Chapter 1613:
“Is the world coming back into focus, sweetie? Can those beautiful eyes open fornow?” he asked, brushing a
strand of hair from her forehead.
Joy nodded, her small fingers touching her lips. “But my mouth feels all fuzzy and strange.”
“Oh?” Eric bit back a smile, recognizing the universal complaint of children everywhere. “Perhaps scake
might help? That blueberry one you adore?”
“Yes, please!” Her eyes brightened instantly, sleep forgotten.
“Your wish is my command, princess,” he declared with playful formality.
With Joy secured in his arms, Eric strode from the sitting room toward the promise of sweet remedies in the
dining room.
Joy's giggles bubbled up like spring water, her earlier distress evaporating completely.
Hadley observed the tableau silently—her attentive husband and cherubic daughter framed against the rain-
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtstreaked window—a living portrait of everything she'd once feared lost forever.
In that crystalline moment, perfection settled around her like a comfortable shawl.
If life could sustain this harmony, this delicate balance of joy and tranquility, perhaps all her earlier struggles had
been worthwhile. No mortal’s journey unfolds precisely according to design.
Yet tmarched relentlessly forward. She'd learned to face the horizon, knowing each sunrise arrived, whether
welcomed with laughter or tears. Allowing herself to wallow in past disappointments would only carve deeper
grooves of unhappiness in her soul.
Perhaps she possessed an optimist’s heart or simply mastered the art of necessary self-deception. Either way,
this resolute perspective had sustained her through the bleakest years in Blathe, when surrender seemed the
easiest path. Without it, she might have vanished beneath the weight of her circumstances.
The following evening found the three of them navigating puddles en route to the main house of the Scott
estate, where Ferris and Milly awaited with dinner and, undoubtedly, opinions.
While dinner preparations continued inside, Hadley supervised Joy's exploration of rain-washed flowers in the
garden. Meanwhile, beneath the stoic portraits of the Scott ancestors, Ferris cornered Eric for a private
conversation.
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“So, you've truly decided?” Ferris scrutinized his son’s face before releasing a weighted sigh. “You're certain
she’s the one?”
Ferris frowned, calculations of dynasty and power plainly visible in his expression. “Our circumstances differ
fundamentally. A strategic marriage to someone from an influential family could have armored you against your
siblings’ machinations. Shouldering this burden alone invites unnecessary struggle.”
“What's this?” Eric's brow lifted as he shot Ferris a look sharp enough to cut glass. “You expectto throw away
my entire future just to fix your problem?” He had already pieced together what Ferris was implying. With the
Scott family’s empire looming large, Eric’s older siblings would stir chaos constantly in the years to come, all of it
landing squarely on his shoulders.
It really was a one-man war, and a wife with an influential background could really help.
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