"What about you?" Mike turned to look at Elliot. "You have a weak stomach. If you get sick later, your wife is going to worry."Layla immediately turned to look at them."I guess we should eat! She was worried that the others would refuse to eat like she did.She was young and could starve without feeling unwell, but her father had a weak stomach and Eric's parents were elders.After lunch, they continued to wait outside the operation room."Relax, it's all going to be fine." Mike leaned against the window and studied the dark looks on their faces. "This is the best private hospital in Bridgedale and the surgeon in there is the best in this country... Bridgedale is known for being really advanced in the medical field and if the surgery fails-"Layla interrupted him. "Uncle Mike, Mom used to call you a jinx.""???""So just stop. You are making me nervous."Mike scratched his head awkwardly. "Sure, I will stop. It's been so long since your mom called me that, though. How do you
She did not eat much in the morning.Avery often felt drowsy after eating, so she purposefully starved to keep a leveled head."Have you all eaten?" Avery asked."We did. It's past one now," he said. "Layla, take Eric's parents to rest! The hospital will notify us when he wakes up."Mr. and Mrs. Santos wanted to wait in the hospital, because the doctor had mentioned that Eric would regain consciousness within twenty-four hours."You shouldn't wait here. It's packed with people here. Let's wait at home!" Layla said. "We can all have a nap and maybe he will be awake when we are."The two were convinced as they knew that Layla wanted Eric to wake up just as much as they did. They knew that Eric's health would not be comparable to before the accident, so they hoped that there would be someone to take care of Eric in the future as well....Elliot took Avery to the canteen in the hospital and ate with her as he did not have too much to eat one hour ago."Do you think we will be abl
"You want kids? It's simple. I can take you to an orphanage right now. There are kids at all ages and you can take as many kids as you want," Avery teased.Elliot blushed. "I just want kids of my own blood.""Should we have another child, then?""...""Why bother asking the kids when we can do it?" She chuckled."I was just saying that. Let's not have another kid." Elliot had given up on having more children a long time ago."Don't say what you told me earlier to the kids. Just because you want grandchildren, doesn't mean you should force them into having kids!" She shot him a glare."I won't say any of the things I said to you." He shrugged. "Layla is dead set on marrying Eric. Eric needs to take Antirejection medication from now on, right? That means those two are definitely not having kids. As for Hayden, do you think I dare to force him into marriage?""You dare to do it to Robert." She lifted an eyebrow. "You raised him and he listens to you.""That depends on if he has a
"Are we going back home or to the hospital?" He asked."Do you want to go home?" Avery asked.She wanted to go back to the hospital and wait for Eric to wake up so that she could set Eric's parents' minds at peace."I will stay in the hospital with you, then!" He could almost read her mind."You know what I'm thinking without asking me now." She giggled."If I can't do that even after all the years we've been together, we must be doing something wrong," he said. "You should know me like the back of your hand by now, too, right?""I used to think that I do back when we were dating, but we would get into such big fights whenever something happens, so I stop thinking if I know you or not." She avoided his question. "Happiness is the most important in a relationship. It doesn't matter if we know each other well.""How would we manage to stay together for so long if we don't know each other? Just say that you know me.""Are you putting words in my mouth?""You are doing this on pur
"Mom, did he say anything to you?" Layla's heart raced.Avery shook her head. "He is conscious, though. I asked him a few questions and he nodded back."Tears filled Layla's eyes at her words. She wiped them away and asked, "Mom, can I stay in the room to take care of him?""He is staying in the VIP ward right now and there are nurses taking care of him at all times. You don't need to be here." Avery grabbed her hands. "I know you want to stay with him, but he is weak and will be asleep most of the time. Maybe you can stay with him once he gets better, okay?"Layla nodded and regained her composure. "Okay."Shortly after, they arrived at the room and the nurse inside immediately gave them some privacy.Eric opened his eyes when he heard footsteps.Avery had informed him that his parents were waiting outside and were dying to see him. When she asked if he wanted to see them, he nodded.As soon as he opened his eyes, all the memories came flashing back to him.He had thought tha
They left the room and Avery pulled Elliot out of the room as well.Layla watched as the door shut and finally, she was alone with Eric.She took a deep breath and looked at Eric. "Look at the jacket I'm wearing. It's the one you bought. You can have it back when you are discharged."Eric studied the jacket she wore blankly, feeling a little tired.If there was no one else in the room, he would close his eyes to rest as listening to his parents had drained him.Despite that, he kept his eyes on Layla."I've talked to my parents and your parents. Once you are discharged, we will get married." Layla knew that he was weak and did not intend to drag the conversation on.Eric's heart sank and felt chills down his spine as though he had been struck by lightning when he heard what she said."I was informing you, not asking for your approval." She studied the stunned look and the frown on his face and knew that he could not accept his, but she was determined and refused to waver. "Rest
