Chloe was the clever one, unable to voice it herself, she used her babies as a way to step
down gracefully.
Boyd was all too aware of what Chloe was up to, but it was enough.
She was right. After twenty-seven years, she was now a married woman with two adorable
children of her own. Her composure upon hearing the news had exceeded his
expectations. To expect her to suddenly call him ‘Dad’ was indeed a tall order.
However, her attitude had already made things clear. She acknowledged him.
“I’m sorry.”
All these years, he had known, yet he had never been there for her. He, the so-called
father, had never provided her with any care, and now, he was truly unworthy of that
title.d2
His apology made Yasmine pause in her playful interaction with Little Sun, her gaze falling
down, her lips pressing together slightly. Perhaps if she had truly died back then, Boyd
wouldn’t have taken this long to face Chloe.
Chloe Herschelt down to nuzzle Little Moon’s cheek, then spoke softly. “It’s too late for any
words now, an apology doesn’t hold much substance. A mistake is a mistake, and what’s
missed is missed.”
She looked up at him, “Even if I tell you it’s okay, do you really feel it’s okay?”
Boyd’s gaze landed on the little one in her arms, the baby’s curious eyes looking back at
him, a tiny mouth opening and closing, those shiny eyes moving around but never leaving
him.
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drama.com to support the author and the translation team!.His features softened
unconsciously, and after Chloe finished speaking, he shook his head. “No, it won’t.”
Even if she forgave him, he could never forgive himself. The mistake was his alone to bear,
with no chance of redemption. She was right, a mistake was a mistake.
Chloe handed Little Moon over to him. Boyd was stiff, unsure of what to do, but he
instinctively reached out to take the baby.
His movements were awkward, far from proper. His arms were rigid, holding the little
baby, afraid of causing any harm.
Perhaps the position was really uncomfortable, for Little Moon shifted her head, her little
mouth puckered, and she was about to cry.
Chloe guided his arms, pressing Little Moon closer to him, grabbing one of Boyd’s hands to
support the baby’s bottom.
The baby was light, almost weightless, and Boyd, fearing she would start crying, began to
rock her gently.
Little Moon’s anxious expression gently softened as she looked at Boyd. Her eyes, full of
joy, blinked, a luminescent twinkle ignited in them like sparks in the night sky. Her legs
playfully kicked about, brimming with exuberance. Her voice, youthful and filled with
mirth, echoed, defining the serenity of the moment. Chloe smiled.
Boyd breathed a sigh of relief, and his forehead was beaded with sweat.
“First time holding a baby?” Chloe’s sudden question caught him off guard.
Yasmine turned around.
Boyd didn’t see any issue with the question and nodded. “Yeah.”
A flicker passed through Yasmine’s eyes.
Chloe’s expression remained neutral as she nodded, turned, and caught Yasmine’s slightly
dazed look.
Elizabeth, a bit slow on the uptake, stood up from the couch and hooked Chloe’s arm.
“Let’s head to the kitchen and plan tonight’s dinner.”
Chloe caught the glint of mischief in Elizabeth’s eyes and let herself be pulled away.
As they reached the kitchen, Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. “Aren’t you a bit too
composed? That man is your biological father!”
Chloe chuckled, heading towards the pantry with Elizabeth following.
“Did you know already?”
Chloe shook her head, selecting vegetables from the fridge, “I had no idea.”
“What’s with the calmness, then?”
“I just know my mother well. From a young age, I could tell she felt nothing for Nick. With
her personality, how could she possibly share a bed, much less have children, with
someone she didn’t love?”
Chloe turned, placing some greens in the basket.
Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully, “That makes sense. I mean, how could someone like your
mom fall for a man like Nick? And allowing to have an affair? She wouldn’t let a man slip
from her grasp that easily.”
Chloe also agreed with Elizabeth’s words. If it weren’t for her mother’s willingness, things
wouldn’t have reached this point. Perhaps, Nick’s infidelity back then was a kind of
liberation for her mother.
But her current puzzle wasn’t about that. It was about the lawsuit with Carolina, the
revelation of her blood tie to Nick. Jonah later confessed that Nick wasn’t Carolina’s son
but his with a woman named Maria. So Nick and this newfound father, Boyd, were they
brothers?
Did her mother know of Nick and Boyd’s relation? Was that why she approached him, so
that even if a paternity test was done in the future, there would be no risk?
Was it really so?
She had investigated and found that her mother and Nick had a one-night stand, a mere
coincidence. Can life be that coincidental?
After selecting tonight’s dinner ingredients, they left the pantry.
