The white-themed living room was beautifully transformed this afternoon, adorned with an abundance of flowers. Various kinds of cakes and heavy dishes, along with an array of drinks, were neatly arranged on every corner of the table.
Everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the celebration party organized by the only child of the Martin family. Amidst the excitement, laughter, and classical music playing in the background, the atmosphere exuded an intimate feeling for everyone present.
However, in the midst of the created buzz, everyone’s attention was slightly diverted when Edward intentionally asked Sisilia, the house assistant, to bring someone along to join them.
Chloe and Dylan both showed surprise on their faces. The appearance of a middle-aged woman, whom Edward brought in the middle of the party, captured their attention.
Especially Dylan Arley. Feeling certain about what he saw, the middle-aged man immediately walked over to her. Without hesitation, he embraced the woman Edward had just called.
“Patricia…” he murmured with full conviction, as if he had known the woman standing quietly in his arms all along. “By God, I’m sure you’re the Patricia I’ve been looking for.” Dylan tightened his embrace.
“Yes, it’s been a long time since we met,” Patricia’s voice trembled as she responded to Dylan’s question.
Edward, who noticed from a distance that his wife was frozen in her place, approached them. He gently patted her shoulder and said, “Don’t you want to go to her?”
Chloe turned her head. Her eyes indicated that she needed more explanation. “Ed…”
“What you’re thinking right now is indeed correct,” he nodded, understanding his wife’s thoughts. “She’s your biological mother, the one you’ve been searching for all this time.”
Chloe was taken aback. The next moment, she turned around and walked quickly towards Dylan and the woman whom she believed was her mother.
“Mama…” she uttered softly, with a touch of sadness. “Ma… do you remember me, right?”
Dylan loosened his embrace, allowing Patricia to walk up to her daughter. Then he wrapped his arms around the 30-year-old woman, showering her with an emotional hug.
“Chloe Hazel… Mama missed you,” Patricia expressed with a sentimental voice.
In Patricia’s embrace, Chloe couldn’t help but sob. As time passed, she even tightened the hug, as if afraid of being separated again.
“I beg you, please don’t leave again, Ma,” she pleaded.
Patricia loosened her embrace. “Forgive Mama for not being by your side all this time. This time, Mama promises not to leave your side again. Edward has assured me that he will protect all of us.”
Chloe instinctively glanced towards her husband, who was standing nearby. “So, all this time, you were looking for my mother?”
Edward nodded. “Hans and Aunt Sisilia helped me to find Mrs. Patricia.”
Chloe gave a slight smile, reaching out her right hand, inviting Edward to come closer. “Thank you. I owe you so much.”
Edward simply nodded and then gave Chloe and Dylan the opportunity to spend time catching up with Patricia.
****
“So, all this time, Mama’s people were still keeping an eye on you?”
On the terrace not far from the swimming pool, Dylan and Chloe engaged in a serious conversation with Patricia.
“Yes,” the middle-aged woman nodded. “Even though they’re no longer here, it seems that Mrs. Victoria Arley couldn’t bear the thought of us being reunited. That’s why I didn’t have the courage to openly look for you all. On the other hand, I missed you and our children so much.”
Dylan reached for Patricia’s wrist, kissing it repeatedly before speaking softly. “I apologize for not being able to fight for you all this time. I-”
“It’s alright,” Patricia interrupted. “Everything has happened. Perhaps this was the destiny I had to face in this world. It’s okay… in the end, we can be together again.”
“Ma…” Chloe, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up. She also reached for Patricia’s other wrist and gently squeezed it. “I truly missed you.”
Patricia smiled, feeling so happy today to be reunited with the child and the man she loved dearly. “Every night, Mama prayed to meet you both. After more than 20 years of waiting, finally, God answered Mama’s prayers through your husband. You are so lucky to be his wife, my dear.”
Chloe nodded, feeling embarrassed for accusing Edward unjustly all this time. In reality, he loved her so sincerely and always tried to give her the best.
“I am indeed lucky to be his wife, Ma,” Chloe said. Then she fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “If Nathalie were still here, she would be so happy to see us all united.”
Patricia paused. Her mind wandered for a moment before taking a deep breath and responding, “What really happened to Nathalie? Edward said that your sister is no longer with us.”
Chloe took a deep breath, unable to hide the anxious expression on her parents’ faces.
“Nathalie had an accident some time ago, and her life couldn’t be saved. I even-”
“Pa…” Chloe interrupted. “There is something important I need to tell both of you about the cause of Nathalie’s death,” she said in one breath.
Dylan’s calm expression instantly turned tense. His jaw clenched, and his face showed suspicion. Patricia displayed a similar expression. Both of them waited for Chloe to explain.
“Nathalie didn’t die because of the accident. She lost her life due to violence from her boyfriend,” Chloe explained nervously.
“What did you say?” Dylan acted as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“I’m sorry, Pa.” Chloe hesitated. “I’m sorry for hiding all of this from you.”
“So… The injuries all over her body were from the violence, not from the impact of the accident?” Dylan’s voice slightly raised. Of course, he was emotional. After living peacefully for so long, he suddenly learned that his eldest daughter died under unnatural circumstances.
“Dylan…” Patricia interjected, trying to calm him. “Take a deep breath. Let Chloe explain everything to us.”
