They would only offer comfort and advice, and he had heard enough of that."Caleb, do you remember a few months ago when I was still married to Rose? I got drunk at your place, and you brought Rose over?""Of course, I remember. You even beat me up back then. You were so angry. If you weren't my best friend, I'd have made you pay for it." As he spoke, Caleb clenched his fists with gritted teeth."Do you remember why I beat you up?" Theodore asked.Caleb scratched his head. "Of course I remember. At that time, Rose came over, and you were drunk. I had a few arguments with her, and when you woke up, you came over and beat me up to protect her. I thought you were protecting your wife, but it turned out you mistook her for Cynthia. So, specifically, you thought I was bullying Cynthia."Theodore forced a bitter smile. "Yes, I remember. After I beat you up, I was holding
Theodore's current state was entirely of his own making."Are you cursing me silently, thinking I deserve this?" Given the atmosphere, he could guess what Caleb was thinking.Caleb scratched his head. "I actually sympathize with you.""You don't need to sympathize with me. I know I brought this upon myself."Caleb sighed. "Will you get back up?"Theodore's gaze shifted to him. After a long pause, he nodded. "I will."It was good that Rosalie was fine. It was just that she didn't love him anymore. What was the point of wallowing in self-pity here?…Morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting warm rays into the ward. The beams illuminated the bed, bathing the person lying there in a soft glow.The room was filled with a faint smell of sunshine, making the whole world seem warm at that moment.Rosalie slowly opened her eyes in the warmth. For a moment, her mind was blank, but soon, vivid memories flooded back.Her eyes shone with sudden clarity as she reached out to
She and Justin's baby must have really wanted to survive, which was why it tried so hard to stay in her body.For all she knew, it was Justin staying by her side in another way.Rosalie caressed her stomach while covering her lips as she sobbed brokenly. This time, she didn't cry merely due to sorrow, but because she saw a ray of light amidst the hopelessness, and Justin's shadow within the light.Theodore gently patted her through the sheets. "Rose, you still have me and Steve. We'll stay by your side. I'll also take care of the baby in your stomach. I won't let him grow up without a father."Rosalie looked at Theodore, tears streaming down her face. She held his hand tight, words unspoken in her heart that she didn't know how to express.After being under observation in the hospital for two days, the doctors made sure that she was physically fine and Theodore took Rosalie home.Rosalie was ready to see Steve.She had been emotionally unstable and didn't dare to see Steve not b
When Rosalie opened her eyes, she saw the ceiling above her. The mild scent of disinfectant drifted in the air and tears filled her eyes."Rose, you're finally awake."Theodore heaved a sigh of relief and held her hand tight.Rosalie was still in a daze, her eyes empty as she lay silently on the bed."Rose, you're pregnant. The doctor said that the fetus is two months old."Rosalie's brows furrowed. She turned around and gaped at Theodore in shock. "What…what did you say?""It's been less than 50 days since you disappeared, but the fetus is more than 50 days old, so I think this baby…" Theodore didn't go on, but the meaning behind his words was clear.Rosalie caressed her stomach and recalled what Justin said in her dream about their love continuing. He was caressing her stomach at that time. As it turned out, it was a foreshadowing of what was going to happen."It's Justin's child," she said agitatedly.Sebastian had a vasectomy, and the timing wasn't right. The baby was cert
"Silly girl, it isn't your fault. It was my own choice. If I were given another chance, I'd still be willing to be with you. Moments spent with you were happier than my entire lifetime. I should be the one saying sorry. I didn't protect you well and let you get hurt."Justin felt so real, as though he were still alive. Rosalie could sense the tears in his eyes and feel his every breath."Justin…" Rosalie broke down crying."Rose," Justin said, holding Rosalie's hand. "It's time for me to leave. I'm sorry, but I can't stay by your side.""No, Justin!" Rosalie grabbed his hand and cried agitatedly, "You said earlier that you're mine and I'm yours. You said you'd never leave me! You can't go back on your word!""Rose," Justin said, tears streaming down his face. "Although my body is no longer with you, my soul will always be in your heart. No matter where you go, you'll bring me with you. As long as you think of me, I'll live on."He gently pulled Rosalie up to her feet, his face ha
Warm sunlight shone on Rosalie's face, making her feel toasty.She opened her eyes slowly and found herself in a warm embrace. Before her was a face that was so achingly familiar, her breath caught.He looked at her affectionately with his deep, dark eyes, caressing her face with his hands. His coarse hands rubbed against her tender cheeks, and it all felt so real."Justin," Rosalie called out tentatively and very cautiously, suppressing the emotions stirring in her heart. She almost whispered it, for fear that her dream might come to an end.Justin flashed her a doting smile. "Why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?""Bad dream?" Rosalie looked around her. She and Justin were in their room.Everything felt so real. She felt so happy and warm, and all those scary things that had happened felt like nothing but a nightmare.Rosalie started tearing up as she dove into Justin's arms. "Justin, I was so frightened! Turns out that it's just a dream. I thought I lost you."She wo
