Chapter 125
Christiana’s POV.
As | 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. | could see that Ethan was trying to be
strong, but | knew his limits, and | 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.” | 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 | 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 | didn’t have to shoulder everything alone.
“Hey, champ,” Alex said to Ethan, a faint smile softening his usually firm gaze. “You wantto 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.
| 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.”
| 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 wantto 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.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt| 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. | felt his hand settle around my waist,
groundingas 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.
| 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 madefeel 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. | watched them, my heart
swelling as | realized how lucky we were, how close we had cto 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 | would've done this without you,” | 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 | 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. | hadn't realized how much I'd needed to hear
those words.
| felt a deep warmth in my chest, gratitude blooming for Alex's presence. | 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 | looked up at him, he suddenly seemed different, his face shadowed with a hesitance | 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. | know you haven't
brought it up, but it’s there. | know it’s still there.”
My heart skipped, my throat tightening as | caught the seriousness in his gaze. | already knew where this was
going, and suddenly, every inch ofwanted to escape.
“Christiana... | was a fool,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly. “When | left you, it was the biggest mistake
of my life. Bianca...everything I did with her, every choice | made that tore us apart...it was wrong. | didn’t see
what | was throwing away until it was too late.”
| stayed silent, his words prickling the wounds I'd kept carefully hidden. | could feel a familiar ache rising, an
urge to shove away the memories of those years when he was gone, when | had raised our children alone while
he was with her.
He tightened his grip on my hands as if he knew | wanted to pull away. “I called you barren,” he said, his voice
thick with regret. “I didn’t know... | didn’t know about Ethan and Emma, Christiana. | wasn’t there, and you had
to raise them alone, I...” “Please,” | whispered, my voice cracking as | 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, | have to
say it. | know | can never undo what | did. | was selfish. | was blind. I let Bianca, that...” He swallowed, his voice
faltering. “I let her destroy what we had, and | blamed you for it. I'm... I'm so sorry, Christiana. | can’t believe
you had the courage, the strength to takeback. So many women wouldn't.”
| took another step back, shaking my
head as the images overwhelmed
5 R ’ R
me: the nights I'd spent working late
shifts, scrubbing: tables at that
EStAUrAN my hands raw and my
heart breaking every t| saw him
and Bianca together. The humiliation
of watching the man | loved so easily
castaside, as if | 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 | turned away, “Alex... please. Just... givea minute.” | could feel the walls closing in, the
memories suffocating me. | needed air. | 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 | don’t deserve it, but... | want to make this right. | know | hurt you. |
know | was a...
“ 5 ” . A
A selfish bastard,” | finished for him,
my voice cracking as | finally turned
to face him, unable to hold back the
Po
raw anger and pain. “Do you kno
what it was likecAlexe Watthing you
WitHheP Rowing you chose her and
leftwith nothing? You froze my
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmaccounts, leftout in the cold
q » q
while | was...” My voice broke, and |
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? | was nobody.
3 3 ,
And you... you acted like | didn't even
exist.”
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10:04 AM |
Chapter 125
| pulled my arm free, turning away
again as the weight of it all crashed
down. | could hear him step closer,
his voiGgisefhared \idsberats.
« pm )
Shiidtiana, I'm so sorry. | swear, |
would take it all back if | could. | hate
myself for what | did. If you need
q f q ’ q
time, I understand. I'll wait. I'll wait
q » g
forever if | have to.” The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
But | shook my head, a fresh wave of tears spilling over as | whispered, “I just need sspace, Alex. | can’t... |
can’t do this right now.” | could feel his presence close, his desperation pressing against my raw, exposed
wounds, but | 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. | promise.”
Without another word, | walked away, feeling his gaze on my back, heavy with sorrow. The memories continued
to claw at me, endlessly, until |
finally closed myself in the bathroom, letting the tears cin heaving, painful sobs.
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