The servant came over to help, and Elizabeth pulled Chloe, who was about to help, out of
the kitchen. “You’ll be looking after the babies later. You don’t want to be covered in
cooking smells.”
They walked to the dining room and peeked around the corner to see the two in the living
room looking after the babies.
Little Moon in Boyd’s arms started to fuss, crying out loud. Boyd became a flustered mess,
beads of sweat on his forehead, pacing back and forth in the living room, trying to soothe
Little Moon, but the crying indicated his method wasn’t working.
Hearing Little Moon’s cries, Little Sun in Yasmine’s arms began to cry too. The living room
was in total disarray.
Elizabeth hurried to intervene but found herself restrained by Chloe’s firm grip. Elizabeth’s
heart was breaking at the sound of her grandchildren’s cries, but when she caught Chloe’s
expression, a wave of calm washed over her.
As a newly promoted mother, how could she bear to let her precious one cry? Elizabeth’s
heart ached, but she knew Chloe felt the same—if not more. Yet, Chloe had made her
decision.
“I’ve got it.”
The voice of Yasmine echoed from the living room, pulling Elizabeth’s attention.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtYasmine was settling the still wailing Little Sun into the crib.
Hearing this, Boyd hurried over to Yasmine’s side, glancing at Little Sun who was crying up
a storm in the crib. “He’s crying too. Maybe I should go find Chloe.”
Yasmine took Little Moon in her arms, and her posture looked much more natural than
Boyd’s. “Go hold your grandson.”
Boyd did as instructed, lifting Little Sun into his arms, trying to mimic Yasmine’s
movements and posture, but he was at a loss, looking towards Yasmine with uncertainty,
“Yasmine, he’s still crying.”
With a gentle sway of Little Moon in her arms, Yasmine glanced at him, “Just wait. Once
Little Moon stops, he’ll calm down on his own.”
Boyd’s mouth hung open in surprise, gazing down at his grandson in wonder. Could it
really work like that?
Elizabeth pouted, feeling a pang of sympathy for her grandson.
Soon enough, the question was answered. As Little Moon ceased crying, Little Sun in
Boyd’s arms also quieted down. It was nothing short of miraculous.
Boyd let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a free hand.
Chloe and Elizabeth, previously tense, relaxed their shoulders.
Yasmine gently wiped Little Moon’s tear-streaked face with a soft tissue. Boyd followed
suit, awkwardly imitating her actions.
“When you hold them, support their neck and head together. They’re still so fragile, and
they squirm with curiosity. Don’t let their necks hang unsupported. Try to broaden their
view; an angled hold is best.” Yasmine approached Boyd with Little Moon in her arms,
instructed him, and gently nudged his elbow upwards to correct his posture.
Boyd stiffened for a moment but then relaxed, adjusting his hold as per Yasmine’s
guidance.
Little Sun looked visibly more comfortable.
“Like that.”
With an approval from Yasmine, Boyd’s face finally broke into a smile.
Turning her head, Elizabeth smiled at Chloe and pulled her back to the kitchen for a glass
of water, settling themselves at the dining table. “I’ve come to understand your mom’s
temperament well. Considering her relationship with Boyd for so many years, there must
be deep-seated reasons. She lost a baby once. And you, you only recently learned about
your biological father. We can’t possibly know everything that’s happened. I get your
attitude, but don’t provoke your mother lightly. If she gets upset, my relationship with her
will be effected.”
Chloe had been curious about why Elizabeth was speaking so much about her mother
today. Elizabeth didn’t usually pry into such personal affairs. By the end, she realized
Elizabeth was worried about her angering her mother and, by extension, affecting her
rapport with her. It was endearingly amusing.
“Whether to forgive or not, and how they deal with it, the decision has always been my
mother’s. What I’m doing now is just considering how to make her happier. Whether she’s
taking revenge on Boyd or not, her pain is no less than his.”
Elizabeth nodded, “That’s true. Every time I had a spat with Royce, seeing him all
apologetic and miserable made me sadder than him. I knew it was pathetic, but I couldn’t
help feeling for him, his pain was my pain.”
Chloe chuckled. Wasn’t that just the way it was? The harshest words spoken were like
knives to one’s own heart.
Wasn’t that just affection in its truest form? To be utterly disarmed by someone.
“That’s just life,” Elizabeth sighed. “But I tell you, your mom accepting Boyd again, that’s
a tough one.”
Chloe sipped her water, “Yeah, getting her to say ‘it’s okay’ to Boyd is probably impossible
in this lifetime. She has her pride.”
