By the time they left the jewelry store, dusk had fallen. Rachel rubbed her temples, and Brady noticed immediately, asking with genuine concern, “Are you okay? Is that headache bothering you again?”
Rachel nodded, and Brady began to gently massage her temples.
Her headaches were a constant problem, worsened by years of insomnia. Even though Brady had found the best medications for her, the underlying issue remained.
“We’re home. Do you want Dr. Santos to check on you? Maybe that’ll help,” Brady said gently.
Rachel glanced quietly at Brady. He was always so thoughtful and so caring. He treated her with such kindness. But deep down, she knew his heart still held onto someone else-a woman from his past. That memory hurt her deeply. She remembered how devastated Brady had been when he heard about Everleigh’s suicide. The pain in his eyes was clear, and there was no way he could hide it.
One night, Rachel had found Brady crying alone on the balcony around midnight. She had never seen him like that before. Even during the toughest challenges at the Lawson Group, or when his father passed away, he had never cried this way.
But for that woman, he shed endless tears.
The memory left a heavy ache in her chest. She used to be the proud, beautiful Miss Evans, with everything she could ever want. But there was one thing that continued to haunt her. She could never really know Brady’s feelings.
Did he really love her? Or did his love for that woman run deeper than anything he felt for her?
When they reached the Lawson residence, Dr. Santos was already waiting. Brady helped Rachel lie down, and the doctor began gently massaging her head.
Brady asked a maid to light a special calming incense stick for Rachel. It was made just for her by an international hospital, designed to help her relax and sleep. Over the years, she had grown to depend on it to rest better.
As the doctor’s skilled hands massaged her head, Rachel’s headache slowly eased. With the soothing scent filling the room, she started to feel sleepy.
The doctor gave a few instructions before leaving, and Brady had the butler see him out. Brady stayed by Rachel’s side.
In a half-asleep state, Rachel felt Brady sitting close, gently patting her hand. “Rest now,” he said softly. “You’ll feel much better when you wake up.”
Overcome by a wave of emotion, Rachel squeezed his hand and whispered in a choked voice, “Brady.”
“I’m here,” Brady replied, his voice extra gentle.
“Brady,” Rachel whispered, “do you resent me? All these years, I haven’t been able to have a child. I’ve let you down. What will we do if you have no heirs?”
Brady stopped her gently. “Rachel, don’t worry. It’s not your fault. There’s a simple solution. We can adopt a child, a little one we can raise as our own when the time feels right. It’s the same in the end. And, honestly, childbirth is such a painful process. I wouldn’t want to see you go through that.”
His words eased her worries, filling her with comfort and reassurance. Gratefully, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Once she was asleep, Brady stood up quietly and left the room.
As Brady closed the door behind him, his caring expression faded. A maid approached him quietly. “There aren’t many calming incense sticks left,” she informed him.
Brady frowned. “Call the hospital and order more. She’s accustomed to this scent; it would be a problem if she ran out.”
The maid smiled. “Mrs. Lawson is indeed very fortunate.”
The so-called calming incense sticks, in reality, served another purpose. They were designed to prevent fertility in women.
Brady felt no real connection to Rachel. She was only a means to gain the power and position he sought. There was no way he’d let a woman he didn’t love carry his child.
After all, he already had Blake.
Blake would be Brady’s only child and, one day, his main heir.
Once he took down the Evans family and secured his place as leader of the top families, with no obstacles left, he planned to bring Blake back right away. He’d divorce Rachel, clearing Everleigh’s name, and his son wouldn’t carry the label of being illegitimate anymore.
He was close to his goal; he just needed a little more patience.
Meanwhile, Lucas sat in the middle of the sofa with Dave and Skylar beside him. Smiling, he looked through the almanac, searching for a lucky day for their engagement.
After noting a few dates, Lucas handed the almanac to Dave. “I’ve checked it over. These dates are all lucky for your engagement. You can pick one.”
“Any date works for me,” Dave replied, but he took the almanac, glanced briefly, then pointed to a date before handing it to Skylar.
Skylar accepted it with a smile, and Lucas watched them with satisfaction, pleased with how well they seemed to connect and how their relationship had grown.
Lucas’s eyes sparkled with excitement with the engagement party set for the following week. He asked them for input on the plans, like the venue and decorations. Skylar, acting shy, looked over at Dave and said, “Dave can decide that.”
“Skylar and I have talked about it,” Dave added, giving Skylar a meaningful look. She immediately understood and nodded in agreement.
“We both think it’s best to keep things low-key,” Dave said. “Since Skylar just made her public debut on a variety show, a high-profile engagement might draw too much media attention, which could have negative effects on Skylar and our families.”
If Skylar hadn’t known about the staged nature of their engagement, she might have believed Dave was genuinely looking out for her and the Evans family. In truth, he was simply trying to protect the person he really cared about.
“I think it’s best to keep the engagement as quiet as possible for now and hold off on any media announcements,” he added.
After considering this, Lucas agreed with Dave’s suggestion and gave Skylar a sympathetic look. “Sorry if this causes you any inconvenience, Skylar.”
Skylar shook her head with a kind smile. “It’s no problem at all. I’m lucky to be engaged to such a wonderful man like Dave.”
Lucas’s face lit up with a warm smile as he comforted her, “Don’t worry, my dear. The engagement may be low-key for now, but when it’s time for the wedding, I’ll make sure everything is perfect for a grand ceremony.”
Skylar returned his smile, but inside, she felt a deep emptiness. She knew that Dave had never truly considered her as his future wife.
Meanwhile, Emerald Artists Agency was having its busiest month since it opened.