To Cheyenne’s surprise, the wild man without a beard was actually quite handsome. His eyebrows and deep, charming eyes seemed to exude a sense of justice despite their flirtatious appearance.
His nose was straight and his lips were neither too thin nor too thick.
When Channing first laid eyes on her, he felt a wave of emotions wash over him. His eyes turned red and tears silently rolled down his cheeks.
It was all his fault – he had met his daughter for the first time in Dead Forest but didn’t even recognize her.
“Cheyenne, I am your father,” he said in a hoarse voice. His hands trembled as he held onto his child tightly. He stared at Cheyenne’s delicate face with fear that she might show any signs of rejection or disappointment.
But there were none.
After listening to his voice, Cheyenne remained expressionless for a moment before slightly curling up her lips. “If you’re not dead, why didn’t you come back?”
Although she spoke calmly, Kelvin who stood closest to her saw the glittering tear at the corner of her eye that threatened to fall any second before being swallowed back down again by sheer stubbornness and strength.
From this perspective, Kelvin felt like they were both pitiful people who had been through so much hardship in life. Without warning or hesitation, he reached out with one warm hand and gently held onto Cheyenne’s small hand.
The warmth flowed from his palm into hers continuously without making any sound; it comforted her heart silently as she looked up at him with a bright smile on her face. “I’m fine.”
“Cheyenne, listen to my explanation.”
Years ago, Gregory massacred several elders in the clan who didn’t obey him and deliberately created a plague throughout the city. In search of the antidote, he demanded that Channing confront him alone, surrendering his position as the head of the Lucas family. Channing, who was friends with Abel, couldn’t bear to see Abel’s precarious rule and the suffering of the people.
So he decided to go alone.
He didn’t want to jeopardize Selah’s life, so he agreed to her request for a divorce. At that time, Channing didn’t know that Selah was already pregnant with his child, nor did he know that she was using the divorce as a means to make him abandon the situation.
But he still went because it wasn’t just a matter concerning the Lucas family; it was a matter concerning the whole world.
Channing and his companions entered an ancient tomb where they encountered the thousand-year-old Snake King. When he blew up the cave, he was suddenly attacked by unknown assailants.
When he woke up again, he found himself in an underground chamber.
Gregory didn’t kill him, he wanted to know what was in the ancient tomb from him, but Channing refused to cooperate.
This has been going on for seventeen years.
Four years ago, he finally escaped from the prison that had held him captive for so long. However, due to his constant injuries and lack of nutrition over the years, his Praying Magic was suppressed and couldn’t be used at all.
Gregory was still looking for him everywhere. If he doesn’t recover his Praying Magic soon enough, he’ll be caught as soon as he steps out of Dead Forest.
The dense biogas here is conducive to his recovery. So he lived in Dead Forest alone for four years until recently when he recovered his Praying Magic and left the jungle.
More than twenty years had passed in a blink of an eye; everything outside had changed completely.
It was only then that Channing knew that he also had a daughter named Cheyenne with Selah.
But unfortunately, when Channing arrived at Wind Hall, the guys inside told him that Cheyenne had gone on a mission to Jostrana instead.
After hearing his explanation, Cheyenne felt much better knowing that her father didn’t abandon her intentionally but simply didn’t know she existed all these years.
Over these past twenty or so years, she had often questioned whether George was really her biological father?
Why did George treat herself and Nora so differently?
Now she was glad she was not George’s daughter; how could such a cowardly and despicable man deserve to be her father or Selah’s husband who was such an amazing genius?
“Cheyenne, I’m sorry for what I did wrong.”
If only back then Channing agreed to go abroad with them both, they might have been able to live together like ordinary families today, happy and contented together.
He missed out on watching Cheyenne grow up as well as seeing Selah one last time before passing away…
Thinking about this made even Channing, who stands tall at 1 meter 9, shed tears onto his clothes while holding onto the little one who seemed aware of his grandpa’s sadness and made cooing sounds to comfort him.
Cheyenne’s nose twitched, and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
“The baby hasn’t been named yet, and Kelvin and I are terrible at naming things. Since you’re the grandfather, would it be too much to ask for you to name the baby?”
“What… what?”
Channing looked at Cheyenne in disbelief, his expression overflowing with joy.
Did Cheyenne just admit that he was responsible enough to take care of this?
Cheyenne rested her head on Kelvin’s shoulder, looking exhausted. “What? If you don’t want to do it, we can ask old Mr. Foley. He’d probably love to.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I’ll do it! My grandson needs a strong name.”
“How about David Foley?” Kelvin suggested.
Channing rolled his eyes at him. “I’ll take care of it myself. Your lack of culture is beyond words.”
What? I have a Master’s degree in finance from Oxford University and my father-in-law thinks I’m uncultured.
Kelvin held back his frustration out of respect for the older man.
Channing left with the baby in high spirits. The delivery room was now quiet except for the lingering smell of blood that still stimulated Kelvin’s senses; he knew how much pain Cheyenne must have gone through.
He suddenly leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly – a kiss filled with appreciation.
“Cheyenne, thank you,” he said in a low voice full of magnetism.
Cheyenne remained pale but didn’t respond verbally; instead she gripped onto his hand tightly while letting out a soft moan.
Then she asked tentatively. “What about Gracie?”
Kelvin’s gaze darkened when he heard her name; he chuckled self-deprecatingly before answering. “I don’t know nor need to know anymore.”
As Cheyenne held onto his face with both hands while staring into his eyes intensely, she spoke softly, “You have me and our child.”
“Cheyenne… I love you,” whispered Kelvin as if something inside him had finally settled down after all these years. He was no longer alone but having someone by his side who loved him unconditionally along with their beautiful son together.