Observing how tense her grandpa looked, Abigail couldn’t help but tease him with a smile.
"Grandpa, co on, you need to relax. Don’t be nervous! You look unattractive when you act like this. Ugh, my pretty grandma might even refuse to et you!"
Jas cleared his throat, struggling to adjust his nervous expression, before responding, "I’m not... I’m not nervous." His high-pitched, stuttering voice gave him away, causing Abigail to stifle a laugh.
"Where are you going?" Jas asked, trying to change the subject so Abigail wouldn’t tease him again.
"Grandma wants to talk to you alone. So, please..." Abigail stepped aside to let Jas enter the room, but she blocked his way again just before he could.
"Why did you stop , dear?" Jas asked, trying to peek into the room. However, he couldn’t see anything because Abigail was standing in his way.
Abigail clenched her fists and warned him, "Grandpa, don’t you dare hurt my grandma’s feelings. Ensure her condition doesn’t worsen, or I will never forgive you!"
The intensity of Abigail’s expression shocked Jas Phillips. He smiled warmly and reassured her, "Of course, dear. You can rest assured, I won’t do that." He gently patted her shoulder.
"Okay, I’ll leave you two..." Abigail smiled awkwardly and left with Sawyer.
...
After watching Abigail and Sawyer finally leave, Jas took a deep breath before opening the door wider.
But he could not step inside; the woman sitting on the sofa srized him to the point that his mind refused to move his legs. He stared at her briefly, trying to calm his irregularly beating heart.
"Jas, is that you?" Sophie’s soft, trembling voice echoed in the room, causing Jas to snap out of his thoughts. Instantly, a force within him urged him to move.
After closing the door behind him, Jas walked steadily to join her in the seating area, their eyes locked on each other with their emotions stirred inside.
Jas stopped a few steps away from her. Looking closely at the woman before him, he knew she was the one he had dearly missed for many years. Suddenly, all the words he wanted to say abandoned him.
For a few monts, neither of them uttered a single word.
Jas’s eyes grew blurry as he struggled to contain his tears. "Sophie, I’m sorry. I’m truly, really sorry for what happened to you..." His voice caught in his throat, and he could no longer repress the emotions that had built up within him over the years; they erupted from his heart, and he began to cry.
It wasn’t just Jas who felt this way; Sophie was overwheld, too. Staring at the man she had tried to erase from her mory but had failed to forget—all the emotions she had buried deep inside her bubble to the surface.
"Jas, why are you—" she stamred, unable to find her words. She forced herself to stand, but her legs gave out.
"No. Please don’t stand up, Sophie," Jas said hurriedly as he walked over and took her hand before she fell. He helped her to stand straight, holding her hand tightly.
Seeing how fragile she was was enough to break his heart into pieces and remind him of what Abigail had told him: Sophie’s health had gradually declined since the death of Alia, their daughter.
"Oh my God, is it really you, Jas...?" A soft, hoarse voice escaped from Sophie’s pale lips. She could hardly believe the man before her was indeed Jas Phillips, the sa man who had proposed to her a few years ago.
Although a long ti had passed, he had not changed much; he still appeared tall and sturdy. His tan skin remained the sa, though the only noticeable change was that his hair had turned gray, and a few wrinkles adorned his face. Overall, his physique remained consistent.
Sophie rembered him being diligent about exercise, making it hard to believe he was in his late seventies. In her eyes, he looked like he was still in his late fifties.
"Yes, yes, it’s ..." Jas replied happily. His grip tightened around both of Sophie’s hands, and a joyful smile spread across his lips. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, entirely captivated by her charm.
Noticing a walking stick leaning against the chair, Jas suggested, "Alright, let’s sit and chat, Sophie..."
He recalled Abigail ntioning that Sophie had undergone hip surgery after she fell in the bathroom, and she still hadn’t been able to walk normally since then.
Once Sophie settled back down, he took a seat beside her. He felt a strong urge to pull her into his arms. Still, he held back, knowing he needed to hear her explanation about what had happened to clarify their misunderstanding.
"If I hadn’t t Abigail a few days ago, I would never have found you, and I would have lived in restlessness and misery..." Jas paused, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart before forcing a weak smile. "Why did you disappear from my life, Sophie? Why did you leave ?"
Sophie’s smile faded slowly, and her expression beca serious. She lowered her gaze, avoiding his intense gaze.
"Please tell , Sophie. If you’re afraid of soone, I will make sure that person won’t hurt you!" Jas tightened his grip, trying to get her to look at him, but she avoided eye contact. He sighed deeply and added, "Sophie, please believe , okay?"
After a few minutes, Sophie felt her mind and heart calm slightly; she finally lifted her head to et Jas’s gaze.
"Are you sure you want to hear this? It might break your heart, Jas. And I don’t believe there’s anything you can do about that person."
Jas was utterly stunned.
’So there really was soone separating us? I can’t believe how ignorant I had been.’ Hearing his own thoughts made his blood boil. He wanted to know who that person was.
"Who?" Jas asked calmly, his anger radiating from his gaze.
Sophie took a deep breath before she answered, "Ms. Violet Parker—"
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