Lahat ng Kabanata ng Leaving You Bereft: Kabanata 861 - Kabanata 870

At 9:00 pm, Landon was done with both the tacos and the pizza. He scooped Toby into his arms to sit at the small dining table. He'd planned to have Toby wake Thalia, but then thought she might not be dressed, so he decided to go call her himself.The bedroom was awash in soft moonlight.Thalia was already up, wearing a loose-knit sweater, sitting in a lounge chair with her phone. From her gentle and affectionate tone, it sounded like she was talking to Avery.Landon walked over and sat beside her, listening to her chat with Avery, coaxing her softly. A pang of jealousy hit him, but he gave her the space. When she finally finished and spoke a few more words with Luca, Landon couldn't resist sliding his hand under her sweater.Half teasing, half warning.She gasped and turned to him, eyes shimmering.His mouth brushed her ear as he ground his teeth. "Hang up now, or I'll kiss you."She braced a hand against him, hurriedly ending the call.Then she glared at him.He chuckled low,

Thalia took a long moment to process what she just heard.Thea had AIDS.…Thalia felt unsettled, so she asked Luca to watch the kids while she slipped off to the restroom.It was a lavish restroom with gold faucets and a gentle flow of water.In the mirror, Thea's beautiful face appeared.She leaned against the wall, giving Thalia a sidelong look, then pulled a box of slim cigarettes from her purse. She lit one with practiced ease, exhaling smoke in a showy, seductive way. The innocence she once carried was long gone.Thalia rested her hands on the counter, quietly watching her.Thea wore an air of indifference, even smiling faintly."You must've heard about my disease, right?"I got it from my husband. And that 'good man' was introduced by Landon. See? He's always so thoughtful, always saving the best for me!"But don't worry, I'm not here to get revenge on you. I've stirred up enough trouble over the years. Landon made me realize that he's not someone I can ever cross. If

Landon slipped his arms around Thalia from behind, resting his chin on her slim shoulder. "Do you like it?"Thalia answered honestly, "I do. I really like it. It's just too extravagant.""For you and Toby, nothing's too extravagant.He added, "By the way, I talked it over with Eric a few days ago. I'd like to transfer Chanel and Toby to a private preschool. The environment and quality of their education will be much better. What do you think?"…Right now, he sounded like a man willing to discuss everything with her.She thought about it and agreed.She wasn't stubborn. Even though she didn't want Toby to take over Nebula Group, if she and Landon really did get married, there would be no way around it, unless she had another child as the legitimate heir.But all that was uncertain. For now, she just had to make sure Toby's education kept up.Landon knew exactly what she feared. He gave a low chuckle. "If you're really worried, you can let my parents raise him. They'll turn him

That Christmas night, every woman in Brindley was jealous of Thalia.Thalia wished she could fly straight to Hortosia. If not for having to take care of Toby, she would have. In the end, she managed to hold on to a bit of reason.Back at the apartment, after tucking Toby into bed, she couldn't wait to call Landon. Her voice carried a soft sweetness. "When are you coming back?"On the other end, Landon chuckled. "Are you missing me already?"Thalia didn't deny it. She wasn't about to play the shy young lady. She was a grown woman, and grown women owned their feelings, even their desires. She nodded, her voice slightly husky. "How many more days until you're back?"Landon's tone turned serious as he set the teasing aside. "Something's come up here at the company in Hortosia. Mr. Lancast, the one you met before, made a huge mess behind the scenes. The CEO here can't handle it, so I'll need to stay until it's all resolved."In the past, he probably wouldn't have told her much, just b

Thalia felt cold all over.She hadn't spoken yet when Landon pulled her back into his arms, already painting pictures of their married life. "After we get married, let's move back into the villa. I'll build you a little garden, fill it with roses, lilies, sunflowers, and whatever flowers you like."I'll plant all of them. And in the backyard, I'll plant a big magnolia tree. In the fall, we can sit beneath it, and I'll build you a swing. How about that?"Thalia, I'll treat you so well. Toby said he wants a duck, so we'll make a little pond and keep a few for him to play with."…Thalia rested her cheek on his shoulder.Her eyes were wet, tears sliding quietly down, dripping onto his black coat. She'd told him to wear a down jacket, but he'd chosen the coat instead. After all, he looked good in it.Thankfully, the black fabric soaked up her tears.He didn't notice a thing.Her lips trembled. She wanted so badly to agree to everything he said. And let that be the end of the story