Christiana’s POV.
As I walked Ethan up the steps to our hotel suite, his little hand in mine, a wave of relief washed over me. He looked up at the door with a small, proud smile, as if the weight of this moment meant something even to him. After days in the hospital, being back, albeit not yet home, felt like a blessing. Ethan’s surgery was behind us, and a hint of color was starting to return to his cheeks.
Emma bounded beside us, her energy bright and unrestrained. She had been Ethan’s little shadow since we left the hospital, always reaching out as if to make sure he was really there. I could see that Ethan was trying to be strong, but I knew his limits, and I wanted him comfortable, letting him recover without pressure.
“Ethan, you feelin‘ okay?” Emma asked, her eyes wide with concern, though a spark of curiosity flickered beneath.
He nodded, giving her a soft smile. “Yeah, Em. I’m fine. Just… tired.” He looked up at me, a little wrinkle forming between his brows. “Can we go inside?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” I leaned down, brushing a stray curl from his forehead. “Let’s get you settled.”
Alex was right behind us, holding the bags we’d brought from the hospital. He had barely left Ethan’s side since the surgery, and I couldn’t have been more grateful. His presence had been a steadying force through every tear and every shaky sigh. Having him here was a reminder that I didn’t have to shoulder everything alone.
“Hey, champ,” Alex said to Ethan, a faint smile softening his usually firm gaze. “You want me to carry you to the bed?”
Ethan looked torn, pride and fatigue battling in his expression. “I can walk,” he insisted, but his voice was soft, betraying how exhausted he was.
I gave Alex a knowing glance, and he nodded. “Of course you can. But it’s okay to take a little break,” I said, running my hand gently down his arm.
He seemed to consider it, and finally, with a small nod, he reached out for Alex, who lifted him effortlessly. Alex’s face softened, his usual boldness melting as he cradled Ethan with such care. Emma followed us inside, her small hand wrapped around mine as we made our way to the suite’s bedroom.
Once there, Alex laid him gently on the bed, arranging the pillows so he could sit up comfortably. Ethan gave a soft sigh as he settled in, his eyes already drooping a bit.
“Better?” Alex asked, brushing a hand over Ethan’s hair.
Ethan nodded, his small voice almost a whisper. “Thanks, Dad.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed, placing my hand on his. “You don’t have to worry about anything now, sweetheart. Just rest. We’ll take care of everything else.”
Emma climbed up beside him, carefully pulling the blanket over him as if he were made of glass. She looked at him with such care that it made my heart swell. “You want me to read to you, Ethan?” she asked, her voice soft, almost hesitant, as if afraid he might say no.
Ethan gave a faint smile. “Okay. But not a long one.”
She nodded eagerly and grabbed his favorite book from the nightstand, flipping it open to a well–worn page. She began reading, her little voice filling the room with a familiar story about a brave knight who saved his kingdom.
I leaned against Alex, my head resting on his shoulder as we watched the twins together. There was a comforting silence between us, a sense of unity that hadn’t been there before. I felt his hand settle around my waist, grounding me as we sat side by side.
“He’s strong, isn’t he?” Alex murmured, his voice low and filled with pride as he looked at Ethan.
I nodded, feeling the weight of everything lift, if only for a moment. “He gets that from you, you know.
He chuckled softly, a rare, genuine sound. “I think he gets more from you than you realize. That resilience? That’s all you.
I looked up at him, my gaze meeting his, and for a second, the world outside this room fell away. There was something unspoken in his eyes, a gratitude, a respect that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, we could build something real our of all.
Chapter 125
of this.
Ethan’s eyelids were starting to droop, and Emma, sensing his fatigue, closed the book softly. “Night, Ethan,” she whispered, giving him a gentle hug.
He mumbled something in reply, already drifting off, his breathing evening out. I watched them, my heart swelling as I realized how lucky we were, how close we had come to losing this.
We tiptoed out of the room, closing the door softly behind us. Once we were back in the suite’s living area, Alex took my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine in a quiet, steady grip.
“I don’t know how I would’ve done this without you,” I whispered, my voice trembling slightly. “Thank you for being here. For them. For me.”
