After Gillian calmed down, Troy resumed driving towards her school. Since nearly all the students were arriving with their parents today, the parking area at the school was already very crowded."Hurry up! I can't wait. All my friends are definitely going to praise my handsome Uncle Troy.""Oh my, Gillian!" Sarah almost shrieked upon hearing Gillian's chatter. She realized that her daughter was growing up fast. In two more years, she would be entering middle school.Troy could only smile and shake his head at Gillian's words."Well, here we are. Princess Gillian, let me open the door for you!" Troy got out and opened the door for the little girl. He didn't want Gillian's mood to sour again."Can I ask you something?" Gillian asked shyly before getting out of the car."What is it, sweetheart? Let's get out. Poor Uncle Troy is waiting for you!" Sarah interjected, feeling amused by her daughter."Sure. What do you want, Gillian?" Troy sat back down beside Gillian, while Sarah waite
The event wrapped up around midday."Mommy, Daddy, let's go home!" Gillian seemed very happy. She held both Sarah's and Troy's hands, occasionally jumping with joy."Gillian, he's not your real dad, is he?" Suddenly, they stopped in their tracks as a boy around Gillian's age stood blocking their path."David! This is my dad. You saw him on stage earlier, didn't you?" Gillian's voice started to crack.Troy gently patted his little girl's back. Then he crouched down to be at eye level with the boy Gillian called David."Hey, your name is David? You must be a brave boy!" Troy smiled at David.David nodded with a proud smile."A brave boy should protect his friends, not make them sad.""Y-yes." The smile on David's face quickly faded."Now, can you tell me who said I would marry your aunt?"David suddenly fell silent and scratched his head nervously.Troy patiently waited for the boy's answer."Umm... my mom. My mom said that." David spoke in a half-whisper."David! Come on, l
"Feel free to look around the restaurant." A young woman dressed formally, the restaurant manager, invited Sarah to enter. This restaurant was the place where Troy and Sarah's engagement would be held.Meanwhile, Troy was taking care of some paperwork in a small office-like room."Thank you!" Sarah was holding Gillian's hand, and walked around the restaurant, which had a natural ambiance. There were many trees and a playground with an open area."Mommy, there's a fish pond over there!" Gillian seemed to really like the place.Sarah's mind was still preoccupied as she hadn't spoken to Celine yet."So, what do you think? Do you like it?" Suddenly, Troy was behind Sarah, startling her and interrupting her thoughts."I love it. I really do. Look at her. She's also awed by the atmosphere here." Sarah pointed to Gillian, who was intently watching the fish in the pond under the bamboo gazebos.Troy's smile widened. He took Sarah's hand and led her over to where Gillian was."I've alre
"Troy...? Are you here?" Lucy almost jumped, realizing Troy's presence as he suddenly stood near the door.The handsome man's sharp eyes were fixed on Lucy's face, which had turned pale.'What's going on here? Why are Carol and David's mother here?' Troy thought to himself, slipping both hands into his pants pockets. He looked at each woman in the room."Hey, Troy, how are you? So, it turns out you're related to Aunt Lucy? Wow, it really is a small world!" Sensing the tension on Troy's face, Carol stood up from the sofa and walked over to him.Troy smiled sarcastically. He suspected that the three women in front of him were scheming something.Meanwhile, Rosie, David's mother, didn't dare to move. She just sat silently in her chair, her head lowered."Come on, have a seat, Troy. What brings you here so late? It's unusual for you to come by at night." Lucy approached her nephew and led him to sit on one of the sofas.Troy sighed deeply. He decided not to discuss his suspicions an
"I will pick up Mom from the airport this afternoon. Do you want to come?" Alex finished his breakfast.Sarah weakly shook her head."I'll just wait at home. I'll prepare the room for your mom."Alex let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that was just an excuse. His mind was a bit unsettled after hearing about Sarah and Troy's engagement, which was happening sooner than he had expected."I'm heading to the office," Alex said softly. He then stood up and walked past Sarah, who was still enjoying her breakfast.Alex got into his car. On the drive to the office, he thought about the conversation he had with his mother, Celine, on the phone last night."Make sure all Albert's assets end up in your hands.""But, Mom, what if they're already in their son's name, Prince?""Don't be foolish, Alex. If you can marry Sarah, everything will be much easier.""But Sarah already has a boyfriend, and they're planning to get engaged soon," Alex replied, sounding unenthusiastic."What? Engaged? Y
"Celine?!" Sarah nearly jumped when she saw her mother-in-law."Hello, dear Sarah," Celine immediately stepped in and hugged Sarah tightly."How are you? I'm sorry I didn't go to the airport to pick you up," Sarah said after they released their embrace."It's okay, dear. Oh, is this my grandson?" Celine's gaze shifted to Prince, who was calmly in Troy's arms."Oh yes. L-let me introduce you to Troy Peterson," Sarah said nervously as she introduced Troy to Celine. But she wasn't brave enough yet to tell her about their engagement, which was happening tomorrow.Troy nodded politely at Celine when the older woman turned to look at him. However, Celine's expression seemed less than friendly."Please come in! I'll just walk Troy to the door for a moment."Celine gave a slight nod, her gaze still fixed on Troy, who seemed familiar to her. She continued to watch as Troy walked out with Sarah."Why does he seem familiar?" Celine muttered."What's wrong?" Alex, who had just come in, wa
