Ch. 821..830
e Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 821
Lana’s expression suddenly changed. She did not expect Kai to say these things to her. She suppressed her dissatisfaction. As soon as he finished applying the medication, she immediately lowered her shirt and eagerly distanced herself from him.
“To me, he’s great.” Lana looked down at her feet. “Please keep the affair between us a secret.” Her voice was soft because she was talking about something shameful and unethical.
She continued, “As your elder, I hope you can also control your feelings and start looking for a girl who likes you.
“You said this would be the last time. Let’s not contact each other again.”
After she said that, she quickly ran out of the resting room, grabbed her bag from the couch, and left the office without looking back. She then pressed the elevator button to go down before getting into the elevator.
Lana drove to the hospital today. Her shirt still carried a strong, pungent scent of the muscle rub.
She did not drive home directly. Instead, she went to a hotel and took a shower while avoiding the burn injury to wash away the smells on her body. Ever since Lana started the deal with Kai, she would keep an extra set of clothes in her car.
Most of her shirts were of similar type. Although Andrew’s eyes had not fully recovered, his sense of smell was keen. He would always notice even the slightest traces.
Lana left the hotel and arrived home past ten o’clock at night, which was her usual time to return from work.
As soon as she entered the foyer, she saw the caregiver carrying medicine and a cup of warm water from upstairs. After Lana changed her shoes at the entrance, she hurriedly asked, “Is he still refusing to take the medicine?”
The caregiver responded, “He hasn’t eaten for the entire day. Mrs. Stewart, you should try to convince him. If this continues, he won’t be able to endure it.
Lana said, “I understand. Please give me the medicine and the cup of water. And prepare some soup. I’ll feed him.”
“Okay.”
Lana took the medicine and water and went up to the master bedroom on the second floor. She quickly adjusted her emotions at the door before pressing down the door handle to enter. She smiled faintly, “Andrew, are you not feeling well? Why haven’t you eaten all day? I’ve asked the caregiver to prepare some soup. She’ll bring it up soon. Can you take the medicine now?”
Lana felt a bitter emotion when she sat on the bed looking at Andrew, who was extremely thin. His eyes were closed. Before the medicine and water could reach his lips, he knocked them over with one hand.
The medicine and the cup fell to the ground, and the warm water burned her hand. However, Lana seemed like she felt no pain.
Andrew said, “You can’t even endure loneliness?! Did you sleep with another man? Lana Paine, what’s the difference between you there? and those whores out “You’re so cheap!”
Lana could only keep quiet and endure the insults silently. She bent down to pick up the fragments on the floor. She just ignored his words, “Tomorrow, we can go to the hospital for treatment. He’ll find a way to cure your illness.”
“Is that so? Well, I should really thank you for enduring the discomfort of sleeping with another man for my sake just to gain a chance to save me. Andrew’s eyes were as cold as ice as he stared in her direction.
Lana picked up the fragments and threw them into the trash can. She accidentally cut her hand.
She responded, “A-Andrew, please stop talking about it! I know I’m tainted. If you accept the treatment, I promise I’ll divorce you.”
Andrew replied, “I won’t accept your help even if it means I’ll die. I’ll move to the Stewart residence tomorrow. Consider this house as the divorce settlement I leave to you.”
Lana’s face lost its color. She heartbrokenly said, “No…”
She knelt by the bedside and gripped his hand, “Do you not want me anymore?”
There was no warmth in Andrew’s eyes at all as he withdrew his hand. He coldly said, “Don’t touch me. I find it dirty!”
Lana suddenly slumped onto the floor. She felt a tightness in her throat, which made her unable to speak a word. Tears of sorrow streamed down her face,” No… It’s not like that. Andrew, please listen to my explanation. Everything I did, I did it all for you. I didn’t want to do it. I really had no other choice but to do it.”
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 822
Lana said, “I-I love you. My love for you isn’t tainted at all.”
A hint of pain flashed past Andrew’s eyes. He turned his head to look at the ceiling. His voice was cold, “You’re tainted anyway!
“If you have an ounce of self-respect left, you should sign the divorce agreement as soon as possible. Lana Paine, you make me sick.”