“Ah…” Elizabeth sighed again. “Isn’t that just making things harder for herself? If it were
me, I’d give Royce a piece of my mind, then tend to him right after. Quick and decisive, no
use dragging it out. Wasting all that time, it’s just not worth it.”
It seemed their presence was superfluous, so Elizabeth and Chloe decided to stay in the
kitchen and help the staff with cooking.
Damon arrived home early in the afternoon, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Boyd.
Usually, he encountered Boyd outside. His presence inside the home was a surprise.
Finding Chloe in the kitchen washing vegetables, he teased, “Mrs. Harper, have I been
overpaying the staff?”
Elizabeth shuffled aside, uninterested in their display of affection.
Chloe turned, a smile on her face upon seeing her well-dressed husband. “Back already?”
Damon kissed the corner of her mouth, his hand resting on her waist as he eyed the
running tap with a slight frown.
Before he could comment, Chloe popped a warm cherry into his mouth. “The water’s
warm.”
Feeling the warmth of the cherry, Damon didn’t finish his thought.
Chloe dried her hands and pulled him out of the kitchen, loosening his tie.
“What’s going on? Why let him inside? The man I introduced seems quite taken with your
mother.”
Chloe’s eyes sparkled with a hint of mirth as she asked, “So, what do we do now?”
Damon shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “I’m not entirely sure. But I think your
mom’s finally stopped seeing me in a bad light.”
His stance had been unmistakably clear this time.
Chloe chuckled, “Aren’t you worried about offending Boyd?”
Damon’s lips curled into a smirk. “Afraid? He’s probably been holding a grudge since I
whisked Mom away from him. One more grudge won’t make a difference.”
As Chloe recalled the incident that brought his mother back—and the bullet wound Damon
suffered in the process—her expression momentarily darkened. But before she could sink
into concern, Damon’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. “Besides, with
your mom backing me, Boyd’s grudges won’t amount to much.”
Chloe couldn’t help but laugh at his words. Did he really need his mother’s support?
—
The dinner atmosphere was anything but relaxed. Boyd sat there feeling quite out of
place.
Yasmine sat beside him, her face calm but stern, an expression that commanded
seriousness.
Boyd remained silent, anxious not to annoy Yasmine. In reality, he was tormented by the
thought of what might happen after dinner.
And then, the moment Boyd feared, arrived.
As they moved from the dining room to the living room, Yasmine announced bluntly, “I’m
not going back tonight.”
Standing by the baby carriage, Boyd’s hand, resting on the railing, twitched as if
electrified at her words. The brief smile that had surfaced upon seeing the babies was
swiftly washed away by a sudden, sharp pain.
“I took that bottle as a promise from you. If you can’t even keep that one promise, what
right do you have to stand before me?”
Initially, the others hadn’t paid much mind to Yasmine’s declaration that she wouldn’t
return that night. But as she continued, they began to grasp the gravity of the situation,
throwing puzzled glances between the two.
Boyd’s grip on the crib tightened, his knuckles turning white, his entire demeanor visibly
tense. He remained silent, his pain palpable. It was as if he were trapped in a hopeless
situation.
Yasmine looked at him impassively. “If you can’t control yourself, stay away from the
babies. If you hurt them, you might as well end yourself.”
The guilt was accumulating, and his refusal to forgive himself turned his life into a mere
torment.
Her words were severe. The others also felt she was being too harsh. But still, Boyd let go
of the railing.
Yasmine turned and began to ascend the stairs, pausing after a few steps. “That bottle…”
Everyone watched her retreating back, anticipating her next words, but she stopped, not
continuing, and went upstairs. They were left with a mix of confusion and concern, all eyes
on Boyd.
“What promise is that? You didn’t agree to leave her, did you?” Elizabeth couldn’t help
asking.
Boyd just shook his head, his lips trembling, but no words came out.Books Chapters Are
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Just then, the doorbell rang, and the butler let in Herschel. Direct to the point, he said,
“I’m here to pick up my father.”
Boyd’s stiff gaze slowly shifted to Herschel. It flickered, as if he had found a lifeline amidst
sinking quicksand.
Herschel’s eyes darkened as he stepped forward to support Boyd and guide him outside.
Boyd hesitated, glancing back at the staircase where Yasmine had disappeared.
Chloe’s brow furrowed slightly at Herschel’s caution and Boyd’s subsequent expression.
Damon squeezed her hand the next second. Chloe forced a faint smile, but her concern
was evident. Boyd didn’t look well, and she was unaware of the promise he still owed his
mother.