"I apologize for informing you about this so suddenly. The truth is, Troy only proposed to me a few days ago," Sarah tried to explain.Celine shot an irritated glance at Alex. If her son had acted faster, this engagement wouldn't be happening, she thought.Alex understood that his mother was very angry with him. He could only look down in silence."I'm sorry, Sarah. You should have discussed this with me first, instead of making decisions on your own. After all, Prince is Albert's child—the sole heir to all of Albert's assets, including the company. Your fiancé stands to gain a huge company and all of Albert's wealth so easily," Celine's tone grew more heated."Oh, Troy isn't interested in taking over Albert's company or assets at all. During his lifetime, Albert entrusted me and the children to Troy. That was Albert's final request to him.""Hah! That's just what he told you. It's so easy to deceive you." Celine's anger intensified.Sarah didn't respond. She understood that Celi
"Let's have breakfast at the restaurant. I've arranged a comfortable room so the kids won't get tired or bored."Troy drove his car at a moderate speed. In truth, all the preparations for his engagement to Sarah were complete. But for some reason, Troy didn't want to be far from Sarah and her two children today. He had a strong sense of concern about the engagement. Troy didn't want anything to go wrong. He just wanted to ensure Sarah and her children were safe and sound.Troy's luxury car pulled into the parking area of a grand two-story restaurant. Sarah noticed several of Troy's men stationed around the restaurant. Security seemed very tight, with guards even at the restaurant's gate."Troy, why is security so tight?" Sarah asked, looking around."You know many people don't want our engagement to happen. That's why I've tightened security. You and the kids must be safe with me."Warmth flowed through Sarah's heart. Troy had always been vigilant. He had saved her family more tha
Arnold and Erica's faces became tense as they saw the doctor standing in the doorway."How is she, doctor?" Erica couldn't wait to hear about Irene and her baby."Congratulations, sir. You have a healthy baby girl," the female doctor said, and for a moment, Arnold and Erica breathed a sigh of relief.But their faces remained anxious, as they still hadn't heard about Irene's condition."How is the mother, doctor?" Arnold asked, his voice trembling."Are you her husband?" The doctor looked at Arnold intently."Y-yes, doctor," Arnold stammered, feeling guilty for never accompanying Irene to her hospital visits."Sir, Irene's condition is... critical. We are still trying to stop the bleeding. Please pray for her."Arnold was stunned by the doctor's words. He couldn't say anything as the doctor turned and left him and Erica in the waiting room."Oh God, what kind of husband am I? Erica... Erica... Irene is critical. What should I do?" Arnold shook Erica's body in frustration."All
"Irene, are you okay? Is Arnold taking good care of you?" Erica asked in a panic when Irene contacted her. Irene's voice sounded hoarse and rough, making Erica worried."When are you coming back to Jaketon? I want you to be here when I give birth.""Wait, where's Arnold? Is he still not paying attention to you?" Erica's concern grew. She rarely received calls from Arnold, except when there was a work-related issue that needed to be discussed."Arnold... he says he's very busy with work."Erica let out a heavy sigh. From Irene's voice, she suspected Erica was in trouble. But it seemed that the heavily pregnant woman was still keeping things to herself."Alright, Irene. I'll finish my work here. I'll try to come back before you give birth. You and your baby need to stay healthy, okay?""Thank you. Thank you!"After hanging up with Irene, Erica sent a message to Arnold, urging him to be more attentive to Irene. However, Erica did not answer Arnold's calls when he tried to reach her
Sarah squealed as Troy lifted her. Her husband's strong arms carried her bridal-style toward an enormous bed. The beautiful bed was surrounded by thin yet lovely curtains, and sprinkled with rose petals that filled the room with a fragrant aroma."The doctor said we're allowed now, ahem... so, it's okay, right?" Troy gently laid Sarah's body on the luxurious and comfortable bed.Sarah smiled, her face blushing as Troy hovered over her. His face was so close to hers."I've missed you too, Troy!" The beautiful woman wrapped her arms around Troy's neck, and he couldn't wait any longer. He began planting kisses on Sarah's face, which soon turned into passionate lip-locks that he couldn't get enough of.It was unclear who initiated it, but a few minutes later, they had both discarded everything that was on their bodies. Like their first night, they were eager to satisfy each other. The intense expression of love and the deep longing drove Troy wild. He didn't want to miss even an inch o