Lana cried, “Andrew… I’m not dirty at all… I won’t do it again. Can you please give me one more chance? Andrew…”
Andrew took something that was sealed in a plastic bag from the side and threw it in front of her. He said, “What else do you have to say now? I’ve never had sex with you. Whose child are you bearing?”
The scars on his face from the burn had been smoothed out through medical treatment. His appearance had returned to his elegant, gentle look from the past.
He was very good-looking. When they were still in school, Andrew was the heartthrob of the finance major. He was still handsome even now.
Lana covered her chest as she felt a pain in her heart when she saw the pregnancy test kit with two clear lines that were thrown in front of her. She was heartbroken.
Andrew said, “I’ll leave the divorce agreement in your room. If I don’t see your signature on it tomorrow, I’ll make public all the dirty things you did with him for everyone to see. Then, they’ll all know what kind of shameless, cheap woman my wife is.”
Lana replied, “Andrew, I was wrong. I really was! But everything I did, I did it for you! I just wanted you to live well, to become the way you used to be. Was I wrong?
“Don’t despise me, okay? My body is the only thing that’s tainted. My feelings for you aren’t…
“Believe me! I really am not tainted…”
Andrew responded without looking at her, “Get out! Don’t make me say it a second time!”
Lana begged as she desperately held onto his hand, “I won’t go. I won’t leave you…”
However, Andrew seemed resolute. He was determined to make her leave. After a while, several bodyguards came from outside and lifted her from the floor. Lana struggled, not wanting to leave. Andrew instructed the bodyguards,” Bring the divorce agreement from the next room.”
After the agreement was quickly brought in, Andrew said, “Hold her hand and have her sign it.”
In the room, despite Lana’s struggles and pleas, the agreement was signed. In the last part of the document, there was a deep scratch.
Andrew indifferently said without looking at her, “From now on… we have nothing to do with each other anymore.
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 823
Andrew said, “Now, you can continue to be with him. No one will stop you anymore.”
Right at that moment, Andrew, who was sitting on the bed, saw a message on his phone, “Since he’s here now, you can leave with him tonight. This villa will be yours tomorrow.”
Andrew paused and said, “Why aren’t you leaving? Are you waiting for me to force you out?”
Lana completely collapsed on the ground. The tears on her face had dried. Her eyes appeared empty, with redness around them. In the end, she was dragged out by the bodyguards.
Not far from the entrance, there was a car with its high beams still on. When the doors were opened and Lana was thrown out, Kai quickly got out of the car and caught her from behind.
Lana finally returned to her senses when she saw the doors close tightly. She rushed forward to pound on the door, “Let me in, Andrew! I was wrong. I really was… Don’t make me leave Andrew!”
Kai’s gaze was intense as he stared at Lana, who was crying hysterically. He wanted to lift her but decided against it in the end. Andrew, who was sitting in a wheelchair, watched everything happening below from upstairs.
The caregiver entered the room with a bowl of soup. The atmosphere in the room was depressing. She said, “Mr. Stewart, this is the soup your wife asked me to make for you.”
Andrew responded, “Leave it here.”
The caregiver replied, “There’s actually something I’m not sure if I should say.”
Andrew remained quiet. It seemed like he allowed the caregiver to continue.
The caregiver hesitantly said, ” Actually, your wife has been going through a lot all these years. Your mother has been constantly pressuring her. Mrs. Stewart has endured a lot of grievances.
“When you weren’t around, your mother scolded your wife with some harsh words. And your wife has tolerated it all these years.
“Also, on Mrs. Stewart’s side of the family, her father had health problems and passed away not long ago. She didn’t tell you this because she was afraid that you’d worry. The medical expenses were all on her…”
Andrew looked at the people downstairs. He murmured, “It’s too hard for her. So, leaving me is the best for her.” It was unclear whether he intended that sentence for Lana or himself.
He continued saying, “Let’s pack our things. We’ll move back to the Stewart residence tonight.”
The caregiver replied, “Okay.”
In the past, Lana personally handled every household matter. She hardly needed servants to do it for her.
