“I can’t do that! Yanni’s important to me, but Zoe is equally important as well. The fact that I did so many wrongs by her just made it worse! I owe it to her!”…Mason paused a little before clenching his fist and continuing softly. “I know you still love her and that she used to have feelings for you…”Cecil cut him off and asked, “Why are you so generous all of a sudden?”Lowering his gaze, Mason smiled bitterly. Moments later, he turned around and said to Cecil, “Power and status was all I cared about in the past. I used to think that having a family of my own was nothing but a bonus. Never did I consider that I’d sacrifice myself just so my kid could live on. I could just as easily make another kid. Don’t you agree?“However, Zoe gave birth to Yanni because of me. “That’s why I love her.”…Mason didn’t specify who he was talking about and Cecil didn’t ask any further questions. He stopped fighting him on his decision because he could see the determination and courage i
Yanni was discharged from the hospital three days later. They returned to Kirk Manor and lived out the rest of the month peacefully. Both of them looked after Yanni together. When Mason had a social or business outing, he’d take Zoe along with him. It looked like they were an actual married couple.Neither of them brought up their painful history. Instead, they tried to put it past them. He knew this was his last few weeks with the people he loved.He told Zoe that he needed to work late into the night, but he’d make sure he came back home before Yanni’s bedtime. He’d bathe her, put on pyjamas for her, and wrap her in a warm blanket before letting her sleep on his chest. Underneath the warm glow of the night light, he’d tell her fairy tales until she slept. Afterward, he’d return to his study and resume his work. By the time he was done, it was past midnight. Both his wife and daughter were long asleep.It was enough for him to simply lie next to them. That was happiness for him
All of the love and hatred that they shared would cease to exist.This was the first time she leaned on his chest of her own accord. She proceeded to talk to him. Her voice was soft when she said, “Ella and Farley are going to get married at the end of the year. Yanni’s condition will have improved by then. I might take her back to Silvercrest to attend the ceremony. I’m wondering what kind of gift should I prepare for them.”He didn’t say anything about it. Brushing her hair, which was damp from the sweat, he chose to enjoy the quiet for a brief moment. She gave him some time. Her voice was a little strained when she spoke. “Are you going to attend the ceremony as well? Ella told me that you have some business dealings with Farley as of late.”Lowering his head, he stared at her intensely, “Do you want me to go?”Instead of answering his question, she ran her fingers across his dashing features and talked about Rosemary. “Rosemary is going to attend as well. After all, she was
“I’m going to make something warm to drink!”Mason didn’t reject his offer. He watched as his father hurried into the cramped kitchen and went about boiling water clumsily. The night breeze was a tad too strong, causing him to cough intermittently. All of a sudden, Mason asked, “Have you gone to see the doctor?”Westley’s body stiffened. Then, he responded softly, “I’ve had this cough for a long time. It’s no big deal, really! All it takes is some pill and I’ll feel better.”Mason knew he was lying. One look was all he needed to know that this condition had haunted his father for a long time. However, he didn’t press for more information. Instead, he started paging through the books on the couch. Westley proceeded to make some tea once the water was boiled. He was a little uneasy when he gave his son the cup of tea. He even smiled bitterly when he said, “I don’t have any better tea leaves. I’m sorry if you find it distasteful.”Mason took a sip and put the cup down.The old ma
Mason walked over, sat by the bed, and flashed her an affectionate smile. “I went out to take care of some matters. Did you have a nightmare?”Zoe stared right at him wordlessly. She didn’t tell him about her dream. It felt like a bad omen. Then, she took his hands when he laid down on the bed. The warmth of his palms made her feel easier somewhat.It was just as they say, dreams were usually the opposite of reality. It wasn’t going to happen. After all, it was just a dream.Just as she was about to doze off, she thought she heard him murmuring in her ear, saying that if she ended up getting pregnant tonight, then she should name the baby Jamie.Zoe woke up the next morning. She thought about what he murmured over and over again in her mind and decided that it was nothing but a dream. “You’re on edge. That’s all,” he said.That wasn’t how she felt, though. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. What was worse, the feeling was growing stronger
The surgery took a long time, almost sixteen hours. There were some hiccups, but it was ultimately successful. The only thing was, Mason didn’t wake up. He was still lying on the operating table quietly. He didn’t know that the surgery went well for Yanni and that she was sent out of the operating room. He didn’t even know what would happen to him tomorrow. All he could do was lie down wordlessly as the universe meted out its sentence to him unfeelingly. Cecil took off his mask and read the numbers shown on the monitor. It was a frightening sight because it showed that Mason’s vital signs were dropping significantly. He might die at any second. Now, Cecil was a doctor who had seen a lot of deaths in his lifetime. He had grown used to it, but he simply couldn’t accept it when it came to Mason. Leaning close to him, he murmured, “Zoe’s waiting for you! Are you just going to leave her like this?”Mason didn’t respond to him. He simply lay there quietly, his face was as white as
Perhaps the emergency at his branch company in Hucksburgh was a really complicated affair. That didn’t track, though. Mason loved Yanni very much. It was impossible that he’d ignore her texts about their little girl just because things weren’t good at his company.She thought about giving him a call, but, with the way things were between them now, she didn’t dare to do it.Perhaps she should wait, she thought!Mason could just respond to her texts or call her tomorrow itself. Better yet, he could just take a flight back to Brookesville.…Mason was lying on the bed quietly in the Intensive Care Unit. The medical team had extracted nearly half of his bone marrow as well as one-third of his blood from his body, giving it all to his little girl. He sacrificed himself to save Yanni.The fact was that the cross he had gotten from the Beacon of Hope Church didn’t do anything. What made it work was his sacrifice. Back then, he kneeled for four hours before the altar and asked
It was the middle of the night and Mason’s ward was brightly lit. Cecil ran through a full examination for him, but the results didn’t look good. It was true. Mason had woken up, but his vital functions had all but stopped working. His limbs were unresponsive, especially his right hand. All of the nerves in there had basically died.Mason accepted his fate. He might have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His right hand was basically unusable and he’d have to learn to make do with his left hand. To put it bluntly, he was disabled!With that said, he didn’t regret his decision one bit. Lying on the bed, he said calmly, “Yanni’s my daughter, and I’m more than willing to do it! Zoe doesn’t have to know about this, though. After all, we’re no longer married. She has the right to pursue a better life with…”Cecil didn’t let him finish. Instead, he walked right out of the ward. Lisa fell on her knees by the bed and hammered it with her fists. She was crying at the top