Chapter 2

I stayed in the hospital all day, but Edwin never showed up.

The next day, after I checked out by myself, I passed the VIP ward and saw something that cut deep.

Denton and my father were right there with Kelsey.

One was feeding her fruit, the other flipping through channels to find her favorite comedy movie.

Meanwhile, Edwin was talking seriously with her doctor about her treatment plan.

Kelsey tugged on Edwin's sleeve and pointed at a box of chocolates. Edwin unwrapped it and gently fed her one.

Watching that warm, perfect scene felt like a knife to the heart.

They looked like a real family, while I was just someone who didn't belong.

I remembered the time Kelsey and I were both hospitalized with pneumonia when we were little.

Denton and my father stayed by her bedside the entire time, taking care of her like she was the only one who mattered.

I was alone in a cold hospital room. No one checked on me. I was so thirsty that my lips cracked and bled. It wasn't until a nurse walked by that I finally got a glass of water.

Moments like that when I was ignored happened more times than I could count.

It wasn't until I married Edwin that I finally felt what it was like to be loved. He had always been so thoughtful, giving me the best of everything.

I really thought I was the only one in his heart. But seeing how gentle he was with Kelsey, feeding her chocolate like that, it broke me all over again.

I wiped away my tears and headed home.

Then I called my college advisor and told him I'd accept the closed research project at Northendria. I agreed to the ten-year contract, with no returning home.

He booked my flight for three days later.

He told me I should say a proper goodbye to my family. After all, I wouldn't be coming back for a decade.

As soon as I hung up, Edwin came through the door. He wrapped his arm around my waist, smiling sweetly.

"What were you booking on the phone?" he asked.

"The opera tickets I bought earlier. I couldn't make it because of the hospital stay, so I canceled them," I said casually.

"I see. But why didn't you tell me you were discharged? I would've picked you up."

Before I could answer, Kelsey walked in without knocking.

She said with a pout, "Stephanie, why didn't tell Edwin you were discharged? When we saw your room empty, he panicked! He thought something terrible had happened.

"He's a mafia boss, you know. Tons of enemies are watching him. He really thought you'd been kidnapped by one of them."

I looked at Kelsey. She always knew how to twist things around and make me look bad. She'd been doing it since we were kids. And now, she was slapping me with the same old label—selfish and inconsiderate.

I glanced at Edwin, who quickly explained, "Kelsey's health isn't great. The doctor said she should rest at home. Our castle has clean air and a forest nearby—it's perfect for recovery. That's why I invited her to stay for a while."

Kelsey gave me a smug smile. "Sorry, I'll be interrupting your alone-time."

She was clearly waiting for me to lose my temper, just so she could play the victim and call me spoiled and unreasonable.

That was always her tactic.

But I just kept a calm face. "You can stay as long as you want."

Kelsey froze for a second. She didn't expect me to be so chill.

-

The next day, Edwin was busy giving the maids instructions about Kelsey's room. He made sure they understood every little detail, especially her diet.

So, it turned out Edwin knew Kelsey's preferences just as well as he knew mine.

I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling ridiculous. Why had it taken me this long to realize how much he cared about her?

That night, I went to my room early to start packing for the trip. I was just about to lie down when Edwin came in with a glass of water. He handed it to me and gently opened the bottle of calcium tablets.

"Take this before bed," he said. "You don't want to wake up with leg cramps again from low calcium."