Downstairs, Lana pushed Kai away. Her eyes were red, “It’s you… It’s all because of you! All of this happened because of you. He doesn’t want me anymore! Are you satisfied?”
Kai finally said the words he had wanted to say for all these years, “I want you.”
Lana thought, ‘A playboy actually said this.’
He continued, “He doesn’t want you, but you still have another choice. Come with me…”
Lana responded, “Do you know what you’re saying?” Kai replied, “I know. There are other people in this world besides Andrew. I can also be your choice.”
Lana found his words unbelievable and laughable, “I don’t need you! Let me tell you, I’d rather die than be with you.
Upstairs, when the caregiver was packing, she suddenly found a black ring box in a corner. She opened it and was surprised.
She thought, ‘Wasn’t this the ring Mr. Stewart had thrown away during an argument with his wife? How come it’s here now?
‘Sigh. I knew it. He actually still has feelings for his wife. It’s just that he’s now gravely ill, and he doesn’t want to burden her anymore.”
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 824
The caregiver walked out of the cloakroom and brought the ring box to Andrew, “Mr. Stewart, should we take this with us?”
Andrew was looking downstairs at Lana, who was curled up. He emotionlessly averted his gaze and looked at the ring held by the caregiver.
He was lost in his thoughts, ‘This ring was chosen by the both of us when we got married. I still remember when I threw this ring away when we argued; Lana cried while searching for it all night downstairs when, in actuality, it was still with me. I didn’t throw it away…
‘Now, my existence is a burden to everyone. She still has other opportunities. She can still find a man who’ll treat her well. She doesn’t need to waste her time on me.’
Andrew covered his mouth with a blue handkerchief and coughed a few times. When he removed it, the handkerchief was stained with red blood. The caregiver anxiously said, “This is the third time you’ve coughed up blood… If…”
Andrew waved his hand to stop her from continuing, “I don’t have much time left. Those medical reports are all fake. I just wanted her to think there’s still some hope for me.”
The caregiver fell silent. She wiped away her tears quietly.
He continued to say, “If I don’t make it through the night after I go back to the Stewart residence, tell everyone in the Stewart family to keep my death a secret from the outside world. Don’t allow my name to be engraved on my tombstone. And make sure to plant many orchids that she likes… in front of my grave…
“If she goes to the Stewart residence to ask, just tell her that I left Ventropolis and went overseas for treatment….
“Ahem, ahem…”
The caregiver was worried, “Mr. Stewart, you should stop talking. You’ll surely be fine…”
Andrew did not respond. He just kept quiet and thought, ‘I know very well about my own condition.
‘During the fire back then, I was poisoned, and my internal organs were damaged. I had people alter the hospital records to make her believe it was only burns. ‘If she finds out that I pass away, who knows what she might do with that temper of hers.’
Andrew had little time left; it was just a matter of days. Now, he still looked somewhat spirited. It was just his last struggle before he passed away…
He had a car prepared. The bodyguards carried him in his wheelchair downstairs.
Lana had been sitting curled up the entrance in the cold autumn weather and had not left. When the bodyguards pushed Andrew out, she hurriedly stood up and said, “Andrew… outside
One of the bodyguards stepped in her way, “This villa is now yours. Mr. Stewart ordered that you aren’t allowed to step into the Stewart residence again.
Lana watched as Andrew was escorted to the car. She went to stand in front of the car to block its way. She said, “I don’t want you to leave… Andrew, don’t abandon me…”
The driver said, “Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Stewart is blocking…”
Andrew exerted his last strength to say, “Ignore her. Just drive past her.”
“Okay.”
Lana watched the car pass by her side. If it were not for Kai pulling her out of the way, her. the car would have run over.
However, on the way, Andrew suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood in the car. Through the rearview mirror, he saw that Lana was still chasing after them. After following for a while, he saw her fall to the ground. He felt a pain in his chest again…
The medical team inside the multi- purpose vehicle started their emergency treatment for Andrew. Lana lay on the ground and helplessly watched the car quickly drive away. She cried hysterically.
