When Sean saw Liliana lying on the floor with a bright red pool of blood spreading beneath her, he had to admit that he had gotten scared. He had been scared that she might leave him just like that.Sean clenched his fists. "Take the pregnant woman to the ward."Tania hurried over. "Sean, is Liliana okay?"She saw the exhaustion all over Sean's face. "She's really pregnant? But she just lost so much blood… Is she…""She's fine. We stabilized her in time." Sean paused. "Both mother and child are safe."Only God knew that when he said those few words, a wave of emotion surged through him. It was so overwhelming it felt like it could drown him. He did not know how to describe the feeling. It was foreign.Tania let out a breath of relief. Although she was curious about how Liliana ended up pregnant, knowing that both Liliana and the baby were safe was enough for now. "Then I'll go to the ward and check on her.""The anesthesia hasn't worn off yet," Sean said. "She won't wake up toni
"That was an accident." Sean gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tightly as veins popped across his knuckles.Peter glanced at him with slightly furrowed brows. "The first time might've been an accident. What about the second time? Sean, you're too deep inside to see clearly. Do you really know what you want?"Sean was about to speak again, but Tania came out of the ward at that moment. Sensing the tension between the two men, she raised a brow. "What's going on?""Nothing. Let's go," Peter replied, slipping his long arm around her and pulling her petite figure into his embrace, holding her close."Come on, we haven't even eaten dinner yet.""Oh please, it's your fault I came, and you didn't even show up until so late."Peter and Tania walked off, their figures disappearing into the distance. However, Sean remained where he was, rooted to the spot. It was not until his body began to feel stiff that he finally pulled himself together, composed his expression, and pushed the doo
A man's clear and calm voice rang out. Liliana fully awakened, blinking in surprise as she looked toward the speaker.It was Sean. It was actually him.Her face turned pale, and her fingers clenched the blanket tightly as she looked at him with a trace of fear.He was here. Did that mean he already knew about the pregnancy?Liliana bit her lip and slowly inched backward as though she were truly afraid of Sean.What she did not realize was that her reaction felt like a knife in Sean's chest. He thought that she did not want to see him and did not want him near her, which was why she instinctively pulled away.Sean stood there with a deep frown, his expression dark and unreadable. His eyes were fixed on Liliana.Her body trembled. Every time she thought of what Sean had said to her that day, she felt like she could not bear it.She bit down harder on her lip and tried her best not to look at him, as if lowering her presence could make everything disappear. She wished desperately
After Sean said those words, he immediately wished he could take it back. He saw Liliana’s face, which was already ghostly white, lose even more color.He tried to reach out and comfort her, but Liliana pushed his hand away. Her lips trembled as she spoke, and her hands were balled into fists. "What gives you the right to talk about my baby? Whether he's born or not, what's it to you?""Liliana." Sean was taken aback by her fierce words. "You know I don't love you. I've always thought of you as a sister. That night was a mistake, and you don't want to keep a reminder of it, right? This baby shouldn't be born.""Stop it!" Liliana could not stand his words. "Sean, how can you be so heartless? He's a living being. You can't just decide he shouldn't exist."Liliana let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, I get it. You're scared, right? You've always treated me like a sister, but now you've crossed a line with your 'sister’. Are you scared of the gossip? Or are you just afraid of people saying you
"Don't forget that I was already with Keith before you and I... You know. It's normal for couples to be together like that, right? Did you really think you were the only one for me?""Liliana," Sean was clearly upset. "This isn't like you.”"No! Don't you know me well enough by now?" Liliana clenched her teeth, staring into Sean's intense gaze. She gathered her courage, balled her fists, and silently cheered herself on. "Keith is good to me. If it hadn't been for that slip-up with you, things between Keith and me would be even better now."While she said that, Liliana was inwardly apologizing to Keith.She had to lie to keep the baby. "If you don't believe me, just wait until my boyfriend gets here. You can ask him yourself. No guy would be okay with his girlfriend being with someone else. I never told him about us. I just thought of it as a mistake.""That's enough," Sean's voice was icy as he cut her off. He could not bear to hear Liliana talk about another man, especially when
"Liliana, what's going on with you?"Keith was really confused by how Liliana was acting. She looked so unwell. "You've just come out of surgery, Liliana. Your face is so pale. How can you want to leave the hospital?"Keith was just worried about her health, but Liliana gripped his hand really tightly. "Keith, I'm okay, really. Please, can you take me away from here? I'm begging you. I don't want to stay here any longer."Liliana's words were filled with an urgency that made Keith's heart race. He knitted his brows together and said, "Okay, but you've got to tell me what's going on, alright?" Keith knew that Liliana was always cool and collected. If she was not freaking out, she would not look so worried. She must have run into some big trouble."Liliana, how can I help you if you don't tell me what's wrong?""He found out, Keith. He knows everything." Liliana's face turned even paler, and she clutched Keith's arm tightly. "He knows."He?Keith realized in a flash that 'he' must