“So…” Chloe began to tell the story. “Nathalie was once close to a man.” She then turned her gaze to Dylan. “Do you remember, Pa, when Nathalie asked for permission to live separately from us, claiming that she wanted to learn to live independently?”
Dylan nodded. “I remember that. I even bought her an apartment so she wouldn’t have to worry about finding a place to live.”
Chloe took several deep breaths. “It turns out she lied to us, Pa. At that time, Nathalie was involved with a man named Nicholas Dio Frost. They were in love, and he asked her to live with him.”
“So, that man was the reason Nathalie chose to live separately from us? Because she wanted to live with her boyfriend freely?”
Chloe nodded. “After living together, they acted like husband and wife, engaging in activities they shouldn’t until Nathalie became pregnant.” Chloe paused her story for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued. “With the news of the pregnancy, they thought their lives would improve. However, it didn’t happen. Nicholas always avoided her with various excuses, and he often subjected her to violence, until Nathalie finally decided to break up with him. But, dear, on the day before her death, Nathalie and Nicholas had an argument. Somehow, he pushed her down the stairs. A few minutes after arriving at the hospital, as Papa saw for himself, her life couldn’t be saved.”
Dylan’s face turned red. With all his might, the old man tried to contain his emotions. “Tell me, where did you learn this story? And, do you know where that man is now?”
Chloe nodded again. “I learned all of this from Nathalie’s diary. Edward’s associates found the diary in her apartment some time ago. As for the man responsible for her death, he has been arrested and is now in prison. Edward investigated all of this without my knowledge. He didn’t even tell me when he found Mama.”
“Oh my God…” Patricia murmured softly. “We owe a lot to Edward. He is truly a good man, dear.”
Chloe sighed softly. The guilt still hadn’t completely disappeared from her. “Just so you know, I even thought Edward was the one responsible for Nathalie’s death. I truly felt guilty towards my own husband. Until this moment, I’m even ashamed to face him.”
Dylan looked puzzled. “What do you mean? How could you think it was Edward?”
“It’s a long story, Pa. In short, I’ve made a lot of mistakes all this time. Fortunately, Edward forgave me and still accepted me as his wife.”
“The most important thing now is that we are back together. Pa won’t let us be separated again.” Dylan turned to Patricia. “And you don’t have to worry about those people who were watching you. I will work with Edward to catch them all. No one can separate us.”
Patricia rushed into Dylan’s embrace, followed by Chloe. Meanwhile, Edward observed from the balcony, wearing a happy smile for successfully reuniting the family that had been separated for so long. He then murmured softly to himself, “I told you, I will make you happy.”
****
“Don’t leave me…”
“Edward, I beg you…”
In the silence of the night, while everyone was asleep, Edward once again heard Chloe mumbling in her sleep. Gathering all his awareness, he chose to sit up and gently stroked and patted her cheeks to wake her up.
“Darling… wake up,” he pleaded.
“Edward… please, don’t leave me.” Sweat was pouring down Chloe’s forehead. Seeing this, Edward couldn’t help but shake her body gently to wake her up. He kept calling her name and occasionally kissed her cheeks and forehead.
“Chloe, I’m here.”
The called name finally opened her eyes. The next moment, she sat up and cried her heart out in Edward’s embrace.
“I dreamt that you left me and went far away,” she recounted amid sobs. “I even called you repeatedly, but you just ignored me.”
Edward smiled, cupping Chloe’s chin and gently wiping away her tears. “I’m right here, darling. There’s no way I would leave you. It was just a bad dream.”
Chloe shook her head repeatedly. “But it felt so real. You really left me. It wasn’t just a nightmare, right?”
This time, Edward laughed. “Oh, you’re exaggerating. It was just a dream. Besides, where would I go? I told you, I won’t leave you.”
“Promise?” Chloe gazed deeply into her husband’s brown eyes.
“Of course. It would be a waste to leave such a beautiful woman like you. It was already difficult to win you over in the first place.”
Chloe smiled, and the fear and sadness that previously overwhelmed her gradually dissipated, replaced by the warmth Edward created. She felt grateful that God had blessed her with the man who was now her husband. He was difficult to resist, acted arrogantly, but in the end, he melted her heart. And now, she was afraid of being separated from him.
For a while, Chloe stared at her husband’s face intently. Then, without hesitation, she leaned forward, caressed Edward’s lips, and planted a kiss there.
“I know you would probably tease me, but truly, I love you so much and I’m afraid of being separated from you,” Chloe whispered after breaking their kiss.
“Why would I tease you? I’m actually flattered that a stubborn woman like you finally accepted my love. You have no idea how frustrated I’ve been trying to convince you of my sincerity all this time.”
Chloe smiled. “But now I’m completely yours.”
In the next moment, Edward guided Chloe to lie down again. Not to sleep, but to respond to her previous kiss. He planted wet kisses on her cheeks and neck, alternating between them. Without asking for permission, he began to undress her, one piece of clothing at a time.
Chloe remained silent, closing her eyes to enjoy how Edward adored every inch of her body. He played with every sensitive area she had. When their bodies finally joined, Chloe could do nothing but softly moan. She tightened her embrace as Edward collapsed, powerless, on top of her.