Inside the car, the doctor tried electric shocks on Andrew again and again. A few minutes passed, but his heartbeat still showed no rhythm…
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 825
Lana stumbled and felt a shooting pain in her belly. Then, a warm rush of blood flowed beneath her. Kai rushed to help her up, concern filling his voice, “Lana, are you okay?”
Brushing Kai off with a palpable sense of disdain, Lana looked disturbed. She said, “I need to find Andrew. I have to go to him.”
Kai watched Lana rush away like a madwoman, heedless of the bloodstains trailing her, tumbling as she chased after someone who had long vanished, “I won’t divorce you, Andrew. Don’t leave me! I can’t live without you. What will I do if you leave me?”
Kai stared at Lana’s retreating figure, questioning the morality of his own actions for the first time. He stepped forward, knocked her unconscious with a swift palm strike, then carried her to his car and sped off to the hospital.
Lana’s pungent scent made it easy to be found in the dark night. Kai speculated that her clothes were soaked with an amount of blood that clearly was not menstrual. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he raced to SereneCare Hospital.
Kai had made the arrangements in advance, and a group of nurses were waiting at the door for their arrival. When they arrived, he placed her on the gurney, and the nurses wheeled her into the operating room.
A masked female doctor emerged half an hour later, “Dr. Stewart, she is one to two months pregnant. We’ve stabilized her condition for now, but she needs bed rest and must avoid any stress, or the baby might not make it.”
Relieved, Kai sat down, resting his forehead on his hands, “I understand. Make sure she’s well taken care of.”
“Yes, Dr. Stewart.” the masked female doctor replied.
After the operation was over, all the doctors and nurses had left. Images of Lana’s heartbroken expression and the child she carried filled Kai’s head. He had never felt this conflicted before.
Overwhelmed by frustration, Kai got up and punched the wall out of the blue, ” Damn it, I should’ve known better.”
When Kai was walking into an elevator, a nurse came running to him, “Dr. Stewart, someone has just delivered a dead body for cremation.”
“You don’t have to inform me of this. Just take care of it,” Kai said as he walked briskly into the elevator.
The nurse could hardly keep up with Kai. She quickly added, “That person said that the deceased is your brother.”
Kai paused, visibly shaken. His next move was cut short by another urgent news, “Dr. Stewart, this is bad. Someone disguised as a nurse just went up to the 15th floor.”
One crisis after another came crashing down on Kai. He whispered to the nurse beside him, and she nodded hesitantly. Then, Kai quickly entered the elevator. He asked the other nurse, “So, how is she?”
“That young lady just had surgery, and it seems that no immediate issues had surfaced after the examination. However, Mr. Jardin would like to see you.” the nurse replied.
Hurrying to the ICU, Kai found the medical staff busy conducting a detailed examination on Madelyn. He did not see the person he was looking for at the door, which puzzled him. Just as Kai wondered, he suddenly heard a muffled scream erupting from another room.
Kai’s gaze shifted toward the source of the sound just as the door swung open to reveal Zach emanating a chilling aura. Kai could not tell what Zach had just handed over to his bodyguard, but he saw blood on Zach’s hands. Zach wiped away the blood with the handkerchief that the bodyguard had just given him.
“Zach, this is a hospital, not some underworld operation of yours. Don’t you know how many pairs of eyes are watching you? You better tone it down, “Kai cautioned, his brow furrowed.
“Any trouble will be on me,” Zach said as he glanced at Kai with eyes as cold as eternal ice and threw the bloodied handkerchief into the bin.
“Did you manage to get the information?” It was the first time in many years that Kai had seen blood on Zach’s hands.
“He’s still breathing,” replied Zach.
Kai remained silent. He thought leaving someone in such a state seemed to fit Zach’s style of doing things, just like what happened to Ethan.
“Didn’t your precious girl hate to see you with blood?” Kai asked aloud. He thought, ‘How long had it taken Zach to break that vow just to become a nice person?’
Zach remained expressionless as he walked past. He said, “One last time.”
‘One last time?’ Kai could not believe those words came out of Zach’s mouth. ‘If even Zach could turn toward goodness and stop getting involved in the underworld, what about me? How far would I go for Lana?”
