At the end of the year, Gage was sentenced to 20 years in prison for intentional murder.
Kayden refused to forgive Gage. Although Marina found a team of famous lawyers, it wasn’t very helpful.
Bailey, Claudia and Mike left the courtroom and packed their bags. They would not stay in Jin City and were leaving the country.
Gage had cast a shadow over their lives, so if they stayed here, they would be ridiculed.
In the past few months, Bailey has stopped being aggressive. She had some wrinkles on her face, but she was much calmer.
“You guys talk. I’ll get in the car first.”
Bailey nodded to Marina and pulled the suitcase away.
In the past, they’d been enemies over family property. Later, they became allies. Now, they were supposed to be friends.
“I have to go. Ryder has been good to you. You should cherish him.”
Mike looked at Marina. From now on, this woman he loved had nothing to do with him.
As much as he didn’t want to leave, he couldn’t win against Ryder. Besides, Ryder had changed.
“I will. Take care of yourself.”
Marina nodded to Mike. She felt someone watching her. Marina guessed that Ryder was not far away and ready to rush over, so she didn’t say any more.
Marina was not afraid of Ryder. This was because Ryder was always paranoid. Ryder only wanted to possess her now, so she didn’t know what to do.
Even though Marina wanted to get a divorce, she couldn’t because she was pregnant again. She could only pretend that she still loved Ryder. Luckily, Ryder had been good to her, so her life was actually pretty good.
“Marina, be happy.”
Claudia’s eyes were red. She was about to leave, too, and she didn’t know when she’d be back.
“Don’t cry. We’ll see each other again.”
Marina patted Claudia’s shoulder. Marina knew that Claudia was still worried about Gage, so Marina would send something to him. It was the only thing she could do.
“I know. Thank you.”
Claudia wiped the tears and hugged Marina.
A few months later, everything had changed. She even thought it was just a dream.
“Marina, it’s cold. We should go back.”
Ryder looked down at his watch. He had come to see them off today, but he was reluctant. If it weren’t for Mike, he wouldn’t have come.
“Okay.”
Marina watched Claudia leave and turned her head. Ryder immediately hugged her.
Marina froze. What was Ryder trying to do?
Marina was a little shy, but she couldn’t resist Ryder. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and walked her to the car.
“Where’s Nicole?”
They agreed to go skiing together, but Marina noticed that Nicole wasn’t in the car, so she immediately asked.
“Nicole said it was cold, so she wanted to stay home and watch TV.”
Ryder made an excuse. He spent a lot of time with his daughter, but he rarely spent time with his wife.
He wouldn’t take Marina skiing. When skiing, they were far apart. And Marina was pregnant, so he was worried she would fall.
“Let’s go home, okay?”
Marina rarely went out, so she still wanted to go for a walk. Because of the possibility of a miscarriage, she was practically detained at home during this time.
“Okay. Let’s go home.”
Ryder sat in the driver’s seat and smiled at Marina.
The smile made Marina feel goose bumps. The man who used to be so scary had suddenly become amiable. If she didn’t know Ryder, she would suspect that this man was not him.
However, Marina compromised.
An hour later, Ryder took Marina to the busiest market in Jin City. It was almost the New Year, so many people came here to buy things. The place was very lively. The sound of vendors hawking mixed with the sound of customers talking.
“Honey, this is not the way home.”
Marina was confused. She had lived in Jin City for many years, but she had never been to a lively place. Marina saw people carrying bags, smiling and greeting each other, so she was curious.
“Here we are.”
Ryder found a parking spot, pulled a cloak out of the trunk and wrapped Marina in it. He had heard Norton say that the place would be busy before the New Year.
Marina was very excited. She looked at the candy in the hands of the children. She had eaten handmade candy as a child, but then never again because the handmade candy stores had almost disappeared.
“The old customs are still maintained here. Both adults and children will buy new clothes during the New Year.”
They walked toward the crowded streets. The streets were lined with all kinds of goods, such as candies and lamps. They even saw handmade watches, leather shoes, and clothes and hats for children, which were rarely seen in the city.
“Lollipops!”
Marina shouted, because she thought it was amazing. The candies came in various shapes, such as ducks, dogs and chickens. Many children surrounded the stall and did not want to leave.
“Pick one.”
Ryder’s eyes were filled with tenderness. Marina was still a naïve child. How would she educate Nicole and the unborn baby?
“This is awesome!”
Marina was happy, so Ryder had to buy all kinds of things for her. He carried a lot of bags and followed her. He didn’t go too far because he was afraid Marina would fall.
Jin City held a lantern show every year and Marina really liked it. But since she married Ryder, she could not go out easily and could only watch it on TV.
The Langdon family refused to go to such a crowded place.
There were all kinds of handmade lanterns. Some were made of glass and were very beautiful. Marina wanted to buy one and hang it under the eaves. She could watch the faint light in the wind as she stood in the living room.
“We can go to the lantern show this year.” Ryder sensed that Marina was very fond of folk art. However, there were few artisans nowadays. Maybe in the near future, they would all disappear.
“Okay.”
Marina nodded her head excitedly. She saw many people walking around with candied fruits, so she licked her lips.
Ryder didn’t like coming to these places. He cared a lot about food hygiene. But since his wife wanted to eat, he chose a clean stall and bought a bunch of candied strawberries.
Marina accepted with a smile. She took Ryder’s arm and started shopping. She bought all the things she wanted.
Someone was selling vegetables at the market, but she didn’t buy them. However, these vegetables were pollution-free and grown in greenhouses.