Liliana bit her lip and looked down, unsure of what to say to Keith.Seeing her like that, Keith gently rubbed her back and said, "Liliana, don't worry. As long as I'm here, the baby will be safe. I won't let anyone hurt you or the baby." He hugged her to make her feel better.Liliana rested against Keith, holding him tight, and took a deep breath. "Keith, I know this isn't fair to you. I'm stuck, and I'm being selfish. I...""Don't talk like that, Liliana. I want to help. You're not being selfish," Keith cut her off. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But you're still healing. If you want to keep the baby, you need to rest and follow the doctor's orders. Leaving the hospital now isn't good for the baby."Hearing that, Liliana felt calmer.She had been spooked by something Sean did earlier.Liliana nodded. "Alright, I'll stay in the hospital. But can we pick a different one?" She did not feel safe with Sean around."Sure." Keith just wanted her to be in the hospit
Joanna would ask Savannah out for shopping trips and coffee chats there and then, and Savannah could not help growing more and more fond of her.Joanna had just called, and Savannah got all dressed up before having the driver take her out.They were meeting at Lighthouse Coffee, a place with a lovely, peaceful setting.The owner prided himself on his refined taste, creating an ambiance that suited a well-read lady like Savannah perfectly. She had fallen for the place the first time she visited.Joanna always made it a point to arrive before Savannah. Today was no different. As soon as she saw Savannah, she stood up eagerly. "Ms. Savannah.”Savannah greeted her with a warm smile, "Joanna, it's been a while since you've visited me. What's up? Have you been swamped at work lately?"Savannah held Joanna's hand and gave it a gentle pat. "You look like you've gotten even thinner. Is work getting too tough?"Sean doesn't know how to take care of people. If you're having a hard time, ju
Liliana turned and saw Yankel looking at her. She felt a bit shy and brushed her hair aside. "Mr. Canfield, let's talk outside," she suggested.Yankel looked at Bobby, who was fast asleep, and nodded. "Okay!"Liliana saw that Yankel needed help, so she gently pushed him out of the room.They did not go far, just out to the hallway outside the hospital room.Liliana paused for a moment before looking at Yankel with a serious expression. "Have you noticed that Bobby seems really scared of Xenia?"Yankel's brow creased as he thought about how Bobby had acted in the hospital room. He stayed quiet."I'm not implying anything bad. I raised Bobby, and he's definitely not scared of me. Mr. Canfield, you saw for yourself that Bobby doesn't push you away," Liliana said, her point clear. There were only the three of them in the hospital room earlier—Bobby could not be afraid of Yankel or Liliana, which left only Xenia.Yankel's frown deepened. "That can't be right. She was the one who su
Once Xenia had left, Bobby, who had been so tense and frightened, finally let himself relax. Liliana watched Bobby with a hint of doubt, then glanced at Xenia walking away. Her brow stayed knitted with concern.Yankel had no idea what Liliana was pondering. He was just thrilled to have some alone time with his son. This boy was his and Samara's, their only child together. Now, Bobby was his sole focus in life. Yankel could not quite put into words the swirl of emotions he felt.Samara was gone, and Bobby was the last link he had to her.Yankel's eyes, deep and filled with warmth, rested on Bobby. Bobby might not have known Yankel well or felt comfortable around him yet, but he was starting to understand a lot more these days.Liliana had explained to him that Yankel was his real dad. She had gently told him that his real mom was in Heaven, a place of beauty.Bobby was not sure what Heaven was, but he thought it must be a really nice place. Liliana had told him that everyone would
Bobby spoke those two sentences in a very soft voice, leaning in close to Liliana's ear. Neither Yankel nor Xenia could hear him.Liliana's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Yankel and Xenia with a worried look in her eyes.Yankel looked puzzled and a bit mad. Xenia, on the other hand, looked away when Liliana tried to catch her eye, so Liliana could not read her face.Turning back to Bobby, Liliana gently wiped the tears from his chubby cheeks and whispered, "I'm right here. I won't leave you." Then, she turned to Yankel and said, "Mr. Canfield, I'll just stay over here, okay? I promise I won't get in the way of your time with Bobby."Yankel was not happy about it, but he knew he did not have much choice with Bobby being so upset.Bobby was his son, but he had always been with Liliana. She had raised him. Trying to separate them then would probably make things worse.Yankel nodded. "Okay, but it might hold you up a bit."Liliana smiled. "It's no problem at all. It’s my jo