After that, the man covered in blood, barely clinging to life, was carried out of the room…
The next morning, Madelyn was transferred from the ICU to a general ward. She had an IV drip on her hand, her head was wrapped in bandages, and she lay still with her eyes closed, looking like a lifeless doll.
Zach sat by Madelyn’s bedside, gently wiping her hand with a clean towel. Then, Margaret entered the room with Dalton in her arms. “Mr. Jardin, I’ve brought the clothes you asked for.”
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 826
Dalton had tears in his eyes, his tiny hand pointing toward the bed as if seeking comfort. With an urgency, Margaret pulled Dalton away and said, ” Mr. Jardin, please excuse me. I’ll take Dalton to rest in the room next door.”
Sighing internally, Margaret whisked Dalton away to the room next door. She thought, ‘Poor thing. Why did it have to be cancer? She’s so young and a nice girl, not even married with children yet.
Zach held Madelyn’s hand against his face, relishing the warmth. He murmured, “Madelyn, don’t sleep too long. Please wake up soon.”
Zach’s wishes now were nothing more than dreams. Following what Madelyn did for Ethan before, Zach went to the monastery each day to pray for her well -being. Using the names of Azure Corporation and Jardin Corporation, Zach established a foundation for children, built schools in impoverished areas, and donated millions in resources.
Zach also contributed a substantial amount of money to orphanages nationwide. When the news broke, reporters scrambled for an exclusive interview. Yet he declined them all. His public relations team was caught off guard. Even the corporations’ stock prices soared overnight, but none of that phased Zach. He continued his daily routine: work, hospital, monastery.
Reporters were desperate for a scoop and secretly followed Zach, capturing him sitting in the pew for hours at Mistral Monastery. Overnight, the photograph graced the newspapers’ front pages, causing a stir in the capital city. The public was intrigued. They wondered why a man of Zach’s status indulged in such actions.
Upon descending the mountain, a throng of reporters surrounded Zach. Questions bombarded him.
“Mr. Jardin, you’ve been honored as the top philanthropist in Venturia this year. Do you have anything you’d like to say about that?”
“Mr. Jardin, why did you suddenly donate such a large sum of money to so many welfare organizations? Is there a particular reason behind it?”
“Mr. Jardin, we haven’t seen Mrs. Jardin since your marriage. Is everything you’re doing related to her?”
Someone in the crowd could not help but ask, “Mr. Jardin, is it true that Mrs. Jardin is ill, and that’s why you’re here at the temple? To pray for her?”
Zach kept his gaze forward. Under the protection of his bodyguards, he got into his luxurious Rolls-Royce. As the car sped away, the reporters had not gotten a single word out of Zach.
Three months later, as Christmas approached, the city was blanketed in snow. Many storefronts were adorned with Christmas lights and displayed Christmas trees, contributing to the festive atmosphere. Meanwhile, in a private hospital ward, Zach sat by Madelyn’s side, speaking softly, “It snowed today. How about we go skiing when you wake up?”
“If you don’t wake up when I turn thirty -three next year, I’ll leave Ventropolis with you,” Zach continued. “I’ve prepared everything for Kevin to take over the business. This way, I can spend more time with you.”
Even if Zach were to step down as the CEO of Jardin Corporation, he would still have his investments, stocks, and bonds. He would be set for life.
Madelyn’s shaved hair had grown back. Zach meticulously groomed her locks daily, anticipating the day she would wake up and everything would be back to normal. Though he had no idea when Madelyn was going to wake up, he was aware that he might have to wait for a long time.
A news broadcast flashed on the television in the hospital ward, announcing, “According to Dr. Linton of the Central Med Research Institute, the CEO of Jardin Corporation has invested a massive one billion dollars in cancer medical research….
“With the support of the CEO of Jardin Corporation, they hope to make significant progress in cancer research and develop effective treatments as soon as possible. They wish for all cancer patients around the world to have access to these treatments. They also wish everyone good health,
happiness, and well-being.”
Zach’s decision to invest in the research faced opposition from some shareholders, but he went ahead with it anyway. He was wearing a dark turtleneck sweater and had just finished helping Madelyn get dressed.
