Chapter 8
In the end, I accepted her offer.
Two days later, as I stepped off the plane, I spotted Edward in the waiting area, his gaze sweeping the hall with a large bouquet of roses clutched in his hand.
“Edward!” I called out.
Hearing my voice, he quickly rushed over.
“Are you done with everything back home?” he asked.
“It’s done!” I replied, a smile blooming inside me as I looked at the lovely flowers.
Then I noticed the file tucked behind his back.
A small smirk played on his lips as he pulled a contract from his bag.
“This is for you.”
My hand, poised to open the document, suddenly froze.
The words “Taymor Group Stock Transfer Agreement” blurred before my eyes.
He explained, “I know Nicholas’s parents helped you out, and you’ve been running the Taymor Group for so many years, so you probably don’t want to let it go. That’s why I bought all of the Taymor Group’s shares and gave them to you.”
My fingers, gripping the contract, trembled slightly.
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He continued, “I signed that deal, but it wasn’t for my company. In the end, it was signed over to the Taymor Group.”
He suddenly reached out and playfully ruffled my hair, that familiar smirk dancing on his lips.
“The deal is too small. I don’t want it.”
“You’re annoying!” I said.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I turned around and threw myself into his arms, ignoring the sting of rose thorns pricking my collarbone.
Edward stiffened for a moment, then gently wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin softly on the top of my head.
“Briella, I like you. Will you give me a chance?”
I leaned my head back, looking deep into his eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me when I was 20?”
If he had, I wouldn’t have married Nicholas, and I wouldn’t have lived through such a terrible past.
I looked up, seeing the fragmented light catching on his eyelashes.
“I’m disabled. I’m afraid I’m not good enough for you.”
I couldn’t stop the tears. They fell onto the flowers.
His leg was broken because of me.
I was the one who didn’t measure up to him, not the other way around!
“Edward, don’t you dare talk about yourself like that!”
I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, feeling the strong beat of his heart warm
Chapter 8
my chest.
***
11
749 Mous
A year later, the scent of disinfectant outside the delivery room was overwhelmingly strong, almost choking.
I leaned into Edward’s embrace, clutching my aching waist. Suddenly, I noticed his shirt was drenched in cold sweat.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here,” he said.
I tried to reassure him, but the pain of a new contraction wave was too intense for me to speak.
“Doctor! She’s bleeding! Is it a difficult labor?” Edward suddenly gripped the nurse’s wrist.
Before she could even explain, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, sending everyone around us into a panic.
As they wheeled me out of the delivery room, I spotted Edward, his eyes red–rimmed, being helped toward the ward.
“You big dummy!” I said, a mix of annoyance and amusement in my voice.
“I’m the one who just gave birth, and you’re the one who fainted!”
He stumbled to the bedside, carefully steering clear of my IV drip.
“If you ever… if you ever dare to die… I’ll take our daughter and we’ll die with you!”
Before he could finish, a clear cry suddenly erupted from the crib.
Edward instantly held his breath, then, with trembling hands, he gently
Chapter 8
lifted our daughter, swaddled in pink.
He whispered, “She looks just like you–even her nose and mouth are the same.”
His voice wavered, and a tear slipped down, landing on our daughter’s tiny, wrinkled face, startling her into another cry.
Later that night, Edward knelt beside the crib, his gaze fixed on our sleeping daughter and then on me.
He murmured, “In this life, having you two is all I need.”
He then leaned over and softly kissed my forehead.