—
Back at the villa, Boyd didn’t invite Herschel in. Alone, he entered the villa where the glass
bottle remained untouched on the coffee table.
A servant approached with a glass of water, but seeing Boyd standing motionless by the
sofa, she left the glass and retreated fearfully.
Boyd stood there the entire night.
In the morning, a servant heading to the bathroom was startled by his pale, ghostly
appearance. She mustered the courage to approach and asked timidly, “Sir, why aren’t
you sleeping?”
Boyd remained still.
“Sir…”
Boyd turned to her, and she gasped, stepping back.
“Go rest,” he said.
The servant hurried away, Boyd’s pale face and red eyes haunting her thoughts, his voice
like a specter from the underworld.
Her appearance seemed to bring Boyd back to reality. He slowly moved, his stiff legs
barely Herschelding. If not for the sofa, he might have fallen. After a while, he managed to
sit down on the sofa and continued to stare at the bottle, lost in thought.
When the servants began their morning chores, they found him still staring at the glass
bottle.
“Sir, what would you like for breakfast?” A clueless servant approached to ask, but after a
long pause, there was no response, and she was pulled away by another.
“What’s wrong with Mr. Boyd? Why is he fixated on an empty bottle so early in the
morning?”
“It’s not just this morning. He’s been like that since last night, probably didn’t sleep a
wink.”
“What’s with that bottle? And I noticed only the sir returned last night. The madam didn’t
come with him.”
“It seems like a birthday gift he gave to Ma’am. Yesterday, it looked like the madam
wanted to use it as a reason to leave him.”
“Why would she? He is so good to her, but Ma’am seems to barely tolerate him, always
giving him the cold shoulder.”
Another servant sighed, “They must have had some misunderstanding when they were
younger. I don’t know what she wrote in there, but she wants to leave him so much, so
that must be her only wish.”
Their whispers inevitably reached Boyd’s ears. His eyes flickered. He had thought about it
all night.
What could that note inside the bottle possibly say? No matter how much he pondered, he
could only come to one conclusion: her request to leave him. For years, whenever she
spoke to him, her most frequent demand was for him to let her go.
Now that she had stumbled upon a weakness she could exploit, there was no chance she
would let it slip through her fingers.
He had been sitting in the living room since last night, through the early hours of the
morning, and from dawn until dusk. The household staff tiptoed around, fearful of making
the slightest noise that might disturb him.
Like a statue, he sat in silence, emanating an aura so still it was as if he had ceased
breathing.
The air around him was chilling, thick with despair, devoid of life. The only sign he was still
among the living came when Herschel rang the doorbell outside and he spoke, refusing to
let the servants answer.
It wasn’t until the evening, after a full day without food, water, or a wink of sleep, that the
staff mustered the courage to defy his orders and let Herschel in.
Herschel made a beeline for the living room, where Boyd’s gaze was still fixed on an
empty whiskey bottle.
“Who let you in?” Boyd’s voice was hoarse, causing Herschel’s veins to throb with tension.
Ignoring the lack of hospitality, Herschel commanded one of the servants to fetch a glass
of salt water. Taking it, he didn’t bother with properness. He grabbed Boyd’s head and
forced him to take a few sips.
The glass shattered on the floor as Boyd’s clothes were soaked through.
Boyd swatted the glass from Herschel’s hand, scattering the pieces across the room.
Herschel’s face was a mask of cold fury, but he ignored the disarray and snatched the
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
bottle from the coffee table.
Boyd’s expression changed drastically, his bloodshot eyes filled with terror. “Give it to
me!”
As Herschel attempted to unscrew the bottle’s cap, Boyd suddenly stood, wrenching it
from his grasp.
“What are you doing?” Herschel stumbled backward, catching himself before he fell.
Boyd cradled the bottle, circling past Herschel toward the stairs, his face a mix of anger
and defense.
Herschel closed his eyes briefly, then spoke with a deep resolve. “Dad, you can’t think
straight in this condition. Let’s get you healthy first, then we can think about other things.
If you’re sick, even if Ms. Yasmine stays your side, you can’t guarantee her safety. Don’t
you want to take care of her? How can you do that if you can’t even take care of
yourself?”
Boyd continued up the stairs, clutching the bottle to his chest.
Herschel quickly followed, standing under the stairs watching his figure, angrily said,
“Father, please face the reality. Tying her forcibly by your side will only make her despise
you more, and separation may be the best choice. Inside there is a promise you cannot
refuse. Satisfy her last wish in her life, and maybe in her heart, she can still remember you
as a person who once fulfilled her promise.”
