All Chapters of Casting off the Deadweight: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

18 Chapters

Chapter 11

Right after Dylan woke up, Leonard, who was sent to the hospital, regained consciousness too.When his eyes opened, the first face he saw was Clara's.She pouted and complained, "What's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly pass out? Oh, by the way, I've got good news. I'm not marrying Mr. Larkin anymore."Leonard's mind was still foggy, but he thought to himself, "Of course."He had everything planned out—Thea would marry on Clara's behalf. There was no way Clara would leave his side.But Clara's next words snapped him fully awake. "I don't even know what Thea was thinking. She actually volunteered to marry him herself. Is she stupid? Why does she want to marry a dying man?"A sharp pain stabbed Leonard's temple.Right. He remembered his subordinate, Luca Howard, mentioning before he passed out that Thea wasn't tied to the Larkin residence.How could this have happened?Jeremy, who was in the ward with Clara, scoffed and tapped her forehead."Do you really think she's stupid?

Chapter 12

After Dylan woke up, Kate almost kneeled to Thea. She was ready to adopt Thea as her own daughter.Thankfully, Edward still had his wits about him and gently calmed his excited wife. "Thea just married Dylan. Wouldn't it be strange to adopt her as your daughter now? You really should ask about their opinions first.""You're right. I wasn't thinking straight. Thea, you must be tired after all that today. Let me take you back to your room to rest," Kate said.Thea smiled and nodded.She thought Kate was taking her to a guest room, but as they walked, she realized it was the best room in the villa. It was even better and cozier than Dylan's.Kate helped Thea sit on the bed. "Thea, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I had someone find out for me. If there's anything you don't like about this place, you must tell me."Thea looked around in disbelief.On the bedside table were her favorite gardenias. The bookshelf was filled with books of her profession and novels she loved.Even the s

Chapter 13

Leonard felt a flash of pure devastation upon hearing his legs were beyond saving. Yet, as a man forged by life's harshest trials, he quickly regained his composure.He asked his family doctor coldly, "What's going on? If my legs were going to fail, it should have happened a year ago. All my other injuries have healed, so why is this suddenly getting worse now?"The doctor didn't have the answer. He asked, "Mr. Falkner, do you remember the doctor who saved you a year ago? Perhaps if we reach out to him again, there might still be a shred of hope."A complex expression crossed Leonard's face. "The person who saved me back then wasn't a doctor."It was Thea.He had spent a year with her, so he knew she wasn't medically trained. She was just a young lady who was bullied often at the orphanage, so she had gotten into the habit of carrying band-aids with her.But somehow, being by Thea's side had helped him recover faster.She always asked him if he loved her, and he never held back

Chapter 14

Leonard disappeared on his own. Clara was delighted for quite a while.Even though the look Jeremy gave her was no longer as doting as before and was filled with a complexity she couldn't quite decipher, she had no time to care about that right now.To her, the Storme family had always been nothing more than a stepping stone.Two courtyard houses—a mere 1.6 billion dollars—were enough to leave them badly wounded.A family like that would never be impressive in the real upper circles.What mattered now was holding tightly onto Mr. Falkner. Only then could she truly leap into a higher class.Of course, Clara was afraid too. Rumor had it that Mr. Falkner was a ruthless, sinister power player who ruled with an iron fist. He was notoriously temperamental. Anyone who crossed him typically vanished within three days.The psychological pressure of spending a lifetime with such a man was unimaginable.However, what happened next quickly swept her doubts away.Gifts from the Falkner fam

Chapter 15

Three days before the wedding, the Falkner family sent over a prenuptial agreement.Clara signed her name without hesitation.Just looking at her made Jeremy irritated, but he still had to warn her. "You signed it without even reading it? Aren't you afraid the Falkners might be digging a grave for you?"Clara looked completely unconcerned. "I did read it. There's nothing special. Plus, Mr. Falkner already signed it. If I make him wait, what if he thinks I don't want to marry him?"Jeremy was speechless.A man she had never even met had her acting like this. How could he not know by now what she truly wanted?…On the day of the wedding, Clara wore a gown embroidered with diamonds and got into the wedding car sent by the Falkner family.The Stormes followed behind in another car.When they arrived at the venue, they saw someone they never expected."Leonard?"Clara's shock was impossible to hide. "Why are you here? In a wheelchair, no less."Leonard merely smiled and said no

Chapter 16

These days, Thea's greatest source of entertainment was staring at the affection meters the system displayed.The gray meter that represented Leonard kept rising steadily. It was about to break 99.But that didn't matter now. He was no longer her target. Even if he loved her to madness, his legs would never recover.The pink meter that belonged to Dylan was even more interesting.After Dylan woke up, Thea stayed by his bedside to keep watch.Dazed and drifting in a blur, he stared at her face, and his affection level skyrocketed. It was about to cross 90.But once he fully woke up and clearly saw what Thea looked like, the number dropped right back to 70.Thea grew worried. "System, do you think he has a first love whom he can't forget? Maybe I looked a little like her when his vision was blurry. Otherwise, why would his affection level rise and fall so fast?"The system was unconvinced. "Dylan's marksmanship is top-tier. There's no way he has bad eyesight."Dylan was consumed

Chapter 17

Thea never expected things to turn out this surreal.Still dazed, she asked the system, "Kate keeps saying I'm the lucky charm of the Larkin family, but I think it's the other way around. The mission is completed just like that?"Even the system sounded regretful. "This one's on me. I never should've helped Leonard. I should've let him die in that alley. If I had bound you to Dylan, the mission would've been done ages ago."Thea couldn't help blushing.She hadn't expected that she and Dylan would fall in love at first sight.What was even more unbelievable was that she had gotten pregnant.She was a month and three weeks along, catching the Larkins completely off guard.They rushed the couple to get legally married, then quickly picked a date to hold the wedding.Any later, and Thea wouldn't even fit into a wedding dress.Standing in front of the mirror, Thea still felt unreal.She asked the system, "Look at the person in the mirror. Is she really Thea Storme? Not Thea Finch,

Chapter 18

After learning what had happened to Clara, Thea couldn't shake her unease. It left her with a grim, helpless feeling, like she might be next.That feeling didn't ease until the day she went out to buy books and was shoved into a car by a group of men.She knew it. There was no way Leonard would ever let her go. Holding grudges was what he did best.When the car stopped at a seaside warehouse, Leonard took her hand and helped her out."Forgive me, Thea. I can't stand up right now. I must look a bit pathetic."Thea instinctively shielded her stomach. "What are you trying to do?""You're pregnant." Leonard's eyes churned with a brewing storm."I couldn't bring myself to touch you, but I guess he could. Thea, you've only known him for a few months. You haven't thought this through. Once we're overseas, I'll help you get an abortion."Thea's heart skipped a beat. "You're planning to smuggle us out?""Yeah." Leonard smiled. "Don't worry. My family has connections. You'll be safe."

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