He squeezed my hand, his gaze warm and steady. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m here because I want to be. Because this… us… it’s where I’m supposed to be.”
My breath caught, and I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed to hear those words.
I felt a deep warmth in my chest, gratitude blooming for Alex’s presence. I hadn’t expected him to be there through it all. After so much pain, the steady comfort of him by my side felt almost surreal.
But as I looked up at him, he suddenly seemed different, his face shadowed with a hesitance I hadn’t seen in years. He took a step closer, reaching for my hand, his fingers barely brushing mine. His eyes were filled with something like shame, maybe even remorse, and I felt the air between us shift.
“Christiana,” he said, his voice low, almost pleading. “There’s something I need to say. I know you haven’t brought it up, but it’s there. I know it’s still there.”
My heart skipped, my throat tightening as I caught the seriousness in his gaze. I already knew where this was going, and suddenly, every inch of me wanted to escape.
“Christiana… I was a fool,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly. “When I left you, it was the biggest mistake of my life. Bianca…everything I did with her, every choice I made that tore us apart…it was wrong. I didn’t see what I was throwing away until it was too late.”
I stayed silent, his words prickling the wounds I’d kept carefully hidden. I could feel a familiar ache rising, an urge to shove away the memories of those years when he was gone, when I had raised our children alone while he was with her.
He tightened his grip on my hands as if he knew I wanted to pull away. “I called you barren,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know about Ethan and Emma, Christiana. I wasn’t there, and you had to raise them alone, I…” “Please,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I took a step back. “Just stop.” The memories I’d tried to bury started surfacing, clawing their way back. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as my breath hitched, catching in my throat.
But Alex didn’t stop. He looked at me, his expression desperate, reaching out again. “No, Christiana, I have to say it. I know I can never undo what I did. I was selfish. I was blind. I let Bianca, that…” He swallowed, his voice faltering. “I let her destroy what we had, and I blamed you for it. I’m… I’m so sorry, Christiana. I can’t believe you had the courage, the strength to take me back. So many women wouldn’t.”
I took another step back, shaking my head as the images overwhelmed me: the nights I’d spent working late shifts, scrubbing tables at that restaurant, my hands raw and my heart breaking every time I saw him and Bianca together. The humiliation of watching the man I loved so easily cast me aside, as if I were nothing, while he embraced another woman.
The tears started to blur my vision, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. My voice was a strained whisper as I turned away, “Alex… please. Just… give me a minute.” I could feel the walls closing in, the memories suffocating me. I needed air. I needed space.
But he didn’t let go. His hand gripped my arm, gentle but insistent. “Christiana, please, don’t walk away,” he said, his voice breaking with regret. “I know I don’t deserve it, but… I want to make this right. I know I hurt you. I know I was a…
“A selfish bastard,” I finished for him, my voice cracking as I finally turned to face him, unable to hold back the raw anger and pain. “Do you know what it was like, Alex? Watching you with her? Knowing you chose her and left me with nothing? You froze my accounts, left me out in the cold while I was…” My voice broke, and I felt the hot sting of tears sliding down my cheeks. “f had to work as a waitress, Alex. Do you know how humiliating that was? I was nobody. And you… you acted like I didn’t even
exist.”
魚
10:04 AM J
Chapter 125
I pulled my arm free, turning away again as the weight of it all crashed down. I could hear him step closer, his voice soft and desperate. “Christiana, I’m so sorry. I swear, I would take it all back if I could. I hate myself for what I did. If you need time, I understand. I’ll wait. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
But I shook my head, a fresh wave of tears spilling over as I whispered, “I just need some space, Alex. I can’t… I can’t do this right now.” I could feel his presence close, his desperation pressing against my raw, exposed wounds, but I couldn’t bear to face him. Not now, not with this hurt so vivid in my chest.
His voice was barely above a whisper. “I know. I’ll give you space. But Christiana…” His words lingered, carrying a weight of regret and longing. “I will make it up to you. I promise.”
Without another word, I walked away, feeling his gaze on my back, heavy with sorrow. The memories continued to claw at me, endlessly, until I
finally closed myself in the bathroom, letting the tears come in heaving, painful sobs.
