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Chapter 30

Author: Maureen Green
"I regretted leaving back then. Now, all I want is to stay by your side," Aren said. "Pen, you don't have to respond, but please don't push me away."

Back then, he had been too stubborn, too afraid to speak up, and that hesitation had cost him the person he loved. Years had passed, but his feelings had never changed.

The only person he had ever longed for was still her. This time, no matter what, he wouldn't let her slip away again.

Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice, or maybe it was the way old feelings resurfaced, but Aspen's heart, long frozen over, seemed to thaw just a little.

She had thought she was destined to have a cold, desolate life. She had never expected fate to bring her back to the one person she had once loved in her youth.

"Aspen, your daughter is dead, and yet here you are, cozying up to someone new?" Colin's voice cut through the moment like a blade, cold and simmering with restrained fury.

He stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, his gaze filled wit
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Nykki Sarrasin
I hope this gets finished here... Totally into it.
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    "This was the kid you schemed so hard to get. You were the one who couldn't deliver a healthy baby, so why are you blaming me?"Colin turned his face away without a trace of warmth. In fact, there was even a mocking glint in his eyes when he looked at Aspen."Surely you haven't forgotten how you shamelessly crawled into my bed back then, or how you plotted to give birth to a child. Since you liked children so much, fine. I'm willing to give you another one."He then stepped forward, tilted Aspen's chin, and kissed her.It was revolting—unbearably revolting. Aspen had never imagined she would feel such disgust. She mustered all her strength and shoved Colin away."We're already divorced, Colin Fuller. Could you please have some dignity?"Colin had never expected his attempt at a kiss would be rejected. Anger flashed in his eyes."Aspen, we never got a divorce certificate. We're still husband and wife, so why are you acting so coy?"He was just giving her what she wanted. Why was

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    It was a threat—a blatant, undisguised threat.Aspen knew Colin was ruthless. If he said something, he meant it. She rushed out of the room without hesitation, stepping in front of Aren to shield him. "You're not allowed to touch him!""You're giving me orders? Aspen, do you even think you have the right?"Colin raised an eyebrow and let out a cold scoff. He had to admit, watching Aspen defend another man right in front of him made his anger surge uncontrollably."Colin, whatever happens between us, don't drag anyone else into it!""At least you know it's between us." Colin sneered. His gaze was as sharp as a blade as it swept over the two of them. He then shoved Aren aside and strode off without another word.Aspen's heart pounded with fear. She immediately turned back to Aren. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I dragged you into this. But don't worry, I'll make sure—""I'm not afraid of him." Aren cut her off firmly.He had studied abroad and had recently returned to start his

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    "I'm fine!" Aspen grew anxious. It was just a minor bone fracture—what was the point of resting any longer?But Aren completely ignored her protests. Without a word, he lifted her into his arms and gently placed her back on the bed."Rest and recover properly." His tone was firm, yet there was a gentleness in it, just like years ago. And yet, it didn't feel exactly the same.Aspen couldn't explain why, but despite being apart for years, there wasn't even a hint of awkwardness between them. Their tacit understanding remained, and there was an unspoken connection that felt effortlessly natural."Get some rest first. I'll go get you something to eat." Aren smiled, then turned and walked out of the room.A sense of warmth spread through Aspen's heart as she watched his retreating figure, slowly filling the cracks that had long existed there.At that moment, the door swung open, and Zac stepped inside. He stood before Aspen, his face twisted with unconcealed disgust."Aspen, I've tru

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    Aren stood at the doorway with his fists clenched tightly. His face was dark with fury as he watched Aspen in her moment of helplessness and despair.Years ago, he had made a split-second decision, one that had led him to leave. He had never imagined that the moment he walked away, the woman he loved would suffer such humiliation and hardship.If he had known what would happen to her, he would never have left. He would have found a way to carve out his own path right here, in this country.But regrets meant nothing. There were no second chances in life.At that thought, his expression shifted again. He picked up his phone and personally arranged everything with the funeral home, ensuring every detail of Sophie's farewell was handled perfectly.After being discharged from the hospital, Aspen went straight to the funeral home. She wanted to give Sophie a proper send-off. But she was stunned when she stepped inside and saw the room filled with plush toys.She stared at Aren in disbe

