Gwynn was unperturbed as if nothing had happened. His fingers twitched at the thought of it. He wanted to give her a call and listen to her voice. However, he was experiencing a similar fear as a soldier coming home after a long war.He was scared that he didn’t belong.He didn’t grab his car keys and drove home until one in the morning. He was mildly surprised to find that a servant waited for him when he returned home. She welcomed him and said in a hushed voice. “Ms. Gwynn sat in the study by herself ever since what happened in the afternoon.”After a brief moment’s quiet, he asked, “Did she have dinner?”“Why wouldn’t she?” The servant sighed lightly and continued, “Today’s Lorian’s birthday. Ms. Gwynn might’ve been disheartened to see what was on the internet, but she took a few bites of his birthday cake nonetheless. I’m telling you, Mr. Noah, she really loves her little boy.”He nodded and said that he knew what she was getting at. Climbing the stairs, he went straight
Noah, however, made sure he got home every night. He no longer forced Gwynn to sleep with him. Sometimes, he’d even sleep in the study. He was sure that he’d wear her down over time. After all, Lorian was the glue that held them together!It didn’t hurt that he treated his son nicely. He did love that little rascal from the bottom of his heart. Half a month later, her health deteriorated more and she started to throw up blood in the mornings.Still, she didn't seek treatment for it. She had given up on her life. It was evening when she sat in the yard, enjoying the evening breeze. She looked so scrawny underneath the fading light from the sky that there was a layer of fragility added to her grace. Gladys came over and put a small blanket over her, speaking softly, “Gianna’s here again! She said she wasn’t going to leave until she saw you. I’m going to send her away right now.”Gwynn was a little stunned. This had to be the third time she came!She coughed intensely before s
Aware that Noah was ruthless, Gianna put her pride aside and started pleading with him. “Please, Noah. Think about what we meant to each other in the past. Give me something. I can’t even find a job if you don’t let up.”At the next moment, she cried out desperately, “He broke up with me because his family forced him to! I have nothing left!”Noah didn't relent.Instead, he asked, “Don’t you think you had it coming? You begged me for mercy but did you ever pause to think about the repercussions of your actions?”Standing in the evening sun, he took a drag of his cigarette. He might’ve looked elegant, but, at that moment, he was cold and distant. He looked like he had never loved her to begin with. Wisps of smoke rose in the air slowly and scattered to the winds. His voice was cold and hollow. “Get out of Brookesville and never come back, ever.”Gianna couldn’t help but take a step back.She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She sobbed and said, “Are you seriously going
Noah soothed his son, lowered his head, and asked her, “What are we to each other, Gwynn?”“A jailer and a prisoner.” Her voice was hollow. “I’m not your wife, Noah. I’m your prisoner!”Another gust of night breeze blew past him, sending chills down his spine. …Noah ended up sleeping in the study that night. He had a dream in which Gwynn left, taking Lorian with her. She also took away every scarf and cashmere sweater she had made with her, leaving the bedroom empty except for a veil, which was flowing in the air quietly. “Gwynn!”He jolted awake and beads of cold sweat rolled down his back. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sky was still dark outside. Then, he checked the time and realized it was only three in the morning. He was too overwrought to go back to sleep. So, he got out of bed, opened the door, and walked straight toward the master bedroom across the hallway. The door to the bedroom was ajar, a glow of light seeping through.To his surprise, Gwynn was sitting
Gwynn shook him off and uttered, “I don’t need it!”He was the one who had been rough with her. Now, he was pretending to be taking care of her. Why even bother?!She left without any hesitation.Noah sat alone on the couch, smelling the lingering body odor left in the air in the private lounge. It did nothing but leave a hollow sensation in his heart. …He had a bad feeling about what was going to happen to his family and it wasn’t exactly unfounded. Three days later, something terrible happened. Lorian went missing. Noah rushed home the second he learned about it through a phone call. Worried that her CEO might get into a car accident in his current state, Kim went with him. The moment Gladys saw him, she fell on her knees, wiped her tears, and said, “I took Lorian out for a stroll and ran into a friend. We were just chatting when someone snatched him away from the stroller! I didn’t leave his side, Mr. Noah, I swear. All I did was talk to my friend a little!”The old
The car’s headlights drew closer from afar.Noah stepped out of the car swiftly, wiped the rain off his face, and walked over to her. “Gwynn.” He caught her hands and realized that they were bleeding profusely. Rainwater poured into his throat as he spoke. “Wait for me in the car! I’ll look for Lorian!”She shook his hand off violently.She shuffled to another dumpster. There was no time to lose. She kept mumbling her son’s name all the time. “Lorian… Lorian…” However, she hadn’t gotten a couple of steps away before he grabbed her arms again. Wiping rainwater from his face again, he uttered sternly, “You’re going to kill yourself. Get in the car! Lorian’s my son too. I’ll do my best and find him!”“You’re not his father! You’re a heartless monster!” With that, she swung her hands and gave him another slap.Taking a step back, she glared at him and screamed hysterically, “What’s the point of me clinging to life if Lorian’s gone? Listen up, Noah. Lorian matters more to me than
"Don’t pass out, Lorian! You can’t fall asleep!Please listen to me, sweetie. You can’t pass out…"…It was the middle of the night. The lights in the Lockwood Hospital’s emergency department were all lit. Aside from hypothermia, the filthy water from the trash had gone into Lorian's lungs and infected them. Suffice to say, he was in critical condition. Zoe, Mason, and Mia made their way to the hospital. Zoe brought Gwynn some fresh clothes and asked her to get changed, but the latter was in no mood to do that. In the end, Zoe had to pull her away and make her wash herself up before helping her change. The doctors were still doing everything they could to save the little boy. Later, the chief doctor came out and told Mason that things weren’t looking good for Lorian. Mason simply gawked at him for several seconds.Then, he made a phone call. “Hi, Sam. It’s me, Mason! An infant with a lung infection is in your hospital now. The situation is looking grim and I know you’re
'Oh, my sweet boy. I don’t have much time, but I’m going to spend whatever’s left of my life, clearing out a path for you in the future. No one’s going to hurt or scare you anymore.' All of a sudden, Noah's phone rang.Noah stood by the window and answered the call. It was Kim. She had worked all night and her voice had turned hoarse. “I found Gianna, Mr. Noah!”He responded tersely, “Send me the location!” The moment he hung up the call, there was a beep. Kim had sent him the location. Noah checked it before tucking his phone away. Raising his eyes, he met Gwynn’s gaze. She said softly, “Don’t forget what you promised me. Gianna has to pay!”Then, she shifted her gaze and rested her eyes on Lorian. He responded, “Leave it to me! I’ll see it done!”…Walking out of room 1004, he saw Kim waiting for him right outside. She walked side by side with him and said, “I think she’s doing it on purpose! She exposed herself so you’d find her, Mr. Noah.”She added, “I’ve reported