Just as Zach was finishing up, Margaret walked in, carrying a thermos lunchbox. She opened it to reveal steaming pastinas. She said, “Mr. Jardin, it’s not good for you to go without food all day! I found some pastinas that Ms. Jent made, which she had stored in the freezer. I thought I’d cook some up for you.”
“She made these?” Zach asked.
Margaret nodded, “Yes. The day Rosario passed away, Ms. Jent suddenly craved pastinas. She spent the entire day preparing them but never cooked any. They’ve been in the freezer ever
since.”
Margaret also wondered why Madelyn made the pastinas but did not cook them. A sharp pang of pain hit Zach’s chest as he looked at Madelyn. He murmured, Madelyn, you’ve forgiven me, haven’t you?”
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 827
Zach savored the last bite of the pastinas that Margaret had brought him, ‘Madelyn had always loved the pastinas made by Rosario. Her taste is still the same.’
Outside, the snow that had stopped for a while began to fall heavily again. Big, feather-like flakes landed in profusion, covering the ground with a thick layer that sparkled with a silvery white glow.
With hope filling his voice, Zach said, ‘ I’ve invested in a cancer research institute. Kai is involved, too. You’ll be fine in no time. In just a few more weeks, Dalton will start talking, and he will call you Mama… Don’t you want to watch our child grow up? Madelyn, don’t keep me waiting for too long.”
Madelyn’s post-surgery scars on her head had healed, but she was still in a coma. Zach lay beside her, his body cold despite being fully clothed. He shut his eyes, taking in the scent of her skin. He thought perhaps this was the only way he could find some semblance of peace.
Zach had never felt such torment. He had managed to wait for Madelyn through the four years she had been away from the capital. But these past three months had nearly broken him. It was a torment like he had never known.
Meanwhile, in a hospital ward not far from Madelyn’s, Lana’s belly was slightly rounded. She stared around, her gaze unfocused as though she were waiting for someone. The sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway. A hint of a smile finally touched her otherwise expressionless face.
Lana rushed to embrace the person walking in and said softly, “I’ve been waiting for you so long. Where have you been? Andrew, I’ve missed you so much today, and so has our baby.”
Kai hesitated before raising his hand to stroke Lana’s long hair. He asked, Have you eaten?”
Lana disentangled herself from his arms and took his hand. She replied, ” Yes. I know you’re busy, and you haven’t eaten. I saved some food for you. It’s your favorite dish.”
Together, Kai and Lana walked into the kitchen area of the VIP hospital suite, furnished for the convenience of visiting family. He said, “You shouldn’t be doing this while you’re pregnant. Let the caretakers handle it.”
“It’s okay. I don’t have much else to do, “Lana assured Kai, offering a comforting smile. “I know you worry, but rest assured, I’ll be very, very careful in protecting our child.”
She continued, “Andrew, could you get the plates and utensils? I can share a meal with you.”
“Alright.” Kai bent to retrieve a set of plates and utensils from the sanitized cupboard, then helped Lana with the dishes.
“Let me do that. You’ve had a long day. You eat first, then take a bath and rest, “Lana insisted.
“I’m not busy tomorrow,” Kai reassured Lana. They sat down at a table set with four dishes and a bowl of chicken soup, herself. all prepared by Lana
Cradling her belly with one hand, Lana used the other to offer a chicken drumstick to Kai from the soup, “By the way, Andrew, has the girl in the next room woken up yet?”
“No,” Kai said, pushing the chicken drumstick back into the bowl. “I don’t like chicken drumsticks ”
“I’ve already eaten one today; I saved this one just for you. You work so hard to provide for me and our child; it breaks my heart to see you this tired. Speaking of which, when can I be discharged? I feel much better. Can we go home?”
Kai felt as if a massive weight had been pressed onto his chest. He said, “I won’t be coming here often. A research institute has extended an invitation to me. You can stay in the hospital while I’m away; it will give me peace of mind.
“When will you be back?” Lana’s voice tinged with disappointment.