Sean's head was pounding, and his eyebrows twitched with frustration. "Linda, just go away," he said through clenched teeth."I'm going to tell the pretty girl that you're picking on me. What will you do then?" Linda taunted, sticking her tongue out at Sean before dashing off.As Sean watched Linda run away, his headache distracted him from his sour mood over Liliana's rejection.Bobby's surgery had gone really well. Afterward, Bobby and Yankel were taken to a room to rest. Bobby was just a kid, and the surgery had been a lot for him to handle. Liliana stayed right by his side, making sure he was okay.Next door to Bobby's room was Yankel's. Yankel often visited Bobby, and so did Xenia. Liliana could not help but notice that Xenia was pretty crafty. She did not like Bobby at all, but she sure knew how to act like she cared for him. She looked after Bobby so well that anyone who did not know better would think she was the sweetest person ever. However, Liliana knew better. She h
Sean nodded.Liliana's expression turned even more sour. "Even though this is your hospital, Mr. Smith, isn't it wrong for you to listen in on other people's conversations?"Sean's brow furrowed. "I didn't mean any harm, and you know it.""How would I know that?"As Liliana tried to leave, Sean reached out and caught her hand. "Liliana, you must realize that neither Yankel nor Xenia will just let things slide."Liliana scrunched her eyebrows. "And what about it?" She was not without means to handle them, even if Yankel would not back down."Did you ever stop to think about why Xenia is so set on having Bobby return?"Sean looked at her, causing Liliana to pause. "Maybe she's trying to win over Yankel?" she guessed. A scorned woman could do anything, much like Joanna had four years ago.With that thought, Liliana pulled her hand away. "But what's any of this got to do with you, Mr. Smith?"Sean's brow was deeply furrowed. "Liliana, you know I can help you with whatever you wa
In the end, it was Xenia who broke the silence. She looked directly at Liliana and said, "Ms. Hoffman, let's not beat about the bush. How much do you want in order to give up Bobby's custody to Yankel?"Liliana raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised by what Xenia said.Xenia felt uneasy under Liliana's gaze and frowned. "Ms. Hoffman?"Liliana snapped out of her thoughts. "Ms. Bennett, did you not investigate my background before coming here?""What do you mean by that?" Xenia's expression turned unpleasant.Liliana gave a small smile. "I mean, do you really think I'm short on money? Or do you think the Hoffmans can't afford to raise a child?"Xenia's expression shifted slightly at Liliana's words, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. "The Hoffmans…"Brookville's Hoffman family… How could Xenia not know about them? Even her own father had to show Charles some respect.Her father had once told her that if you wanted to survive in Brookville, there were two families you could not
"Liliana, I know the damage I caused is already done, and there's no way to take it back. I just wanted to say this while we're still young and while we still have time. I—" Sean continued."Enough!" Liliana's body trembled slightly. "It's too late, Sean. All of this is already too late."She took a deep breath, and her hands clenched into fists. Maybe it was because Bobby was beside her, but Liliana did not lose control of her emotions. Still, there were tears at the corners of her eyes.Tears gathered in her eyes, and soon, they slid silently down her cheeks. She gave a faint smile."Sean, when something's in the past, it's just that—the past. Regres no longer matter, and time doesn't go backward."You say you've loved me all along, but you didn't tell me. You didn't show it. If you had told me that four years ago, I never would've let your mother take me away. I never would've given Joanna the chance to hurt me."You ask about what could've been? I used to wonder that too. If
When Bobby heard that, his already soft and fair little face became even more adorable. His eyes sparkled with genuine delight."Yes, yes! Mr. Smith, you're so good-looking, and Mommy is beautiful too, so the baby you have together will definitely be beautiful!"Bobby squeezed his own chubby cheeks with his pudgy little hands, then propped his chin up with one hand and added proudly,"The baby will definitely be as good-looking as I am!""Yes, just as good-looking as you are, Bobby," Sean echoed with a smile in his eyes.He glanced at Liliana with a subtle look, only to find that though she was smiling, there was no warmth in her gaze—just coldness.Liliana held Bobby in her arms, her eyes fixed on Sean."Sorry about that. Bobby is still a child. He doesn't understand the meaning behind what he says. If he said anything that bothered you, I apologize on his behalf."With that, she turned and carried Bobby back into the hospital room.There was a fleeting shadow in Sean's eyes,
"Then Mommy, you and Mr. Smith should make me a little sister!"Bobby suddenly seemed to remember something. His big round eyes blinked rapidly while his chubby cheeks turned red. He looked unbearably cute."Mr. Smith?""Yeah, the man who wears white clothes every day! He comes to see me every day, tells me stories, and even plays games with me," he said, counting all the good things about the man in white on his little fingers.Liliana gently held Bobby's small hand. "Bobby, I can't.""Why not? But I really like Mr. Smith," Bobby pouted. He was still too young to understand adult relationships—he simply knew that the man in white treated him well, so naturally, he wanted him to be with his mommy."You don't even know who he is, and you want me to have a baby with him?" Liliana could not help but laugh at how adorable her son was. "Bobby, listen—only a husband and wife can get married and have a baby. Got it?"Bobby nodded, kind of understanding. "Then Mommy, you should marry Mr