Her face and eyes were red and swollen from too much crying.
Abigail realized then that she should not have argued with Diarmuid outside her ward-they woke her now.
“Sorry.” She felt guilty and annoyed.
Right now, Erin should be comforted and protected, and yet here she was, arguing over her own family affairs with Diarmuid.
Not only was their timing horrible, but they should not have done it at all!
“I’ll help you back inside,” Abigail said, walking up to her.
However, Erin held her gaze and refused to budge. “You were arguing because of me, right? If that’s so, I really hope you’d stop.”
“No, it’s not you.” Abigail explained. “It’s our personal issues.”
She helped Erin return to bed, closing the door behind her and asking softly, “Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat.”
Erin shook her head.
After crying to vent her feelings for an entire night, she calmed down slightly now.She held Abigail’s gaze. “Do you think… James would still marry me?”
Abigail did not know what to tell Erin, because she had no idea what James thought.
Erin pursed her parched lips then. “I can’t bear to face him even if he’s willing.”
Abigail understood how Erin felt and she wrapped her arms around Erin. “It’s all my fault…” “No, maybe it’s destined and you can’t be blamed. Someone up there was upset that I had too much of a good life, and that’s why things ended up like this.”
She was an orphan, but she was adopted by kind people and led a sheltered life as if she had real parents. How many orphans could say the same?
Maybe her luck was used up by now.
Unable to stop her tears again, she rasped, “Do me a favor!”
Abigail felt her body shaking in her arms, and her eyes felt painfully sore too.’ Shoot.” “I want to leave.” “Where to?” Abigail asked, flustered. “You shouldn’t be alone during times like these-your mind will play tricks on you…”
Anxious, she put an arm around Erin’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with you.”
Her phone started ringing right after she spoke, and she frowned at the bad timing, but she quickly picked it up.
Her phone started ringing right after she spoke, and she frowned at the bad timing, but she quickly picked it up.
“It’s already working hours. Why aren’t you here yet?” Finn asked from the other end.
“Just go about your business. I won’t be coming in today, not to mention that everyone has their tasks. They could also start trials on everything proposed yesterday.” “Okay, but… Are you alright?” Finn asked in concern.
“Yeah. I’m hanging up now.” “Okay.”
With that, Abigail hung up and slipped her phone back in her pocket, when Erin said, “You couldn’t go to work because of me…”
Abigail shook her head. “It’s nothing.” “Look, I won’t be alone,” Erin said. “My father is old, and my mother is gone. He’s lonely, so I want to keep him company.”
Abigail held her gaze. “I can ask James about what he thinks…” “No.” Erin refused. “Remember the favor I asked for? I don’t want to see him.”
As Abigail turned silent, Erin stared blankly outside the window, muttering, ’ Life is taxing and painful, but I can’t die now, not when my father is around. I don’t want him to be sad.”
Turning back to Abigail, she said, “So, don’t worry. I won’t end myself. Please get me a plane ticket out of here.”
Abigail tried to get her to stay regardless. “You need time to recover after a miscarriage. I can take care of you…” “No.” Erin refused. “I don’t want to stay in this city.”
Abigail hung her head. “If leaving makes you feel better, I’ll help.” “Thank you,” she said.
“There’s no need to be so polite,” Abigail said, keeping her head down guiltily. “It’s all my fault, and Diarmuid is right. If I wasn’t stubborn and insist on working, I wouldn’t run into those people, and you’d be-‘ “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Erin did not want to hear a word about what happened yesterday at all, because the mere mention made her remember those men taking their turns with her.
She flinched at the very thought, her face turning pale!
Those men had made a clean escape, and James had nothing to go on.
Moreover, he could not calm himself long enough to think.
Diarmuid tried to get him to pull himself together regardless. “Right now, the priority is to find the perps!” “I don’t think they’re even from Cloud City… There’s nothing on them at all,” James muttered, and then realized, “Could it be Harvey Gooding?” “No,” Diarmuid said confidently, since he just met the man.
Harvey even confessed everything, clearly terrified and wanted his mercy.
Moreover, he had been maimed and recovering at Franconia, and with Enrique injured as well, no one would help him do this.
James clenched his fists. “Then who is it?”
If he ever gets his hands on them, he would personally cut them into pieces!
Ata rundown house, a masked man dressed in a black coat and a cap had his back to the goons as he spoke, “Stay here if you want to stay alive and avoid capture. I’ve prepared enough food for you to wait until it blows over, after which I’ll arrange for your departure. You’ll have enough money to live however you want.”
The masked man found his goons from way out of town, and no one in Cloud City knew a thing about them because they had no criminal record there.
That being said, they had done more than their fair share elsewhere and were good enough to not get captured despite all that.