Boyd’s figure paused for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, Herschel continued, “I can give you three days. In three days,
whether you agree or not, I must take you away from here!”
In the end, Boyd still climbed up the stairs. Herschel didn’t leave. He inquired about
Boyd’s state and instructed the staff to prepare a pot of chicken soup.
Boyd locked himself in his bedroom, sitting at the window, still holding the bottle, and
staring at the folded note inside.
Face the reality…
Fulfill the promise he made to Yasmine? Was that promise to truly let her go?
He had never imagined such a promise. If he kept it, what meaning would his life hold?
What meaning would their lives hold?
But if he didn’t, would she ever come back? Would she come back as a shell of herself,
convinced he was a man of empty promises, unable to keep his word?
He was already so unbearable in her eyes. She had said she had her pride. Did she mean
being held captive by him was crushing her pride and dignity? He didn’t want that.
Everything about her was good now. He didn’t want to change that because of him.
But keeping her close was against his wishes, and letting her go, severing all ties, was just
as undesirable.
No matter what he did, it was wrong.
Boyd ran his hands through his hair, exuding a sense of helplessness and despair.
Herschel came up later with the soup, knocking to no answer.
Dinner was the same.
Eventually, Herschel had someone force open the door. Boyd was still by the window, the
bottle in hand.
Setting the soup aside, Herschel said, “How about you try the soup first?”
Silence.
“Dad, your life isn’t just about her. Have you seen your daughter? Your two grandkids? You
planning on just seeing them once in this lifetime?”
Boyd looked up at Herschel, his grip on the bottle loosening slightly.
“Chloe, and your grandkids, Elio and Luna, they tie you to Ms. Yasmine for life.”
Seeing some reaction from Boyd, Herschel’s lips curved slightly. “But all of this depends on
you being healthy enough to give and make amends.” After a moment, he offered the
soup.
Boyd placed the bottle on the windowsill. “I’m not hungry right now.”
Herschel’s brows twitched, but he didn’t press, setting the bowl aside. “Then eat when
you’re ready, and remember to drink water.”
Boyd nodded. “If I go to see Chloe, and Elio and Luna, would Yasmine allow it?”
“She has no right to refuse.”
Boyd’s eyes darkened. “But what if she’s unhappy about it?”
Herschel sighed. Boyd was trapping himself in a maze of his own making.
“She won’t agree to me seeing Elio and Luna. She thinks I’m ill, but I’m not. She doesn’t
believe me…”
“It’s not what she thinks. You are ill.”
Boyd closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, his voice hoarse and unclear. “Leave.”
Herschel took a deep breath and left, not lingering any longer.
“Dad, if Ms. Yasmine refuses to let you see your daughter and grandkids, will you just
accept her decision?”
“If she’s unhappy, then I won’t see them.”
The room fell silent, as if even the drifting dust had more presence than Boyd.
Boyd didn’t want Yasmine to hate him anymore, but keeping her by his side was only
fostering that hatred.
If he left, as Herschel suggested, would she remember him as a man who had kept a
promise? After all, compared to the torrent of hatred she harbored for him, the mere
thought that there was a sanctuary of peace for him in her heart was indeed too tempting
to resist.
Should he really let her go? Once he did, their lives would truly be devoid of any
intersection. Yet her greatest wish in this lifetime was just that one thing, and he was the
only one who could grant it to her.
His gaze returned to the glass bottle. His expression was nearly unreadable, but the
turmoil and complexity within him were palpable.
Time seemed to stretch on indefinitely until he finally picked up the bottle, hesitating for
what felt like an eternity before his hand finally moved toward the lid.
Herschel had been sorting out some business over the phone in the living room, and by
the time he was done, it was well past ten. The fatigue on his face was suddenly replaced
by a taut intensity, his handsome features betraying a deep, thick emotion.
He stood, intending to check on Boyd upstairs, but after only a few steps, the sound of
footsteps echoed from above. Soon enough, Boyd appeared in the living room.
Herschel was taken aback. “You…”
Boyd, leaning on the banister, his face deathly pale, looked at Herschel. His lips trembled
slightly as he spoke a few words.
The surprise was unmistakable on Herschel’s face upon hearing Boyd’s utterance, cutting
through his initial attempt to speak.
—
The next morning, Yasmine and Elizabeth were downstairs taking care of the children.
Chloe was tidying up her room when she got a call from Damon. In just a few seconds, her
expression shifted to confusion and surprise. She hung up and went downstairs,
approaching Yasmine. “Boyd left this morning. He went back to B Country with Herschel.”
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