“I’ll try to come back as soon as possible,” Kai assured Lana.
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 828
“Do you have to leave tonight?” Lana asked, absentmindedly staring into her bowl.
“In a couple of days,” Kai replied. “Can’t you stay? I don’t want you to go, Lana said, hoping to keep Kai by her side.
Kai remained silent for a moment. before finally speaking, “It’s different this time. The mission is critical, and they need me to complete it.”
“Alright, I support you. You’re the best. When you come up with a groundbreaking cancer treatment, both the baby and I will be so proud of you,” she said with a warm smile.
Kai grinned and caressed her hair gently. He said, “Then wait here for me, okay? I worry about you being alone at home. The hospital is close to the research institute, and I’ll visit whenever I can.”
“I understand. I’ll wait here for you,” Lana said.
After dinner, Kai washed the dishes before retreating to his room for a bath. When he was done, he left a single bedside lamp on. Just as sleep began to claim him, he heard the door creak open. Lana, clad in maternity pajamas and holding a pillow, stood beside the bed. She asked, “Can I sleep with you tonight?”
Before Kai could answer, Lana had already climbed into bed and snuggled against him. He wrapped his arms around her, her soft scent filling the air. By eleven that night, Lana had not changed her position. The room was so quiet one could hear Kai’s uneven breathing. Lana asked, “Are you asleep?
“No.”
“Is it because I’m here that you can’t sleep?”
“No, don’t overthink it. Just sleep,” Kai said, reaching over to switch off the bedside lamp and plunging the room into darkness.
‘Am I doing the right thing? And what about this child? Is this really what you want, Andrew?’ Kai’s mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts. After Kai felt Lana’s breathing even out in sleep, he carefully pulled his arm away and got out of bed, leaving the room.
On the fifteenth-floor terrace, there stood another man who also could not sleep. Kai approached and stood beside him, “If you keep standing here, you’ll turn into a statue.”
Zach responded, “When are you leaving?”
“After Christmas. Who knows when I’ll see her again,” Kai sighed. Snow had blanketed the city that day, turning everything white. Kai added, “1 It’s been a long time since it snowed this much here. If she never wakes up, are you going to wait forever?”
Zach remained silent. Even he did not know the answer to that question.
Kai chuckled, “Never mind. You’re a man of few words. I won’t get much out of you. Unlike you, I still have a chance at redemption. Once she wakes up, I don’t know what you’ll do.”
“Shut up if you have nothing good to say,” Zach snapped.
“You know, Zach, I’ve understood what it feels like to truly care for someone. I can’t bear to tell her that the man she loves is already gone. To save her from the pain, I hypnotized her into believing that I am him,” Kai confessed.
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“For the past three months, Lana has thought of me as Andrew. But I’ve never felt the joy of truly having her,” confessed Kai.
It was rare for Kai to open his heart to anyone, even to Zach. Initially, Kai considered Zach a mere pawn against the wealthy Jardin family. Now that Hayson was gone, only Zach remained. However, Zach’s hatred for Hayson was not any less potent than Kai’s own. Since Zach had killed his own father, he could be ruthless to anyone. However, the one soft spot he had was for Madelyn.
“So what’s your plan?” Zach asked.
Kai sighed, “I’ll take it one step at a time. Better for her to live in the present than to wallow in memories that bring her pain.”
Kai remembered how Lana kneeled at the Stewart residence, hoping to catch a glimpse of Andrew. But he was long gone, and everyone knew it.
“Do you remember the wager we made four years ago?” Kai asked as he placed his hands in the pockets of his coat and looked toward Zach. His once carefree eyes had lost something irreplaceable.
Zach frowned, confirming that he had not forgotten. Kai continued, “We both lost that bet. You fell for Madelyn, and I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t have.”
Zach coldly retorted, “You’re the loser here. If it were up to me, their love story would never have started.”
After chatting for a while, Kai glanced at the window, its lights now on. He said, “I should go. It’s late. Get some rest.”
Zach’s eyes remained fixated on the still-dark window. The clouds dispersed to reveal a crescent moon, illuminating the snowy night.