‘Oh, what could possibly happen?” The goons’ leader-the lanky man with a scarred face.thought nothing of it. “No one would shout it to the world, and that woman’s not going to call the cops-” ‘What would you know?!” The masked man became furious.
“It’s a fluke that you actually managed to escape. Your opponent is as ruthless, and you’ll all die horribly if you’re careless! Watch yourself if you don’t want to be that caught, because I’m not kidding here!”
The lanky man asked worriedly, “Is it really that serious?”
The masked man wheeled on him with an icy glare. “There’s seven of you against one of theirs, but each of you ended up bruised and battered. Are you really still going to make light of them?’
The lanky man had no comeback against that-they certainly must admit that even the chauffeur alone was formidable.
‘He’s a professional bodyguard. His ability is expected.” ‘Since you understand that, you’d better not underestimate them,” the man warned. ‘Don’t leave this place. There’s tv and wi-fi, so pass the time however you want. I’ll come to get you when it’s safe.”
“Yes, but how long do we have to wait?” the lanky man asked.
“I can’t give you anything specific. What’s wrong with staying here? You have everything you need here, and your safety takes priority.” “Fair enough.”
They must listen to the masked man to be safe.
After all, they were already paid, but their employer had enough sense of responsibility and consideration for their sake, so they should accept his kindness.
For the masked man’s part, he just did not want anything that could lead back to him.
He knew Diarmuid’s methods, and that he would make these goons talk.
Even if he left no clues, hiding was the best thing to do, just to be safe-at least until this blows over.
Erin was dispirited—lAbigail’s words inadvertently left her emotionally distressed.
As she spaced out, a worried Abigail gave her a sedative!
Once she slept, Abigail left the room and called James, who quickly answered.
“You should come over.” “Okay.”
Soon, James was striding toward her and he asked immediately about Erin.
‘She’s not feeling well. I gave her a sedative so that she can rest,” Abigail admitted.
James nodded, while Abigail hesitated for a moment before saying, “She says she wants to go back to Minerva.”
James said nothing, but sat down on a bench at the walkway, grabbing his own hair.
He must be feeling no better than Erin since they were just discussing marriage.
And now…
‘What she went through might be worse than you think. Even so, can you accept her?” Abigail asked.
James looked up right then with a piercing gaze at her.
Abigail did not hide from his gaze, but held his gaze. “If you can’t, you should let her leave for a change of pace as she wishes.”
James’s eyes turned red.
Abigail leaned against the wall then. “I’m sorry, James. I won’t ask for your forgiveness-l’ll bear this guilt for the rest of my life. You must hate me a lot, right?” ‘l hate the men who hurt her more,” James growled bitterly. “We’re not that in love, and it’s just because we did it that one time. I don’t think we’d be together if she hadn’t selflessly ran to her to care for me while I’m in a coma. Hell, I think she liked me more only because we spent time together, and I was only staying with her because I was grateful for what she did. But it turns out that I’m happy being with her, and what happened to her… broke me.”
James groaned, “Did you know? Even a six foot tall man like me wants to cry.”
Having experienced something similar, Abigail naturally understood how James felt.
‘Do you think I really love her?” he rasped, asking her as much as himself. If only I was nicer to her.”
He had always been busy at work when Erin was with him, and they only had dinner together on a handful of occasions. He refused to let her visit him at the office, believing that it would set a bad precedent.
She wanted a wedding, but he used work as an excuse again even though she was pregnant, wanting her to just stick with him quietly.
He regretted everything now that he thought about it—he was selfish and outrageous!
How could he even make up for this? How could he make up for her wounded spirit?
James looked up then. “I really want to apologize, but I know she would be distressed if she saw me… So I think I’ll let her go, to have time to cool down while I find those dogs and personally avenge her. After that, I’ll go to her. She’s not waking up for the moment, right? I want to look at her while she’s asleep.”
Abigail turned away to wipe the tears welling out of her eyes. “Go in. She won’t be waking up for a few hours.”
James got up, and paused as he put his hand on the doorknob. “I know you didn’t want this, and it already happened anyway. Let’s just keep an open mind.’
“Thank you,” Abigail replied, lowering her head.
With that, James said nothing and entered Erin’s ward, while Abigail waited on the bench, spacing out. Abigail.”
Amild voice brought her to her senses.
Turning to see Sheryl Harris making her way towards Abigail, she quickly composed herself and flashed a stiff smile. “Mom, what are you doing here?” “Diarmuid asked me to bring you food,’ Sheryl replied, putting the lunchboxes aside. “You look terrible. What happened?”
Abigail shook her head. “Nothing.” “You haven’t eaten, have you?” Sheryl opened the lunchbox and gave her the food she brought.
“Did you two get in a fight?”
Sheryl had a hunch judging from Abigail’s terrible look and Diarmuid’s bad mood.
Abigail took the lunchbox and kept her head down. “Nope.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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