"I’m telling you, I’m free. I have plenty of ti to spend with our son. I can take him to the park on weekends, to an amusent park during the holidays. I can ride roller coasters with him."
"If you’re worried about long, tiring trips, we have a private jet. We can go anywhere in the world."
"I’ve been planning to buy a private island. We could go there for vacation in the winter. I can take you both fishing, diving, and dolphin-watching."
"We could also go see the aurora borealis, see penguins... and when our son is a little older, we can even go to the moon if he wants."
Sean Harrison’s hand was pressed against the car door.
He had Rory Linden cornered in a small space, laying out his plans one by one.
He had been planning this for a long ti.
He had always hoped to have a child with Rory Linden, to be a good father and a good husband, to be there with them for anything and everything.
His dream had co true overnight, and he had been thinking a lot.
There were so many things he wanted to do to make up for the five years he owed mother and son.
Rory Linden lowered her gaze, the faint scent of cologne filling her senses.
If they had never separated, or if she hadn’t suffered so much, she might have been moved by this plan.
But alas...
Rory Linden tilted her head slightly to look at the man who was so close to her. "Get in the car. Let’s talk."
"Okay."
Sean Harrison readily agreed.
Rory Linden sat in the driver’s seat, and Sean Harrison went around to get into the passenger seat.
Ryan Sterling had sat in this seat before and had adjusted its position.
He and Sean Harrison were about the sa height.
Sean Harrison felt perfectly comfortable as he sat down.
"President Harrison, you already know. Leo Linden was indeed conceived before we broke up. I know we always took precautions, so I’m not sure how I got pregnant either."
Rory Linden was direct about Leo Linden’s parentage.
At this point, there was no need to hide it any longer.
"I know. And I’m so grateful that he ca into this world."
If Leo Linden hadn’t been born, there might not have been any ties left between them.
’Perhaps...’
Another man would have appeared in Rory Linden’s life, and they would already be married with children.
"President Harrison..."
"Can you not call President Harrison? Call Sean Harrison."
He once had the chance to hear her call him "husband."
He was the one who missed it.
Rory Linden shook her head gently. "I’d better stick with President Harrison."
She continued, "I know your business is very successful now, that your assets have multiplied. Leo is your son, so according to the law, he has a certain right to inheritance."
"All my future assets can be his. I..."
"There’s no need!"
Rory Linden cut him off. "What I’m trying to say is, I’m perfectly capable of supporting Leo, and I believe he’ll be capable of living his own life well. We will never covet your assets. If you’re worried, you can have Lawyer Sterling draw up an agreent."
’Covet.’
That was how Rory Linden saw it.
Not a single penny to Sean Harrison’s na had anything to do with them.
"Rory Linden, I know you resent , and I don’t expect you to forgive . But at the very least, I should have a chance to atone."
Sean Harrison stated his plea, word by word.
What he wanted was never to go back to the way things were in an instant.
All he wanted was a chance to make up for his mistakes.
Rory Linden looked calmly at the man beside her and said, word by word, "But I’m completely over you."
That sentence plunged the car into complete silence.
In truth, Rory Linden wasn’t really over him.
Five years ago, she had developed intense feelings for Sean Harrison in a very short ti.
It was just that those feelings had been worn away by the hardships of the past five years.
Especially in the first year or two.
She had to use all her strength just to survive.
She didn’t have the ntal energy to think about feelings or resentnt.
"DING."
A crisp WeChat notification sound broke the silence in the car.
"DING."
"DING."
"DING."
Four or five WeChat ssages ca in one after another.
Worried it was sothing from the hospital, Rory Linden pulled her phone from her pocket to take a look.
The ssages were from Ryan Sterling.
The reason for the flurry of ssages was that he had sent several photos.
Rory Linden casually tapped open a photo to look.
A few were candid shots of Leo Linden skateboarding, and there was also a photo of the two of them together.
In the photo, Leo Linden’s face was smudged with dirt, like a little calico cat, but he was smiling radiantly.
Seeing her son so happy, Rory Linden couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile.
Sean Harrison saw all of this.
He had also caught a glimpse of the contents of her phone screen.
He saw the photo that made her smile.
There were two people in the photo. It looked like one was Leo Linden, and the other was an adult man.
He wasn’t sure who Rory Linden was smiling for.
Sean Harrison’s expression darkened a few shades.
He could accept Rory Linden resenting him, even hating him.
But...
He realized he still couldn’t accept her liking soone else.
"I’m the kind of person who knows you have to accept punishnt when you’ve done sothing wrong. And I don’t have a habit of letting go halfway."
Sean Harrison looked at Rory Linden quietly. "You can dislike , you can hate , but you can’t stop from loving you."
The man’s voice was low, sounding especially heavy in the confines of the car.
Rory Linden couldn’t help but frown. "Sean Harrison, you need to let go of the past and start a new life." She corrected herself, "No, we both need to start new lives."
"DING."
"DING."
The WeChat notifications sounded again.
The sound made Sean Harrison increasingly agitated, and he suddenly grabbed the wrist of the woman beside him.
"Rory Linden, after I t you, there’s only been one life for ." Sean Harrison watched her struggle, his fingers tightening. "I take back what I said five years ago. You can love soone else, but I won’t let go."
After saying his piece, Sean Harrison turned and got out of the car.
Rory Linden watched his retreating back, her heart a tangled ss.
She knew Sean Harrison wasn’t just talking.
"DING."
Another WeChat ssage arrived.
Rory Linden unlocked her phone again.
It was a few voice ssages.
She tapped on the topmost one.
Leo Linden’s childish voice ca through: "Mom, I’m with Mr. Sterling, so don’t worry!"
Then ca Ryan Sterling’s voice: "I’ll make sure Leo is safe. You just focus on work."
Rory Linden felt exceptionally relieved.
She suddenly felt a little grateful to have t Ryan Sterling.
If it weren’t for him, her life in Veridia wouldn’t have stabilized so quickly.
Just as he’d said, a good nanny was truly hard to find.
Rory Linden replied to the WeChat ssage: [I’m off work. Heading to the plaza to find you guys now.]
-
Rory Linden parked her car in a lot near the plaza and walked to find Leo Linden and the others.
The weather on a June evening in Veridia was perfect.
The evening breeze swept away the day’s sweltering heat, bringing a hint of coolness.
Rory Linden set aside what had just happened, and her mood improved a little.
When she saw Leo Linden, he couldn’t wait to show her what he had learned that day.
"That’s amazing!"
Rory Linden couldn’t help but praise her son.
Ryan Sterling skateboarded over as well.
He looked at Rory Linden and suddenly said, "So... you want to give it a try?"
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