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    Aren had never expected that a simple trip abroad for further studies would cause him to miss so much.Back then, he had drowned himself in alcohol and despair for quite some time when he had heard that Aspen had gotten married and even given birth to a child. He had thought it was just a one-sided infatuation on his part.But after listening to her side, he felt like there was more to the story than he had originally believed."Enough for now. You're exhausted. Go home and rest for a few days. Once you've recovered, come and find me. I'll personally take you to the company to start your new job." He gently patted her head, and his voice was as soft as ever.Looking at Aren, Aspen felt something flicker to life inside her—a tiny spark of hope.But just as quickly as it appeared, she smothered it. She had no right to entertain such thoughts. All she could do was smile at Aren before turning around and heading back into her small, worn-down apartment.She smiled faintly to herself

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    Gwyneth's face twisted with rage as she grabbed Aspen's wrist and forced her backward."What right do you have to compete with me? You're nothing!" she hissed. "Colin and I are meant to be together. You're just a filthy whore who climbed into his bed. Even your daughter was just as worthless as you!"Aspen had endured enough. She used all her strength and slapped Gwyneth across the face—hard. She yanked her by the hair and shoved her head down without hesitation, forcing her to kneel before Sophie's photograph."Aspen Nicholls, how dare you hit me? Let go of me!" Gwyneth shrieked while struggling desperately.But she would never understand—when a mother was pushed beyond her limits, there was no telling what she was capable of.Aspen held onto Gwyneth's hair with an iron grip. She kicked her hard in the knee, making her buckle, then pressed her other hand firmly against the back of her neck to force Gwyneth's head down with brutal strength.Gwyneth could say whatever she wanted,

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    Gwyneth wrapped her arms around Colin's neck and whispered softly, "I'm only doing this for you. What if she tries to play tricks and refuses to finalize the divorce? Colin, we went through so much to get here. I can't bear to see you struggle."As she spoke, tears welled up again. "I know… I know I'm not in the right, but I don't have a choice. I don't want to leave you. I can't leave you."Her sobs grew more intense, and her body suddenly trembled and stiffened.Colin's chest tightened. He knew all too well what this meant—it was a physical symptom of her depression.Panic surged through him. He quickened his pace without hesitation, rushing her to the hospital as fast as possible. He then immediately arranged for the best specialist to see her."Mr. Fuller, Ms. Sanders' emotional state has been highly unstable. I'm afraid her depression is relapsing. She's already showing physical symptoms. If this continues, she may revert to her previous condition. Mr. Fuller, you need to fin

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    Aspen let out a cold laugh. She had never cared about these things when they had been husband and wife. But now that they were parting ways, she would make sure every cent was accounted for.Colin looked at her in surprise. The woman standing before him felt completely unfamiliar. She used to obey him without question. Why did it feel like she had become an entirely different person?He grabbed the document she had thrown at him and scanned it quickly. His expression darkened."This is impossible! Aspen, you really have no shame when it comes to money. You actually dared to forge legal documents?"Colin stood up, stepping in close to Aspen as his hand reached out to clamp around her throat. The hostility radiating from him was suffocating, but Aspen only found it laughable."Surely you know better than I do what level Fuller Group's legal team operates at. If you think this document is fake, go ahead and ask them. "We were once married, and I won't take a penny more than what I'

