Emma walked slowly with Henry in her arms, unsure of where to go. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions, and she needed somewhere to gather herself. The only place that came to mind was the amusement park—the very one she loved to visit since she was a child as she thought it might help calm her down.As she walked through the park, she noticed Henry seemed tense. His silence made Emma uneasy, and when she glanced at him, he avoided her gaze. She frowned, wondering if it was because of her outburst earlier. She had raised her voice, and now, he seemed afraid of her. The realization made her feel a bit guilty.She slowed her pace and crouched down to his level, her voice gentle. “Do you think we look scary when we argue?”He didn’t answer right away, but his eyes flickered up to meet hers for a brief moment. Emma smiled softly, hoping to reassure him.“Hey, it’s okay, don’t be scared,” she continued, kneeling down to his level. “Sometimes families argue. But we always forgive each
"Mrs. Lawson, after the examination, everything looks fine," the doctor said, looking at Emma with a sharp gaze. "I would advise you to be more cautious in the future. Avoid climbing too high. Even if you don't think about your own safety, consider the child's safety."Emma, wrapped in bandages, looked like she had been through a rough ordeal. Her clothes were worn at the elbows, back, and legs, with the exposed skin showing varying degrees of abrasions. Her appearance was a mess, and she felt really embarrassed.Emma’s guilt weighed heavily on her, and as the doctor spoke, her shame grew even more. She shifted uncomfortably and then, with a trembling voice, asked, “Doctor, how is the child? Is he okay?” The doctor sighed then gave her a kind smile. “The child is fine. Don’t worry. Even though it’s only one month old, the embryo is very strong—” Emma’s head began to spin before he could finish. The words blurred in her mind, and a loud ringing filled her ears. She stared at the d
Emma stood outside the door, her blood running cold as the truth shattered her reality. She had never dreamed that Henry was actually the child of David and Allison!Her mind raced, trying to piece everything together. David’s strange behavior, his nervousness, and his anger about Henry getting hurt now made sense.She thought that as long as she explained the situation clearly, David would believe her, but it was so obvious that he was clearly venting his emotions on her because he loves his son so much, hence her explanation wasn't important to him at all. A pang of sadness and anger immediately surged through Emma. How dare David lie to her and accuse her so sanctimoniously? She clenched her fists, her body trembling with the urge to storm in and slap everyone in that room. But as her hand subconsciously touched her belly, the reality of the situation sank in. What about her child? She didn’t want her baby to grow up without a father. If she told David about the pregnancy, would
Emma's chest tightened as she looked at the man she had loved since childhood. For the first time, she couldn't completely understand what was going through his mind. She thought David did not want to divorce her because he was afraid of his grandfather and her father's opposition to such a scandal; at the same time, she also thought David still harbored resentment toward Allison for abandoning him on their wedding day; Lastly, Emma assumed David wanted to protect his reputation and avoid being seen as the one who initiated the divorce, thereby avoiding the blame. In all these, she was sure of one thing—it wasn’t because David loved her or couldn’t bear to let her go.Meanwhile, Allison was filled with anger and hatred. She couldn't let David continue to interfere in her plans anymore. She had to separate them completely today!With tears flowing freely, she clasped her hands together towards Emma. “Please Emma, forgive me. It was never my intention to b
A week had passed since that night in the hospital, but Emma still couldn't shake the image of David's face when he heard that she wanted a divorce. His expression had been so chaotic — disbelief, anger, sadness, and even a touch of grievance. She couldn’t understand why he had shown such a complicated expression.Anyways, she was too tired to try and figure out what went on in his mind anymore. She had made her decision; she was going to divorce him and what he thought didn't matter to her.Moreover, Emma hadn’t seen David since that night. He must have been busy making up for the time lost with Henry, repairing their relationship. As for her, she wasn’t idle either. She had been busy packing up her things, preparing to leave. Once David signed the divorce papers, they would have nothing more to do with each other.But Emma also knew that even if her divorce with David was a foregone conclusion, she still needed to inform David's grandfather. She sighed, remembering that she once
Five years later, Geneva, Switzerland. "Clamp off," Emma instructed, her voice calm but firm. One of the nurses quickly complied, and the heart began beating on its own. "Excellent work, Dr. Morgan," one of the residents said, his tone filled with admiration. Emma didn’t respond immediately. Her focus remained on the patient until she was satisfied with the stability of the vitals. Finally, she stepped back and nodded. “Close him up and monitor his recovery closely. The next 24 hours are critical.” As she stripped off her gloves and gown, the head nurse approached her. “Dr. Morgan, you never cease to amaze us. That was a high-risk procedure, and you handled it like it was routine.” Emma offered a small smile, though her mind was already on her next task. “It’s what we’re trained to do. Let’s hope the patient agrees with us in recovery.” She exited the OR and headed to her office. The walls were lined with certificates, awards, and framed articles praising her groundbreaking wor