"Layla is my daughter and I have the responsibility to educate her from a young age. However, she is no longer a child who needs to be told what to do," Avery said. "She likes you and wants to be with you, no matter how long you live. She thought this through."Eric heard every word she said, but still, struggle to accept it."Eric, I know that you are doing this for her sake, but she will be devastated if you reject her." Avery felt conflicted. She did not want to put Eric in a difficult position, nor did she want to see Layla upset. After all that the two had been through, Avery wanted them to be happy."What about Elliot?" Knowing that he would not be able to convince Avery, Eric wanted to talk to Elliot instead."You want to see him?" She asked.He nodded."I'll call him, then." She took out her phone to call Elliot. After the phone call, she said, "he feels the same way as I do, so talking to him won't help unless you can convince Layla to give up.""I wouldn't talk to you
He wanted to give Layla whatever she wanted and that was the way he had been treating Layla all long since she was a child."You know my condition," Eric deadpanned. "You wouldn't want Layla to marry me, only to be widowed later. She would be in far more pain then. Just talk some sense into her and make her marry a normal guy. She will forget about me at some point," Eric said.Elliot agreed with Eric that Layla would suffer no matter what and it was normal to think that it would be better to cut the losses early.While others could look at the matter objectively, Elliot could not do so and all he knew was that he did not want to upset Layla."My wife told you everything." Elliot stared into Eric's eyes. "We won't try to talk Layla into giving up. If that's what you want, you will have to talk to her. She is twenty-five, not two, or five. She gets to make the calls about her own life."Eric had not expected such a sudden change to Elliot's view on the matter."Don't look at me li
Three years later…Ivy and Robert stood at the airport in Aryadelle, anxiously waiting."It's been three years! Your boyfriend is finally here to see you!" Robert exclaimed before shifting the conversation. "He's not here to break up with you, is he? After all, you haven't seen each other in three years. A lot can change."Ivy sighed, "Robert, can you not jinx it? Although we haven't met in three years, we talk on the phone and video call every day!"Robert quipped, "Digital romance.""Anyway, he promised me that he's going to settle down in Aryadelle this time, and we won't be apart again," Ivy said. Robert smirked. "He's got a strong sense of pride. When he meets Dad later, they might not hit it off, and he'll buy a ticket to leave tonight!"Feeling helpless, Ivy was at a loss for words. Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Ivy!"Ivy immediately looked over to the source of the voice and saw Lucas stepping out of the exit, dragging his suitcase behind him. A smile sp
Mr. Woods did not expect Hayden to be so direct, and he found himself momentarily caught off guard. He had come to ask Hayden for money, but he had not thought about exactly how much he wanted. After all, Hayden's family was extremely wealthy, and he did not want to ask for too little and feel shortchanged, nor did he want to risk asking for too much and having Hayden refuse. It was a tough decision. After a brief internal struggle, Mr. Woods turned to Hayden and said, "I know your family is one of the wealthiest in Aryadelle, so why don't you name the price? I trust you won't mistreat my son and our family." Hayden furrowed his brows slightly. Shelly, noticing his hesitation, quickly chimed in, "Uncle, why don't you make an offer? We're not very familiar with this process. If you insist on us naming a price, we might need to consult my father-in-law." "Elliot Foster, you mean?" Mr. Woods asked. Shelly nodded. "Yes. My father-in-law isn't as easygoing as my husband. After a
"All right. Let's find a place nearby to sit and talk." Mr. Woods breathed a sigh of relief. "Good! Our house is actually nearby. Would you like to visit? Ivy has been with us for many years, and our staff has a close relationship with her." Hayden glanced at Shelly and asked, "Should we go?" "Sure!" Shelly said. Mr. Woods immediately invited Hayden and Shelly into his car and drove them to the Woods' mansion. Upon arriving, Mr. Woods instructed the servants to serve tea and refreshments. He pointed to the butler and said to Hayden, "This is our butler. He hired Ivy's grandmother." Hayden nodded. Mr. Woods then introduced Hayden: "This is Irene's older brother, the renowned businessman Mr. Hayden Tate." "Hello, Mr. Tate. Irene was a wonderful young lady," the butler said. "We all liked her very much. When we heard of her passing, we were truly saddened. Fortunately, she didn't actually pass away! Ivy is a very sensible and resilient girl, one of the strongest I've eve
