Chapter 5
The voice on the other end suddenly sharpened.
“Where are you? What happened?!”
Barely holding on, I answered, “I’m at the edge of a cliff. Can you come save me?”
Fifteen minutes later, the roar of helicopter blades grew louder.
As soon as it landed, a tall man jumped out and strode toward me with urgent, powerful
steps.
He swept me into his arms.
“How did you end up like this?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the pain made me gasp sharply.
“Don’t talk,” he said, tightening his hold on me.
And in the next second, I sank into darkness.
When I woke up again, all I saw was white. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant.
Bernard sat at my bedside, his brows furrowed.
“Eleanor, what have you been through all these years?”
He handed me a thick stack of medical records.
“So many ovulation–stimulating injections and fertility meds. Were you that desperate for a
child?”
I stayed silent as tears welled in my eyes.
Memories surged like a rising tide. All those years, I’d secretly taken medication and injections, foolishly believing that if I just tried hard enough, I could carry Alaric’s child.
How ridiculous. He had never even touched me.
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
“I thought being with him would make you happy,” Bernard said softly, brushing away my tears. “But he hurt you this badly.”
“Eleanor, I meant what I said. I always will.”
We first met in high school. He was the rich kid everyone knew, the Bernard’s‘ golden boy.
I once saved his life and ever since then, he would always joke about marrying me to repay the debt. But because of my engagement to the Middleton Family, I turned him down again and again.
On the day he transferred to another school, he stopped me at the gate.
“Remember,” he said, “no matter when, if you ever need help, come to me. Of course…”
His ears had flushed red.
“I’d rather you came to marry me and have my babies.”
I never thought, ten years later, he would still remember.
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Under his careful care, I gradually recovered.
One day, I asked a maid where he was. She told me he was by the pool.
What I saw stunned me into stillness.
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Droplets of water slid down his defined abs, outlining every sculpted muscle. When he raised an eyebrow and caught me staring, I panicked and turned to leave, only to catch his amused gaze.
“Seen enough?” he teased.
I turned away quickly, my ears burning.
That night, he brought me a cup of calming tea. His voice was low and gentle.
“Do you remember that prank in high school?” he asked. “Someone posted in the class group saying they were so hungry they’d even eat leftover instant noodles.”
“Everyone laughed at how pathetic she sounded. But you, you messaged her privately.” His gaze softened.
“And when you found out it was just a dare, the first thing you said was, ‘I’m relieved she wasn’t actually in trouble.“”
Bernard leaned in, eyes locking with mine.
“Eleanor, you’ve always been like this. Worrying about a stranger’s meal, mourning someone else’s sadness.”
I stared at his face, so close, so full of emotion.
His voice trembled slightly.
“You saved my life ten years ago. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.”
“Stop wasting your tears on people who never deserved them.”
My fingers brushed against his waist before I could stop myself. He let out a low grunt and suddenly scooped me into his arms.
That night, beneath the moonlight, everything felt impossibly tender.
After rescuing Ruby from the cliff, Alaric spent a long time coaxing her to sleep.
The next morning, he called me as usual. But only a mechanical message answered him.
“The number you dialed is currently unavailable.”
The cold, robotic tone sent a chill down his spine.
Panic rose in his chest. He rushed to the villa outside the city.
When he opened the door, silence greeted him.
The villa was empty. I had clearly never returned.
For the first time, true fear gripped him.
He mobilized a search team and raced to the cliffside.
But the beach was empty. Only the waves crashed endlessly against the rocks.
Chapter 5
