All Chapters of After the Clouds: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Asher's expression remained indifferent, and he was clearly unbothered. "Just rest well in the hospital. You don't need to worry about giving us gifts."He finished speaking and glanced at his phone screen. Carter, beside him, also pursed his lips, looking utterly uninterested.Winona took in the father's and son's reactions. Her lips curved slightly.They were not interested now, but the moment they actually saw the divorce agreement, they would probably be more excited than anyone.She suddenly wondered what they actually thought of her. An emotional substitute? A nanny? Or perhaps just a familiar stranger living under the same roof as them?With that thought, she decided to ask directly.Before she could finish speaking, however, a sweet female voice rang out from Asher's phone."Asher, pick up my call, okay? Or else I'll get mad!"Winona froze.As a CEO, Asher's ringtone had always been the default ringtone set by the system. However, she quickly got a grasp of the situati

Over the next three days, Winona was busy preparing for Carter's birthday party. She also bought all the gifts he would receive from age six to 18 in advance. He was still her flesh and blood. Even if they would never see each other again after this, she would fulfill her duty as a mother until he turned 18.…On Carter's birthday, numerous guests arrived at the invitation. Winona stood beside Asher, holding Carter's hand. They were surrounded by everyone in the center.Unlike previous years, when he was always excited on his birthday, Carter seemed unusually sullen today. He kept kicking at pebbles on the ground, his small head constantly turning toward the entrance.Even Asher kept glancing down at his watch.Winona thought perhaps something about the party was not up to standard. Just then, a female voice rang out from the entrance."Carter!"Carter's head shot up, and his eyes lit up. He pushed past Winona, who was standing in front of him, and ran toward the door."Ella!

Winona could not bear to watch the three of them any longer. She walked alone to the back garden.Her phone buzzed.Winona swiped up on the screen, and a text message popped up.[Dear passenger, your flight will depart in eight hours. Please board on time.]Winona's face broke into the first genuine smile of the day. She put away her phone and prepared to go upstairs to pack her luggage.She had barely taken a few steps when she ran into Ella.Ella smiled and blocked Winona's path. "Ms. Warren, you're the hostess of this party. Why are you out here all alone?"Winona knew Ella was not as innocent as she appeared on the surface.Otherwise, she would not have gotten Winona's contact information on her very first day back in the country. She would also not be posting photos with Asher and Carter on social media every few days."Ms. Levine, just say what you want to say."Ella stared at her for a long moment before letting out a soft laugh and dropping the pretense. "Ms. Warren,

Asher carefully helped Ella lie down in the hospital ward, then gently tucked the blanket around her. His expression was full of tenderness. "Rest well in the hospital. I'll take care of you these next few days."The familiar warmth brought tears to Ella's eyes.Back then, she was young and proud. She did not want to get married so early. She also arrogantly assumed Asher would tolerate her endlessly. Even if she rejected his 100 proposals, she thought he would wait for her.However, she forgot that there was a limit to a person's patience. By the time she realized Asher had disappeared from her life, she heard he had gotten married back home.Proud as she was, how could she lower herself to return and find him? She considered the relationship over.She spent another six years abroad. She met all kinds of men, yet no one compared to how well Asher treated her.Those sweet moments from the past kept flooding her mind in the dark of night. She finally could not help but return home

Discharged? Why had Winona not told Asher she was leaving the hospital?Asher pulled out his phone, preparing to message Winona. When he opened his chat with her, he suddenly realized she had not sent him a message in nearly half a month.She used to enthusiastically share little things from her daily life with him every day. Like photos of the clear blue sky, new recipes she learned...Yet for the past two weeks, she had not sent anything new. He suppressed the unease rising in his chest and sent her a message asking where she was.The next instant, an error message appeared. [Message not delivered.]Asher felt momentarily stunned. Had Winona blocked him?Unwilling to accept it, he tried calling her. The call went straight to voicemail.Why would she block him? Was it because he had told her to apologize to Ella? However, she was the one who pushed Ella into the pool. An apology was only right, was it not?An unprecedented sense of unease suddenly rose in Asher's heart. Th