Two weeks after Christmas, Zach became the top philanthropist in Venturia, and his influence skyrocketed globally. All the accolades meant nothing to him, though; they were merely his way of atoning, of doing something that might help awaken Madelyn.
For the first time in four years, Zach attended a formal dinner party-one he could not get out of. With a glass of wine in hand, he mingled with the crowd, keeping his consumption in check. As his eyes scanned the room, they landed on a familiar silhouette. A woman dressed in a striking red gown held the arm of a man beside her. Catching Zach’s gaze, she confidently raised her glass to him, taking a sip as if to toast him.
Zach remained unimpressed. When the crowd dispersed, he asked disinterestedly, “Who is she?”
Kevin replied, “That’s Serena, the daughter of the Secretary of Education. She was in the same class as Ms. Jent in high school. After graduating, she moved to Avalon. She’s recently returned to Venturia and even changed her name to Madelyn Smith.”
A sharp look crossed Zach’s face. He drained his wine glass and instructed, ” Bring her to the lounge to see me.”
“Yes, sir,” Kevin complied. Serena went to the restroom, clutching her chest. Her heart was still racing. She wondered if Zach had recognized her. She stared at her reflection, caressing her face as she comforted herself. “He shouldn’t have. It’s been so long; no one remembers how I used to be.”
The timid, shy Serena was a thing of the past. The woman in the mirror was who she was now. As she exited the restroom, ready to rejoin the party, her path was suddenly blocked, “M-Mr. Kevin?”
“Mr. Jardin would like to see you. Please, come with me,” said Kevin.
The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning by Max Charming Chapter 830
Serena blinked her innocent eyes, momentarily taken aback, “Me? Is something the matter?”
Kevin responded, “You’ll find out soon enough, Ms. Smith.”
Within a short span of twenty minutes inside the private lounge, a complete dossier on Serena was delivered to Zach. As Serena entered the lounge, she found a man in a tailored black suit, oozing an alluring but restrained aura, engrossed in some documents. She did not know where to rest her gaze, so she tried to act natural. Flicking her long hair behind her ear, she asked, “Mr. Jardin, I heard you wanted to see me?”
Zach retrieved a photo from the pile of papers and tossed it in front of Serena. As the photo drifted down, he commented, “Nice work on your face.”
Serena’s smile instantly froze on her face, “H-how did you get a photo of me from before?”
‘I had made sure those pictures were destroyed.’ Serena thought. Staring at her past self in the picture, she felt as if a bomb had gone off in her head, yet she forcefully subdued the rising panic.
“No matter what you do, you’ll never be her. Clear this up with the media within three days,” Zach said coldly, dropping the folder he had been going through. “If I don’t see what I want, I won’t hesitate to take matters into my own hands.” He walked over to her, his eyes piercingly cold and his tone venomous, “I don’t want to see this face a second time.”
As Zach exited the lounge, a suppressed roar of anger erupted behind him. Serena could not contain herself any longer, “What right do you have to interfere with my life? Even if I altered my face to look like Madelyn, that’s my business. Do you think you’re all that, just because of your current position?
“Didn’t you also rise to power through a woman? You’re nothing more than a lapdog of the Jent family. My father is the Secretary of Education. Even the Arnold family had to give him some face. You’re just a nobody with no background to speak of.”
Kevin thought, ‘This woman has a death wish, speaking like that.’
The Serena in the past would never dare speak like that. Back then, she was meek, insecure, and overlooked by everyone. But she had transformed. She was not about to let anyone look down on her. No one had that right.
“Not only will I keep this face, but I’m also Madelyn Smith from now on!”
No matter how much Serena ranted, Zach did not turn back. Her cries sounded like the facade of a princess being ripped apart, exposing an ugly doll underneath. She thought, ‘This isn’t me. Not like this.’
In a fit of madness, Serena tore up the file in her hands. If this had happened earlier, she would never have made it out of the room alive. But Zach had mellowed down.
Silently exiting the party, all eyes were on Zach, but no one dared to comment. He got into his car and headed straight for the hospital. His first act upon arrival was to confide in Madelyn, “I won’t let anyone replace you.”