Professor Charles Callum sat reclined in an armchair, his hands folded over the cane resting between his knees. Across from him sat David Lawson, his face pale and filled with worry. “My son needs help, Professor Charles. He was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart condition,” David said, his voice trembling as he leaned forward. “No one else will touch the case. They all say it’s too risky, but I can’t accept that. Henry deserves a chance…he's my only son.” Prof. Charles sighed, his aged face filled with sympathy. “Mr. Lawson, I understand your plight. But I’m retired. I haven’t held a scalpel in years, let alone kept up with the advancements in modern cardiac surgery. It would be a disservice to your son for me to attempt this.” "But you’re Charles Callum," David pressed, sounding desperate. "You’re a legend in cardiac surgery. If anyone can do this, it’s you.”Prof. Charles shook his head, a bittersweet smile crossing his lips. “I can’t take that risk, not with a life as de
David stood in the hospital's waiting area, still staring in the direction Emma had disappeared, his mind struggling to catch up with what his eyes had just seen. Emma—here, in this hospital? The thought sent a jolt through him. He had spent years wondering where she had gone, what had become of her, and now, out of nowhere, she was right in front of him. A flood of questions swirled in his mind. How long had she been here? More than anything, he wanted to ask her everything—how she had been, what had happened after she left, and, most pressing of all, how she had managed to rebuild her life after their divorce. And to crown it all, she looked… stunning. Even after all these years, time had done nothing to dull her beauty. If anything, it had only refined it. Her dark hair, once soft waves, was now neatly pulled back, giving her this elegant, professional look. David swallowed, a strange tightness settling in his chest. He had expected a lot of things when he came to this hospital—
David stepped out of Henry’s room, the door clicking softly shut behind him. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, his brows knit tightly in thought. He hadn’t even taken more than a few steps before he spotted Emma walking briskly down the hallway toward him, her posture rigid, her expression unreadable. He paused when he saw her. Emma's father had been the one to call him and had told him about the sudden collapse, about how Emma had performed CPR on Henry, and how it was thanks to her that Henry was still alive at all.But Mathew hadn’t told him everything.He hadn’t told him how Allison had managed to pin the blame on Claire and accused the little girl of being responsible.The mere idea felt absurd. Claire? The gentle, sweet, innocent child he'd met? No. That couldn’t be.As Emma neared him, she showed no sign of stopping. She looked straight ahead as if he wasn’t even there. David saw the slight tension in her jaw, the determination in her eyes. She was angry…rightful
David burst through the door of the hospital room, his face pale with worry.He scanned the room, his eyes immediately falling on Henry, who lay unconscious on the bed, surrounded by beeping monitors and sterile white sheets."What happened?" David's voice trembled slightly.He rushed quickly to Henry’s side, looking from the doctor to Allison."Is he going to be okay?"Allison, standing at the foot of the bed, flinched at his arrival. She had been standing there, her eyes so glued to Henry that she didn't realize the moment he entered.David’s eyes darted between the doctor and Henry. He needed answers… now."The doctors are still evaluating him," the nurse at the side of the bed murmured. "But he’s currently out of immediate danger. He’s stable for now."David nodded absently, his mind still racing. He quickly turned back to Allison."What happened, Allison?" he repeated, his voice growing more urgent. "Why didn’t you call me sooner?"Allison shook her head, trying to hold back her
“What?!” Isabel shot up from her seat. “You’re giving company shares to her child?”“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Allison said, standing too. “Dad, that’s absurd! Claire is—she’s just a child! She doesn’t even have a father publicly acknowledged! What will people think?”“That I’m honoring my blood,” Mathew said coolly. “Moreover, I also gave Henry part of my shares too, didn’t I?”“Henry’s case is different!” Isabel pointed at Emma. “So you’re rewarding her for getting pregnant out of wedlock?”Emma stood up, unable to listen anymore. “That’s enough, Isabel.”But Mathew didn’t even flinch. Rather, he took Emma's hand into his- a silent reassurance that he had everything under control, and she had nothing to worry about.“This has nothing to do with Emma’s past and everything to do with Claire’s future. If I had known about my granddaughter from the start, I would’ve done this long ago. I won’t deprive Claire of her inheritance.”Isabel paced now, clearly agitated. “Mathew, you’re j