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    Aspen lowered her lashes as she murmured, "Getting angry over this would be a waste. I'm used to it after all these years."That very acceptance made Aren's heart ache even more. He reached out to gently brush her cheek without thinking. "You've suffered so much.""It's over now." Aspen dodged his touch with a small smile.Her pain had stemmed from loving Colin and from caring about Sophie in the past. But now Sophie was gone, and whatever feelings she had once harbored for Colin had long vanished. The suffering was over—next would come the reckoning for those ruthless people.Seeing Aspen's stubborn pride, Aren merely sighed. "Then rest well. I'll head back for now.""Wait. Can you come with me to see Joseph?" Aspen quickly finished her meal while blinking up at him expectantly.She had been meaning to visit Joseph earlier, but it had kept being delayed because of circumstances. Now was actually the perfect time since no one would pay them any attention.Aren immediately object

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    "Thank you for your concern, but I know what I'm doing." Aspen smiled gently before continuing, "Marriage is never simple to begin with, let alone one like ours. But don't worry—I won't suffer for nothing."In the past, she would have taken the abuse without fighting back. But now? She had learned to return tooth for tooth, eye for eye. She would never let Colin get away with hurting her again.Zephyr could only sigh when he heard her response. He merely assumed she was putting on a brave face."Well, it's your marriage, so I shouldn't interfere too much. But please, take care of yourself. Don't get hurt again."He looked at her with deep worry. He had always thought a respectable man like Colin would never lay a hand on his wife. Yet here they were."Zephyr, thank you. But I'm really fine. I'll be discharged in a week."Aspen grabbed a flash drive from the bedside table and shoved it into Zephyr's hands. "When you get back, give those idiots a piece of my mind. What kind of garb

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    Faced with that gaze, Aren couldn't bring himself to refuse. All he could do was nod. "Alright, I promise you!"Aspen finally relaxed upon hearing his words of assurance—only to pass out immediately from the overwhelming pain.Aren's gentle expression vanished as he watched her lose consciousness, replaced by fury and barely contained rage. His fists clenched. He swore to himself he would never let Colin get away with this!He pulled out his phone and called Niall. "We need to accelerate our plan!""You're being too hasty." Niall remained perfectly calm. "Aren, we're both tech people. You know our greatest asset is staying level-headed."Aren leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on Aspen's unconscious form through the glass. He wasn't usually impulsive—except when it came to her.Fortunately, Niall was the type to remain composed no matter the situation. His calmness gradually grounded Aren.Aren gritted his teeth after taking a deep breath. "I'm going to devour Fuller Grou

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    Aspen covered her ears and screamed, "Get out!"She truly couldn't accept Colin calling Sophie "defective". She couldn't accept that in his eyes, even Sophie, his own flesh and blood, was nothing more than a flawed product!Colin was about to say more when he noticed fresh blood seeping through the bandages on her back. His expression softened slightly, and he sighed in resignation.Reaching out, he brushed a hand over her hair and said, "You'll understand one day that none of this was my fault."With that, he turned and strode out."You bastard!" Aspen shrieked, hurling anything within reach across the room.The crashing sounds made Colin pause mid-step. His brows furrowed as a suffocating frustration tightened in his chest."What an unreasonable woman."In Colin's world, only he mattered. Everyone else was expendable—even his own daughter. It was especially the case for a child he had never wanted in the first place.When Aren returned with food, the chaos and destruction in

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    Aspen stared blankly at the conflicted Colin standing before her, utterly baffled by his awkward demeanor."I'll find you the best doctors to ensure there's no scarring." Colin finally managed to say.But Aspen found it utterly ridiculous. She sneered coldly. "If this is your idea of an apology, save it.""Aspen, what do you actually want?" Colin frowned at the woman before him.He couldn't understand where the obedient, accommodating woman from before had gone. Why was she covered in thorns now? What happened to her?As he looked at Aspen, Colin began to miss the woman who had once yielded to his every whim, the one who only had eyes for him. "I want to take the inheritance Mr. Fuller Senior left me, divorce you, and disappear forever. Is that so hard to understand?" Aspen laughed bitterly.Truthfully, she had made her demands clear from the start—Colin had simply refused to relinquish it when it wasn't even his to begin with.Colin replied bluntly upon hearing this, "You kno

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