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
"I'm not hiding anything from you. Rose, I'm going to wash my face in the bathroom. Please wait a moment."Sebastian walked into the bathroom, seemingly avoiding her.At that moment, the doctor entered the ward. "Mrs. Carter, how are you feeling?"Rosalie replied, "I'm doing well, doctor. Thank you for saving my baby.""It's our duty," the doctor said. "It was your husband who made all the decisions.""My husband?" Rosalie glanced at the bathroom door, and asked, "By the way, Seb told me that there were some complications during the surgery, and it lasted for several hours. What happened?""This is what happened," the doctor explained everything to Rosalie.After he finished, Rosalie's face turned pale with shock.So it meant that her going out might have affected the baby, leading to the complications during the surgery? Moreover, Sebastian had honored his promise to her, striving to save the baby and not opting for abortion.Rosalie sighed deeply with relief. It had been rig
Sebastian smiled bitterly. "She wouldn't have understood. Even if I told her, she would only get angrier and might think you're foolish. So let her blame it all on me. If I told her that it was your choice to proceed with this, she'd berate you. I know you respect her a lot, and I don't want you to suffer any distress."Sebastian's choked up voice pierced Rosalie's heart. She grasped his hand tightly. "Seb, thank you for protecting me, and for accepting my unreasonable request."In this world, only Sebastian truly understood her. If it had been someone else, they would have chosen to terminate the pregnancy.Sebastian treated her the best in this world. He truly cared for her, unlike Theodore, who, under the guise of caring for her, hurt her and divorced her, resulting in both of them being unhappy."Rose, none of your requests are unreasonable." Sebastian gently caressed her face. "I know how important this child is to you. You would never give up on it, so I made that choice be
Sydney emerged from the bathroom after her shower, putting on her clothes one by one.Geoffrey lay on the bed propped up on one side, smiling at her."Won't you stay for breakfast?""You can eat by yourself."She could barely tolerate being in the same space with him, let alone eating breakfast together. She would likely end up vomiting.Geoffrey didn't stop her.He sat up and said, "Sydney, can you tell me why you married Wesley? You married him shortly after we broke up. Is it because of me, or is there another reason?"After Sydney finished dressing and slung her bag over her shoulder, she turned and said coldly, "Of course it's because I love him."Her voice carried a hint of sarcasm.The mention of "love" made Geoffrey frown. "Impossible. I don't believe it.""Do as you please." Sydney turned to leave.Geoffrey suddenly got out of bed, and blocked her way."What do you want? Are you going to keep me here?" Sydney questioned."No," Geoffrey said. "I just wanted to ask i
Sydney made her way directly to Rosalie's hospital room. As she walked down the hall, her phone rang inside her purse.She quickly pulled it out and checked the screen. Her expression darkened, and she answered immediately. "Theo, where have you been?""Mom, I'm okay. Stop trying to find me.""Where are you? Do you know how scared I was when I saw you weren't at the hospital?""That's why I'm calling, to let you know I'm alright." Theodore's voice sounded detached. "Mom, I need to be alone for a while. I'll come back in a few days.""Are you sure you're safe?" Sydney asked, her voice filled with worry."I'm fine. I won't let anything happen to me."Sydney exhaled deeply. "Okay, I'll give you some space to think things over. Take as long as you need, but promise me you'll stay safe and won't do anything rash."A heavy feeling sat in Sydney's chest, a mother's instinct warning her that Theodore might be desperate."I'm not going to do anything stupid. I've already come to terms
Theodore wrapped all of them up in his long arms.Under the golden sunshine, the family of four was wrapped up in each other's embraces. Sunlight shone on them, encasing them in a warm, golden glow. Everything felt calm and peaceful. The children snuggled in their parents' arms, innocent smiles lighting up their faces. They could feel the warmth of the sunshine as they found the safest and warmest haven in the entire world in their arms.In the evening sun and gentle breeze, they finally found happiness in each other's embrace.-In the deep of the night, Rosalie had a dream.Both Justin and Grandma came to her in her dream.Grandma and Justin were playing cards, surrounded by beautiful birds and flowers. They seemed to be in heaven, having the time of their lives with a look of tender love in their eyes.Grandma was very happy that she had reconciled with Theodore.Justin told Rosalie, "Rose, I'm so happy to see you happy.""Justin, do you hate me?""Silly girl, why would
Theodore made Rosalie feel like love was possible once more, and gradually opened her up.Love was ever-changing with time and the experiences they went through.Rosalie missed Justin dearly, but she also learned to treasure the people around her and every present moment of happiness. She learned how to accept the past and treasure the present amidst all her relationships.Justin would be her one and only in her heart, but Theodore also found his place in her heart amidst the unique position Justin was in.This was how their affections and love for each other grew and changed with time.Justin was dead, and Rosalie couldn't keep living in the past. She would carefully preserve her love for Justin in a corner of her heart.She would spend the rest of her life loving Theodore and their children."Chelsea," Rosalie said as she pulled Chelsea over. "Your daddy loves you very much, but he didn't get to see you come into this world. But you must remember his name. He is Justin Lynch."