Ever since the dinner a few weeks ago, Mathew had developed a habit that Emma was slowly getting used to. He kept calling her almost every other day, each time with the same question: "When are you bringing Claire over again?" It had started out casually, almost as if he just wanted to spend time with his granddaughter, but now it was becoming predictable. A pattern. So when Emma’s phone buzzed that afternoon and she saw her father's name lighting up the screen, she knew exactly why he was calling. She picked up the phone with a weary sigh. "Hello, Dad." “Emma,” Mathew's voice came through, firm and deliberate. “How’s Claire?” There it was. “She’s fine, Dad. She’s just finishing up her drawings,” Emma replied, already anticipating the next line. “I want you both to come to the house this evening. I have something very important to announce to the family.” Emma hesitated. “This evening? I might need to check my schedule—” “Emma,” Mathew cut in, his tone more ser
The long dining table was filled with various dishes, carefully prepared and arranged. Mathew sat at the head of the table, his posture straight, his expression unreadable. But his eyes were not on the food.They were focused entirely on Claire.The little girl sat quietly beside her mother, politely using her fork and spoon as she ate.Mathew found himself watching her more than he intended to. He observed the way Emma gently peeled the bones from the fish before placing them on Claire's plate. And every time, Claire would softly say, "Thank you, Mummy," before continuing her meal.There was something about the way she did it that stirred something within Mathew. He hadn’t expected it, but there it was. A warmth tugged at him. He told himself it was just curiosity. But deep down, a small voice whispered the truth he wasn’t ready to hear.He was beginning to like the child.She had a calm aura, and her gentle smile reminded him of someone. Of Emma—when she was much younger, before li
Mathew had just finished freshening up after a long day. He stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his shirt. The warm water had washed away the fatigue from his body, but not the heaviness from his mind. The evening had started with a confrontation he hadn’t expected, and the stormy look in Emma’s eyes earlier still lingered in his memory.He sighed and reached for his phone, intending to check the time, when it suddenly rang.It was Ernest, an old friend and business partner."Mathew, how are you doing?" Ernest called out over the phone. "Just calling to remind you that we’re all meeting at the golf center tomorrow, same time. Hope you’ll make it?"Mathew let out a soft chuckle. "I’ll be there. I could really use the relaxation.""Good," Ernest replied. "We all need a break sometimes. Alright then, see you tomorrow.""See you," Mathew said, ending the call.The call ended, and Mathew slipped the phone into his pocket. He stepped toward the balcony, opening the glass doors to let t
The heavy silence in the room was abruptly interrupted by the soft click of the door.Mathew Smith stepped into the living room. His gaze swept across the room, landing on each person, one by one, noting the uncomfortable tension thick in the air.His eyes narrowed."What is going on here?" he asked.No one spoke. Not even the servants. Everyone seemed frozen, unsure of how to respond.Isabel's angry expression shifted in an instant. The moment she saw Mathew walk in, the sharp look on her face softened, replaced by one of hurt and grievance. She hurried over to his side as if she couldn’t wait to be the first to speak, to let him hear how unfairly she’d been supposedly treated by Emma."Darling, You're back," she said softly, with a sigh. "I tried to be accomodating. I truly did. But Emma... I just don't know. She disrespected me in front of the servants, all because I asked about her daughter. I really didn't mean any harm."Isabel already knew that none of the maids would dare spe
Emma’s heart stopped for a split second, then her feet were already moving. She rushed into the living room, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes darting everywhere until they landed on Claire.Claire stood frozen, just a few meters away from Isabel, her tiny face filled with fear and confusion.A broken glass cup lay in pieces on the floor near Isabel's feet, and the older woman stood rigid, glaring accusingly at the child. The atmosphere in the room was thick.Emma rushed to Claire’s side, instantly kneeling to examine her. “Claire! Are you alright?” she asked urgently, her voice sharp with worry.She scanned her daughter for cuts or injuries, running her hands gently over the little girl's arms and checking her clothes.Claire nodded, eyes wide. “I’m okay, Mommy,” she whispered, her small fingers clutching at Emma’s sleeve.Emma stood up and turned sharply to Isabel, her brows furrowed. “What happened?”Isabel raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Her tone was laced with irrit
Emma was at the hospital, jotting down notes from a patient’s chart. She was focused on work, as usual, when her phone vibrated in the pocket of her coat.She pulled it out and saw the caller ID. It turned out to be her father.She blinked at the screen. Her fingers paused in mid-air. Why was her father calling her now?Her heart skipped slightly. It had been a while since they last spoke—and even then, their last conversation hadn't ended well.What could he possibly want now?She took a deep breath and answered, slowly pressing the phone to her ear."Hello?"Her father's voice came through—deep, stern, and cold. "Is it true?"Emma frowned. "Is what true? What are you talking about?"There was a short silence before his voice came again, this time quieter, but with disappointment clinging to every word."That you have a child."Emma froze.Her grip on the phone tightened. She shut her eyes briefly, letting out a slow breath. So he already knew.Of course, he would find out. News trav