In the deep of the night, Rosalie dreamt of Justin once again.They were walking down the red carpet, filled with joy—but the next moment, a bullet pierced mercilessly through his heart, snatching his life from him. She saw him lying in a pool of blood.She screamed and struggled with all her might, but she was helpless. Nightmares haunted her night after night."Justin, Justin! Don't die! I'm begging you, don't die! Don't kill Justin, I'm begging you, don't kill him, don't! Ahhh!" Rosalie screamed as her eyes flew open.In the next second, she found herself in a warm embrace. "Rose, I'm here. It's just a nightmare, a nightmare."Although it was a nightmare, it really did happen.Rosalie felt the warmth of his arms and burst out crying."I caused Justin's death, I harmed him! If…if I made him leave, if I didn't go to the airport to find him, he would still be alive and well. Why did I go and find him? Sebastian was right, everyone who loves me ends up in a terrible plight. I cau
Rosalie held the rings tightly in her hands and put them at her chest, sobbing, "Justin, Justin…"She collapsed on the bed, dissolving into tears."Rose, I know you're in a lot of pain, but I want you to know that you still have me and your son. Don't you want to see Steve? He really missed you."The mention of Steve made Rosalie come alive, but only for a split second.She gripped her collar tight. "I need some time to be alone. I don't want him seeing me like this."She didn't want to scare her son. She was afraid that she might break down before Steve."Okay. If you need me to be by your side, just call me."Rosalie shut her eyes and curled up into a ball, ignoring Theodore's offer.Theodore sighed and pulled the sheets up over her before leaving the room.When he was walking down the corridor, his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered the call."Mr. Spencer, we've dealt with Sebastian's corpse."Theodore clenched his fists so ti
It was like a long, long nightmare.Rosalie didn't know how much time had passed. All she could remember was herself walking in the desert for a long, long time. She felt tired, thirsty, and hot. She saw no end to the desert and she seemed to be looking for something, although she had forgotten who she was.Just as she fell from tripping over a stone and found herself unable to crawl back up, a man appeared before her.Rosalie looked up, and tears welled up in her eyes the moment she saw who it was.She suddenly remembered who she was and she reached out a trembling hand, calling out, "Justin… Justin…!"Her voice was hoarse.Justin crouched down. "Rose.He reached his hand out, as tender as before.Rosalie felt as though she had found her lifeline. Yet right before their hands touched, a loud gunshot sounded as she saw a bullet pierce mercilessly through Justin's chest. Blood trickled down the wound.Justin collapsed to the ground."No…no, no!"Rosalie yelled at the top of h
"Sebastian Carter, dare you kill me? Hahaha…!" Rosalie laughed.Her scornful laughter was akin to blades that pierced Sebastian's heart. He knew his time was up and all forms of pretense were useless.Although he refused to concede defeat, he had no other choice.Anyone who loved this woman was bound to end up in a horrible plight.Out of the blue, he asked, "Theodore, do you love Rose?" "Of course I do, but I'm not as perverted as you are," Theodore spat."Yes, I'm perverted while your love is noble and dignified. At the very least, Rose loved you once, but what about me? She has never loved me." Sebastian chuckled bitterly, tears filling his eyes. "I just want her to love me! What wrong have I done? I just don't want to lose the woman I love. How is that wrong?"Until now, Sebastian refused to admit his wrongdoings. He might know it in his heart, but he refused to admit it outright.Tears of indignation rolled down his cheeks as he bawled like a child. "The only wrong I di
Sebastian gritted his teeth as he vented his overwhelming wrath on Rosalie's body.Rosalie shut her eyes and bit down on her lips hard, bearing with the pain. She didn't cry out for fear that the people outside would hear her and realize the indecency that was going on.The men outside were shouting anxiously. Just then, one of their members ran over with an electric drill in hand. "I found this! Let's try it."A loud drilling sound came from the door. A few minutes later, the door lock finally came loose.The door was kicked open with a loud bang and Theodore barged in with his men. Sebastian and Rosalie were seated by the bedside, with Sebastian holding a gun pointed at Rosalie's temple.Rosalie's hair was in a mess, with tears streaming down her face. Her sleep gown was all tattered and torn.Fire burned in Theodore's eyes when he saw the scene before him. "Sebastian Carter, what did you do?!""I did everything you can imagine! If you don't believe me, just watch." Sebast