"Oh, my child. My beloved child ...." Edmund closed his eyes and kissed Sky's head repeatedly. His hands kept stroking her curly hair. "Remember that I always love you, hmm?" Sky could no longer answer. Her mouth was too full of sadness. Only her head nodded faintly. Her little arms wrapped tightly around Edmund's neck. Rachel quietly looked down and wiped her eyes. It was impossible for her not to cry when she saw the two people part. Even Hunter looked away, afraid of being carried away by his feelings and guilt. When their emotions were back under control, Edmund planted one last kiss on Sky's forehead. After releasing her from his embrace, he approached Alice. "Mrs. Palmer," his voice faltered again. Doubt weighed on his tongue. "May I hug you?" Hunter instantly raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Rachel, curious about the response. "You ... want to hug me?" Rachel asked awkwardly. Tension coated her face. Edmund nodded. "If you don't mind. Just once, for the first and last ti
"You ...." Edmund pointed his finger at Lucas who was lying on the ground. "I've been trying not to hurt you since earlier. I don't want to be rude in front of Rachel and Sky, but you keep testing my patience." While Lucas stared at him angrily, Edmund put his hands on his hips and took a quick breath. "Come to your senses, Mister Palmer. Rachel and Sky love you very much. They don't want to part with you. You should respect them." After a breath, he lowered his tone. "Don't think nonsense because it will only ruin your happiness. Learn from my experience. I have lost the person I love most because of my stupidity. You should not follow in my footsteps. Trust your wife." After lecturing Lucas, Edmund walked over to Sky. He bent his knees, checking her condition. "Are you okay?" he whispered. Sky nodded with a confused face. "Yeah, are you hurt?" Edmund shook his head with a wry smile. "That kind of blow couldn't hurt me. I'm sorry I had to show violence in front of you. Please
Everyone rushed over. Edmund was holding his head with one hand. A small moan escaped his mouth. "Mr. Hills, how are you?" Rachel asked, worried. Edmund grimaced. His eyes blinked slowly. "A little dizzy." "Can you walk?" Hunter took Sky's place, helping Edmund sit up. Unfortunately, Edmund shook his head. With Arai's help, Hunter supported him. Without wasting any more time, they went to the foundation clinic. *** Tiara said that the effects of the anesthetic would wear off soon. However, a few minutes Sky watched Edmund's eyes, they were still closed. "Come on, Uncle Ed. Wake up. Don't make me worry," Sky whispered as she stroked Edmund's pale cheek. Sky had done whatever Rachel usually did whenever she had a fever. She had kissed Edmund's forehead, giving him so many hugs. After praying for the umpteenth time, finally, Edmund began to move. "Oh? Uncle Ed? You're awake?" Sky brought her eyes closer to Edmund's face, observing carefully. When the man opened his eyes, her la
"You got hurt because of Lucas. He should be responsible. Since he couldn't possibly take you there, let us do it," Rachel said carefully.In an instant, Sky's eyes widened like the full moon. "Does it mean we're going to town, Mama?" Rachel nodded. Sky immediately jumped up happily. "Hooray! I still have time with Uncle Ed." A moment later, she hugged the man. "Sorry, Uncle Ed. I'm not happy that your head is leaking. It's just that we have more time to chat." Edmund looked at Sky and Rachel alternately. He hesitated. He had been trying to let them go, but why were the two people reluctant to stay away from him? That way, his defense could collapse. His thoughts could change. If that happenned, bigger problems would come. “I appreciate your good intentions, but—” "Mama, why don't we go home now?" Sky interrupted with a burst of enthusiasm. “We have to watch Uncle Ed for 48 hours, right? I have to add more supplies to my backpack." Seeing the big smile on that little face, Edmun
Rachel gasped. Her eyes widened and her lips trembled. Her breath was even held back. "Honey, why is it so sudden? Can't we postpone it to tonight. Now I have to —" "You prefer him over me?" Lucas raised an eyebrow intimidatingly. Rachel swallowed the unspoken words. While forcing her lungs to work again, she tried to reduce the stiffness. "Of course not." "Then sleep with me. Just once. After that, I will believe that you are indeed a faithful wife." Rachel didn't know what to answer anymore. She was afraid that her worries would be revealed. When Lucas started touching her, she could only bite the inside of her lips. When the man started squeezing, she could only blink and control her expression. "Kiss me," Lucas asked in a voice mixed with moaning. Rachel's breath hitched again. The tension in her nerves was no longer inevitable. All this time, it was Lucas who initiated their kiss. Something always stopped her from starting or welcoming. "You don't want to?" His tone im
Lucas tried to take her hand, but Rachel avoided. "Sorry, Lucas. I don't want to endanger myself or Sky. Your condition is unstable right now. Until you regain your sanity, let us keep our distance." "No, Rachel." Lucas hugged her legs. "You are my life. I wouldn't be able to survive without you." Suddenly, Lucas hit his own chest. The sound made Rachel glance over. "I became like this because I was afraid of losing you. I lost my mind because I didn't want you to go with him. It made me almost crazy!" But Rachel still shook her head and looked away. Her eyes grew red. "If you only believed me, you wouldn't think that, Lucas. There would be no misunderstandings and you would stay within limits." "No, Rachel. I believe you. I just don't believe him. He keeps targeting you. He wants to take you and Sky from me. He wants to take away our happiness, Darling." "It's not him who ruined our happiness, Lucas, but your own behavior. Now let me go." "Please ...." Lucas held Rachel's legs
"You know what? I felt it was unfair that my wife had to leave so quickly. Our time together was very short. That's why I made you her replacement." After one breath, Lucas took one step forward. "But as time went by, I no longer thought of you as the old Rachel. You were the new Rachel, a different Rachel, and I fell in love with you." A second later, he grabbed Rachel's hand. "Can't you give me a chance? Please ... stay by my side. We can be a real family. My love for you is not an act." Shaking her head, she withdrew her hand. "Sorry, Lucas. I've made up my mind. I don't want to be in your wife's shadow anymore." "No, you don't need to pretend. Just be yourself. You can change your name to whatever you want, as long as you don't change your status as my wife." "Mr. Palmer, please stop making things up," Edmund finally spoke. His expression was now cold and flat. "When did you ever marry her?" Lucas stuttered for a moment. "Shut your mouth! Don't interfere." "The one you mar
Edmund took one step forward, showing his sincerity and seriousness. He really wanted to take Alice's hand, but he held the urge back. "I once promised you that I would be a good husband for you and a good father for our children. But I haven't had the chance to fulfill that. Fate separated us. Now, because we have met again, I hope you are willing to give me the opportunity to make that happen." Alice's eyes filled with tears hearing Edmund. His words felt soothing, giving her a sense of security and trust. "Why are you still looking for me, Mr. Hills? I've been missing for years. You could have forgotten about me and looked for a new wife. But why did you come all this way to get me?" "The answer is simple, Alice. It is as simple as I love you. You may not remember, but I once swore that you were the only woman for me. Without you, I would rather be alone or dead." "Even though I'm a weak woman with a dark past? A coward who wanted to end her life twice?" Alice inquired hoarsel