Ivy's eyes were red as she said, "Hayden, Lucas' mother has passed away, so I won't be able to spend time with you for a few days." "It's okay. Given what has happened, we're not in the mood for fun either. After we attend his mother's funeral, Shelly and I will return," Hayden said. Ivy nodded. "How are funerals handled here?" Hayden asked. Given Lucas' relationship with Ivy, his younger sister, he felt a sense of duty to help Lucas with the funeral arrangements. "It's similar to how it's done back at home. Wealthy people can have elaborate funerals, and those with less money can opt for simpler ceremonies. Those who can't afford much at all can forgo the ceremony and opt for a simple burial," Ivy said. "What if someone wants a more elaborate funeral?" "Hayden, do you want to help with his mother's funeral? He doesn't have any close relatives here, so there's no need for an elaborate ceremony," she explained. "I see. Go and talk to him about it. I'll help with whatever I
Lucas hung up, tears welling in his eyes. Ivy stood by his side and asked, "What's wrong, Lucas?" "My mom has passed away. You should keep your brother company! I need to head back to the hospital." "I will come along! Aunty seemed fine just now, so why did she suddenly pass away?" The two hurried toward the car, completely forgetting about Hayden and Shelly. Hayden and Shelly watched as they left awkwardly, and Shelly said, "Honey, let's go to the hospital. I think Lucas' mother has passed away." "Sure." The two caught a taxi and hurried after Lucas. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Lucas arrived to first encounter the doctor and then his father. Mr. Woods tried ingratiating himself with his son, saying, "Lucas, I came to the hospital to see your mother, but when I arrived, she had already passed away. What a shame!" "Are you sure she had already passed away before you came? I was here earlier today, and when I saw her, she was still alive!" Lucas said. Mr. Woods reto
Mr. Woods sneered, "What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? Although the Woods family has fallen on hard times, we're still a prominent family in Taronia! Lucas may be foolish, but are you any wiser? If it weren't for me backing Lucas, would the Fosters even look at him?" "Shut up! The Foster family isn't narrow-minded like you! Ivy's family doesn't dislike Lucas, so don't go causing trouble! They don't want to see you at all!" Lucas' mother retorted. Mr. Woods scoffed. "Is that so? Do you really think they don't look down on him? Why wouldn't they? Are they planning to make Lucas marry into their family instead of the other way round?" "It's none of your business! You never cared about Lucas, and now that he's independent, he doesn't need you anymore! You wouldn't have come to me repeatedly if Ivy wasn't Elliot Foster's daughter and if she wasn't interested in Lucas. Do you really think I have no idea what you are plotting?" Mr. Woods countered, "What nonsense are you ta
Ivy did not hesitate, immediately shaking her head. "I'm not leaving. Don't worry about me; just focus on yourself." "Staying here is just a waste of time." "I've been studying and interning so hard for so long. What's wrong with taking a break now?" Ivy argued. Before long, Hayden and Shelly had finished their shopping, and Ivy and Lucas immediately joined them to go to the hospital. Lucas' mother had no idea that Ivy's brother and sister-in-law were coming to visit her, so she appeared a bit uncomfortable when they arrived. She tried to sit up, but her body failed her. Ivy raised the head of the hospital bed. "Aunty, my big brother and sister-in-law came over to Taronia for a visit. They wanted to see Lucas and you." "Oh, this is really embarrassing. It's a blessing for my son to know Ivy..." Lucas' mother muttered sheepishly. Shelly reassured, "Aunty, don't say that. Lucas is outstanding. Otherwise, Ivy wouldn't have fallen for him." Lucas' mother continued, "I've
Throughout the meal, Ivy found it hard to enjoy her food. Lucas and Hayden discussed everything that mattered, and the conversation went smoother than anyone had anticipated. Hayden was not upset, nor was Lucas. It was a better scenario than what Ivy had hoped for, but she still felt depressed. "Lucas, my husband and I would like to pay your mother a visit. Would that be okay?" Shelly asked after finishing her food. "Sure," Lucas said. "Don't we need to ask your mom first?" Ivy asked. "It's fine. We can just head over right away and introduce them once we arrive." Lucas' mother grew weaker every day and had stopped using her phone altogether, so it was her nurse, whom Lucas had hired, who reported his mother's condition to him daily. "You restarted your business and have to take care of your mother simultaneously; you're really strong. Most people would crumble under the pressure," Shelly commented. "Ivy had a tougher life before. She didn't crumble, so I won't eith
After what Ivy said, Lucas added, "I want to focus on my career for now. Marriage is secondary until I become more successful." Hayden sneered. "Running a business isn't as simple as it seems. What if you fail or never achieve anything out of the ordinary?" "If that happens, I won't drag Ivy down," Lucas said. "At least you know your place." Ivy felt as though her cheeks were on fire. "Hayden, even if Lucas fails, I won't give up on him. I won't let him go just because of his financial state." Shelly grabbed Hayden's hand again, signaling to him to control his temper; he could be rude to others, but he could not be so demanding with Ivy. Ivy sensed that she was slightly out of line, and her tone eased. "Hayden, we shouldn’t judge people based on their wealth. Our family is rich enough, and there really aren't that many people out there who can compare to our financial state, so why does it matter how wealthy my partner is?" "Ivy is right. Love matters most. Even if we man