Chapter 6

"No crying. This too shall pass," Lisbeth laughed through her tears.

It was a truth she'd learned the hard way—no matter how bitter, how difficult, how painful, everything eventually fades with time.

Even the deepest wounds become insignificant scars that one day won't hurt when touched.

Her assistant couldn't hold back her own tears. "Ms. Whitaker... you don't have to be so strong. I don't want to see you like this; I feel heartbroken."

"If you lost something you once treasured, would you be sad?" Lisbeth asked softly.

"Of course!" The assistant wiped her eyes. "I'd cry my eyes out."

Lisbeth gave a hollow laugh and dried her face. "But life goes on. It's not like the end of the world, right?"

The assistant fell silent. It was true.

The earth keeps turning, the sun keeps rising. In the grand scheme of things, how significant could one person's heartbreak really be?

"Come on, no more tears," Lisbeth said. Just like that, she seemed to recover. The tears vanished, replaced by a gentle smile.

Only her slightly reddened eyes betrayed what had happened.

"Good thing Mr. York wasn't here. It would've been embarrassing for both of us to be crying like this." She sighed. "Today was supposed to be about making them take back their words."

She worried Sebastian would be disappointed in her. She didn't feel victorious—just sad.

The assistant sniffled. "He wouldn't be. Mr. York is a good man. He'd never mock you."

Lisbeth had endured so much—public humiliation, abandonment by that scoundrel Leopold, the burden of her child's medical bills, and losing acting jobs because of her scars.

She almost wondered whether Lisbeth could be able to pay her salary.

Thank goodness Sebastian had appeared when he did.

At the hospital, Elora hadn't left Leopold's bedside since he collapsed.

When the doctor approached, she frantically asked, "How is he? Will he be alright? Will he remember his past?"

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. As for his memories... that's unlikely."

Elora sighed with relief. "That's wonderful news, thank you, doctor."

As the doctor left the room, he remained puzzled. Did this woman actually want her partner to recover his memories or not?

Leopold slept until evening. When he finally woke, he stared blankly at the ceiling as if in a trance.

Elora watched him anxiously. "Leopold, what's wrong?"

Had his memories returned?

Leopold slowly turned to look at her. "Who are you?"

When Sebastian returned to the villa, he found Ava sighing heavily.

"What's bothering you?" he asked.

Ava glanced upstairs. "Ms. Whitaker hasn't come down since she got back. She's been up there all this time, didn't even eat dinner... I wonder if someone hurt her feelings."

She didn't follow social media and knew nothing of the online scandal. She only knew that Lisbeth had left the house looking beautiful and returned looking like she'd been crying.

Sebastian was quiet for a moment. "Prepare something light for her stomach. I'll go get her."

He went upstairs and knocked on her bedroom door. "Lisbeth, dinner's ready."

After what felt like forever—long enough that he nearly pushed the door open himself—he heard the soft padding of slippers. The door finally opened.

Lisbeth stood there, makeup removed, dressed in casual home clothes. "Sorry, I fell asleep," she said.

"You've been crying."

Sebastian found her voice noticeably nasal.

"I have allergies."

Though he knew it was an excuse, Sebastian didn't press her. "Ava says you haven't eaten. She's worried."

"I was just exhausted," Lisbeth replied, giving an apologetic smile. "I'll come down now."

She was about to leave when she realized how disheveled she looked. With another embarrassed smile, she went back to change before heading downstairs.

When she sat at the table, she noticed two boiled eggs in front of her. As she reached for one to eat, Sebastian stopped her.

"Those aren't for eating."

"No?"

"They're for your eyes."

Lisbeth finally understood. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

She lowered her head and silently pressed the eggs against her swollen eyes.

Sebastian sighed inwardly. Her eyes were so puffy, yet she claimed she hadn't cried.

He pushed a bowl of porridge toward her. "I just came from the hospital. Dennis is awake."

Lisbeth put down the eggs, but after a pointed look from Sebastian, she resumed using them.

"I'll go to the hospital right away. I've been so busy lately that I haven't spent enough time with Dennis..." She felt like a failure as a mother.

Sebastian nodded. "I'll take you there." Right now, she needed her son's company more than anything.

After dinner, Sebastian drove Lisbeth to the hospital himself. They found Dennis lying bored in his hospital bed. The child was still weak and could do little more than rest.

Seeing his mother, his face lit up. "Mommy."

Lisbeth gently stroked Dennis's small face. "Mommy's here to see you. I'm staying with you tonight."

At three years old, Dennis didn't understand much about the world. But he understood this. "Yay, Mommy stays."

Lisbeth's heart melted completely.

Sebastian had anticipated this. "I've arranged for Dennis to be moved to a premium room. There's a spare bed for you."

"Thank you." Lisbeth didn't know how to express her gratitude properly.

Sebastian spoke gently. "If you really want to thank me, get some rest. I don't want my mother to think I've been mistreating you when she meets you."

Lisbeth immediately straightened up. "I'll make sure to look my best as quickly as possible."

Sebastian chuckled, turning his head—only to meet Dennis's curious gaze. The child was studying him intently from head to toe, as if trying to figure something out.

The room grew so quiet they could hear each other breathing.

"Daddy."

That word fell like a stone, shattering the silence.

Sebastian froze, the smile dying on his face.

Afraid he might be upset, Lisbeth quickly explained to her son, "Dennis, he's not your daddy. You can't call him that."

"Who says I'm not?"

Lisbeth stared at Sebastian in shock. Did he understand what he was saying? If they later told the child the truth, it would be a lie. She had no idea how to explain that.

But Sebastian continued, "Don't forget our current relationship. You're my wife, which makes your child my child, doesn't it?"

Lisbeth was speechless.

She watched as he sat down beside the bed and asked the curious Dennis, "Is Daddy handsome?"

Lisbeth nearly fell over in surprise.

Dennis nodded. "Yes."

He probably didn't even know what "handsome" meant. Since birth, he'd been ill, and while Lisbeth felt both guilt and love for him, she'd never pushed him too hard.

She always wanted her little boy to be as happy as possible.

Sebastian smiled. "Just keep looking at me, okay? Someday you'll be as handsome as I am."

Dennis blinked, and though he didn't understand what "handsome" meant, he instinctively sensed it was a good thing, so he stared even more intensely.

Sebastian couldn't help but laugh. He gently covered Dennis's eyes. "If you stare like that, your eyes will get tired. Take it slow—we have plenty of time ahead of us."

Lisbeth silently watched the two of them together.

Since Dennis was born, Leopold had never once held him. Now that Dennis was finally awake, Leopold wouldn't even come see him.

Dennis still had no idea his father was caught up in a passionate romance with another woman.

She shook her head, trying to banish these thoughts, only to turn and see Leopold standing in the doorway with Elora right behind him.