"Honey, are you awake?" Troy gently caressed Sarah's face. She blinked, just waking up from her sleep. Sarah turned onto her side to face Troy."What time is it?""It's six in the morning. We're still going to the office today, right?"Sarah sat up. "Of course. You're going to the office too, right?""Yes, darling. Oh, by the way, how's the breastmilk stash for Kingsley? Do we have enough?""More than enough," Sarah replied, hurrying to the bathroom to freshen up. Unbeknownst to her, Troy quietly followed her into the bathroom, which she had forgotten to lock. Ever since giving birth to Kingsley, Sarah usually remembered to lock the door."Troy!" Sarah squealed, surprised to see Troy standing behind her just as she was undressing.Troy's heart raced at the sight of his wife's body, which he hadn't touched in almost two months. This morning, Troy felt bold enough to approach Sarah, especially after the doctor confirmed yesterday that she had fully recovered. She had also complete
"Are we going home now, honey?" Irene asked as she sat up on the gurney. The IV needle had just been removed from her hand. Her face still looked pale."Just a moment," Arnold replied curtly without turning to look at her, making Irene take a deep breath to ease the pain that kept gnawing at her. Since Erica left, Irene noticed that Arnold had been pacing back and forth, trying to call someone on his phone. She guessed he was trying to reach Erica, but she wasn't answering.Irene sat silently, waiting for Arnold, who was still pacing in front of her. Theresa, who had promised to return, ended up not coming back."Alright, let's go home. Can you walk?" Arnold asked as he watched Irene, who was struggling to get down from the gurney with her weak body."Excuse me, ma'am, please use this wheelchair. Your body is still very weak." An ER staff member offered a wheelchair. Irene, who had just stood up from the gurney, slowly sat down in the wheelchair. The staff then pushed the wheelchai
"Yes, congratulations again on your wife's pregnancy. If the observations go well, she can go home this evening."Arnold only nodded at the doctor's explanation. He remained silent even after the doctor left the room. What he had just heard was completely unexpected."H-honey, aren't you happy that I'm pregnant?" Irene asked in a trembling voice. Her chest felt tight, unable to find any trace of happiness on Arnold's face after hearing about her pregnancy. Instead, she saw confusion and surprise. Irene tried to suppress the sadness and disappointment she felt."Is it because it's not Erica who's pregnant?" Irene asked again, this time steeling herself to hear Arnold's response."Don't overthink it. Mom and Dad will be thrilled. I'll go out for a bit." Arnold quickly left Irene and headed to the waiting area in front of the ER.'It's only his mom and dad who are happy. Arnold isn't.' Irene clutched her chest, which felt overwhelmingly tight, trying to hold back her tears. She strug
Diego hugged Carrie tightly. His heart was finally at ease. The different traumas they had both been struggling with had finally been overcome.The same was true for Carrie. Since she had been secretly seeing a psychiatrist a month after marrying Diego, the trauma from her past had gradually faded. The beautiful woman with reddish hair had slowly been able to forget the painful memories of her past after several months of treatment. However, she was reluctant to be upfront with Diego about her recovery. She also felt too proud to make the first move or ask Diego not to leave her in bed."Where are you going, honey?" Carrie clutched her husband's strong arm one night while they were being intimate. But Diego still got up and left her."Sorry, Carrie. I-I just can't..."Carrie was stunned by her husband's rejection. She couldn't understand why Diego kept choosing to satisfy his desires in the bathroom."Should I just tell him that I'm better now? Shouldn't he realize that I'm no lon
"Why are you in such a hurry, honey? Weren't you supposed to stay here for three days?" Irene had been watching Arnold eat quickly since he left the bedroom. Her husband hadn't said much since then. The sweet words or loving gestures that should be present between newlyweds were completely absent for Irene. It was as if Arnold had already forgotten what happened last night.Arnold didn't answer. He only glanced briefly at Irene, who was sitting across from him. A few minutes later, he got up, grabbed his car keys from the table, and said, "I'm leaving. Don't wait for me!" Without waiting for Irene's response, Arnold hurried out to his car. He only gave a brief glance at Irene, who was watching him leave with an unreadable expression. But Arnold didn't care. His mind was entirely focused on Erica. He felt guilty about his first wife.'Erica, forgive me. What did I do last night? What if Irene really gets pregnant? It will be difficult to divorce her later.' Arnold ran his hands thro
Irene was still sobbing, her back turned to Arnold. She lay there, trying to endure the pain, not just physically but also emotionally. Without realizing it, Arnold had mentioned Erica's name at the end of their bedroom session, which made Irene's pain multiply tenfold.Arnold quickly fell asleep from exhaustion beside Irene. He felt relieved that the desire he had been harboring since that morning was finally satisfied. Although it was Erica he truly wanted, Irene was still legally his wife.After crying her heart out, Irene tried to get up and clean herself. Slowly, she sat at the edge of the bed, reached for her clothes, and put them on again.She remembered her mother-in-law's request earlier that morning. Drew had called her and spoke over the phone."Irene, you need to get pregnant as soon as possible! We know Arnold hasn't touched you yet. You have to make him sleep with you!" Drew's words over the phone had shocked Irene."Mom... how do you know... that I haven't been... t