Theodore and Rosalie brought both children to Justin's tomb.Before they left, Rosalie said that she and Chelsea wanted to spend some time alone with Justin.Theodore brought Jake to the car to wait for them.Golden sunlight shone on the land, feeling warm and toasty and giving the earth a beautiful glow.Rosalie caressed the tombstone. "Justin, I'm sorry for not coming to visit for such a long time."The last time she came back was a few months ago, during which she snuck a peak at his tombstone.Rosalie pulled out a bone fragment. "That's because you're always by my side, which is why I think that I can bring you everywhere I go. You're not just here at this tombstone."Justin, Theo and I have reconciled. He did so much for me, even sacrificing his own life for me. I can't just stand idly by and do nothing about it. I can't bring myself to reject him ruthlessly again and again."You can say that I'm moved, or that I fell in love with him once more. He's just too good, and I c
Jake had so much fun today and was exhausted by the time he reached home. After his shower, he crawled into bed and fell right asleep without any coaxing whatsoever. Jake would sometimes sleep in the bedroom with Chelsea, and sometimes they slept separately.At night, when Rosalie went to Chelsea's room to tuck her in and tell her a bedtime story, she asked, "Chelsea, how was your day with Theodore?""Hmm, it was alright," Chelsea said. "But Mr. Spencer was so silly, he burnt the food. I only got to eat lunch very late.""Is that so?" Rosalie burst out laughing. "How silly of him indeed.""But Mr. Spencer is quite nice," Chelsea said. "I like him. He said that I can call him Daddy."Rosalie's eyes lit up. "Do you want to call him that?""I do," Chelsea said with a nod, "but I'll do that tomorrow."Chelsea yawned. She felt tired, too.Rosalie caressed her cheek. "Goodnight, my darling. Go to sleep."-Rosalie returned to her room, took a shower, and laid on the bed. Theodo
Their parent-child bonding efforts officially began the next day.Rosalie brought Jake to the theme park. In the beginning, Jake felt rather stiff and reserved. It was his first time alone with his mom, after all.As time went by, Rosalie's earnestness, concern, and gentle patience with him slowly opened him up.They sat on the carousel, drove the bumper cars, rode on the Viking ship, zoomed down slides, bounced on the trampolines, and sailed on mini-boats. They had a whale of a time.Jake was covered with sweat, but he was so happy, he didn't want the day to end.He had grown closer to his mom, so much so that he would jump into her arms, hugging her and asking for kisses.Rosalie did not hold back from expressing her love for him and even carried him on her back as they continued exploring the park.Jake was very obedient and came down very soon, for fear that Rosalie might get tired. They moved on to the next attraction hand-in-hand.Rosalie found out one thing from Jake, wh
Some time later, Rosalie realized that Jake was being rather sullen.Each time she asked him whether something was wrong, he would brush her away, claiming that he was fine before running off.It was a Saturday, and Rosalie didn't need to go to work. She was seated on the couch with a book when Chelsea ran over, her braids swaying behind her. "Mommy, can you give me a hug?"How could Rosalie say no to her adorable little daughter? She shut the book and said, "But of course. Come on over."Rosalie opened her arms, very willing to show Chelsea affection.Chelsea crawled up onto the couch happily, sitting on Rosalie's lap and diving into her embrace.Jake happened to see it all.Rosalie noticed Jake standing a short distance away and was about to say something to him when he ran off.The smile on Rosalie's face faded as a look of worry took over.At night, Rosalie put Chelsea under Theodore's care and went to Jake, wanting to speak to him alone."Jake, what's with you recently
A gentle breeze lifted the curtains slightly in the deep of the night.Rosalie laid in Theodore's embrace, panting slightly. Her cheek leaned against his chest, feeling his heart pounding heavily, and her cheeks flushed.She never expected this day to come between her and Theodore, yet everything happened in a flash. He went to bed with her just like that, bewitched and completely infatuated with her.Although they were once husband and wife and had been intimate countless times, this felt different from the last. Things felt more intense this time around."Rose, are you happy?"Although Theodore's liver had been doing well over the last three months of recuperation, he was still worried that his fitness level might be affected before his liver was fully recovered.Rosalie gave him a slight smile. "Of course, I am. You almost crushed me."Her face flushed the moment she spoke those words. She hugged Theodore tight, feeling safe and secure.She could sense that he was telling th
"Theo, have you had a woman over the past five years?" Rosalie asked very frankly.They weren't naive young men and women but mature adults with experience in this matter.Theodore was a red-blooded young man who had his needs. Suppressing his desires, which were absolutely normal, would only jeopardize his health.Theodore was getting angry. "Am I someone like that to you, going to bed with a woman I don't love just to satisfy my physical needs?""Aren't men all like that?" Rosalie said. She didn't mean it in a scornful way but simply highlighted it as a typical observation.Lonely men and women in the city were bound to seek companionship in some places and part ways after the night.Someone as powerful and influential as Theodore wouldn't even need to go searching for someone else. Women flocked toward him like bees to honey."Why can't I be an exception?" He was in no state whatsoever to find another woman over the past five years and would always deal with his sexual desire
Time flew by, and three months later, Rosalie was fully recovered and back at work.Her colleagues welcomed her back with a bash.Everything seemed to have returned to normal.To keep Jake company, Rosalie would go back to Theodore's house every day after work. She was practically living there.Rosalie and Jake's relationship had improved over time, and they were looking more and more like they were truly mother and son.Everything was going well.At night, the four of them sat around the dining table and chatted happily with each other.After dinner, Rosalie and Theodore sat in the living room chatting. She suddenly noticed a book on the table. It looked so familiar that it caught her eye.It was the book she had written. Over the past five years, not only was she busy learning and working, but she also managed to write the book she had conceptualized and even gotten it published. However, this book was only available in Briusian and not exported to Blencalgo.Rosalie's book