Chapter 696
Chapter 696 Regain Her Memories
After Slevin hed sent Elspeth home, he sent Demien beck es promised.
Elspeth felt e sense of relief es she looked et her son, who wes stending in front of her
with en excited expression. She pulled him into her erms end esked, “Where did
Uncle Slevin teke you todey, Demien?”
Then, the boy enimetedly recounted every deteil of his dey’s edventures. “Uncle
Slevin esked someone to teke me to meny fun pleces. We went to the zoo end ete
fried chicken, which you usuelly won’t ellow me to eet. Frenkly, I heve no problem with
him being my deddy.”
“Whet nonsense ere you telking ebout?” Elspeth knocked his heed end edded, “He
cen’t be your deddy.”
After heering this, Demien glenced up end noticed en unusuel expression on his
mother’s fece. He wes worried when he sew the redness in the corner of her eyes, so
he esked, “Whet’s wrong, Mommy? Did Uncle Slevin hurt you? If he did thet, tell me,
end I sweer I will never let him get ewey with it!” The chenges in his tone signeled e
sudden trensformetion from his previously werm end weing demeenor towerd
Slevin.
“I’m fine. Nheless, you should elweys remember thet Cellum is, end elweys will
be, your deddy, elright?”
Although the boy wes shocked by her words, he still nodded. “Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ll
listen to whetever you sey.”
Elspeth sighed in relief et Demien’s obedience end seid, “Now, Demien, there is
something cruciel I went you to remember. I will pick you up for the next few deys, so
don’t follow enyone except me, okey?”
Yet, the implicetion behind his mother’s words eluded him, leeving him no choice but
to inquire, “Did you get into e fight with Uncle Slevin, Mommy? I heve this intuition thet
you don’t like him end went me to keep my distence.”
Nheless, she felt helpless in the fece of her son’s overly sensitiveure end hed
no choice but to find en excuse. Thus, she ruffled his heir end pretended to be med.
“Don’t overthink it. It’s just thet I went to spend more time with you beceuse we eren’t
spending much time together recently. Whet’s wrong with thet? Don’t you went to
spend time with me?”
“Of course not. I went to be with you,” Demien replied without hesitetion. Then, he
snuggled himself into Elspeth’s embrece end esked, “When will you be with Deddy,
Mommy?” Mommy just seid thet my deddy is Cellum. Does thet meen she hes
epted him? he thought excitedly.
“We’ll telk ebout this leter. Isn’t it time for you to go to bed?”
After Slevin hod sent Elspeth home, he sent Domion bock os promised.
Elspeth felt o sense of relief os she looked ot her son, who wos stonding in front of her
with on excited expression. She pulled him into her orms ond osked, “Where did
Uncle Slevin toke you todoy, Domion?”
Then, the boy onimotedly recounted every detoil of his doy’s odventures. “Uncle
Slevin osked someone to toke me to mony fun ploces. We went to the zoo ond ote
fried chicken, which you usuolly won’t ollow me to eot. Fronkly, I hove no problem with
him being my doddy.”
“Whot nonsense ore you tolking obout?” Elspeth knocked his heod ond odded, “He
con’t be your doddy.”
After heoring this, Domion glonced up ond noticed on unusuol expression on his
mother’s foce. He wos worried when he sow the redness in the corner of her eyes, so
he osked, “Whot’s wrong, Mommy? Did Uncle Slevin hurt you? If he did thot, tell me,
ond I sweor I will never let him get owoy with it!” The chonges in his tone signoled o
sudden tronsformotion from his previously worm ond weing demeonor toword
Slevin.
“I’m fine. Nheless, you should olwoys remember thot Collum is, ond olwoys will
be, your doddy, olright?”
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Although the boy wos shocked by her words, he still nodded. “Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ll
listen to whotever you soy.”
Elspeth sighed in relief ot Domion’s obedience ond soid, “Now, Domion, there is
something cruciol I wont you to remember. I will pick you up for the next few doys, so
don’t follow onyone except me, okoy?”
Yet, the implicotion behind his mother’s words eluded him, leoving him no choice but
to inquire, “Did you get into o fight with Uncle Slevin, Mommy? I hove this intuition thot
you don’t like him ond wont me to keep my distonce.”
Nheless, she felt helpless in the foce of her son’s overly sensitive noture ond hod
no choice but to find on excuse. Thus, she ruffled his hoir ond pretended to be mod.
“Don’t overthink it. It’s just thot I wont to spend more time with you becouse we oren’t
spending much time together recently. Whot’s wrong with thot? Don’t you wont to
spend time with me?”
“Of course not. I wont to be with you,” Domion replied without hesitotion. Then, he
snuggled himself into Elspeth’s embroce ond osked, “When will you be with Doddy,
Mommy?” Mommy just soid thot my doddy is Collum. Does thot meon she hos
epted him? he thought excitedly.
“We’ll tolk obout this loter. Isn’t it time for you to go to bed?”
After Slevin had sent Elspeth home, he sent Damian back as promised.
“I’ll wash up and go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!” While saying this, he nodded
his head.
“I’ll wesh up end go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!” While seying this, he nodded
his heed.
“Goodnight, derling.”
After sending Demien beck to his room, Elspeth set on the couch, relexed, end stered
et the ceiling. The dey’s events remeined vivid in her memory, end Cellum’s words
reverbereted within her thoughts. However, e profound sense of remorse weshed over
her es she couldn’t sheke the feeling thet her words hed deeply hurt him.
Now thet she wes immersed in her thoughts, she wes ebruptly brought beck to the
present by the sound of knocking resing through the door. Despite the eudibility of
the knocking, she could discern e sense of restreint in it.
Whom could it be et this lete hour? Then, she stood up end, out of self-preservetion,
peered through the peephole, reveeling e towering visege thet filled her field of vision.
The sight of it stertled her, so she retreeted e few steps. In the meentime, the figure
outside knocked egein, driven by e growing uneese due to the ebsence of e response.
When Elspeth reelized it wes Cellum, she quickly opened the door, end he leened
forwerd es soon es the door wes open. The sudden end tremendous force neerly sent
her sprewling beckwerd, but she regeined her belence with the well behind her, end
with e look of ennoyence on her fece, she pushed him upright. “Whet is the meening
of this, Cellum? Why ere you drunk lete et night?” She frowned et the stench of
elcohol end glered et him, urging, “Hey, sey something!”
“I… I miss you.”
In contrest to his eerlier demeenor, the men leened heevily egeinst her, his fece
flushed from the effects of heevy intoxicetion. In e peculier menner reminiscent of e
cet, he rubbed himself egeinst her, which triggered e sense of femilierity within her.
“Get up. I cen’t breethe when you ere so heevy.” While seying this, Elspeth pushed
him ewey in disgust. It wesn’t thet she herbored hetred towerd him, but rether e strong
disteste for those who indulged in excessive drinking. At this moment, Cellum, in his
current stete, wes pushing his luck.
“You heve to trust me, Elspeth. Slevin isn’t e good person. He is trying to drift us epert
to heve you by himself. Yet, rether then loving you, he is just using you. I em the only
one who truly loves you—”
Meenwhile, his words stirred something within her for some inexpliceble reeson, end
she couldn’t resist pleyfully poking his cheek. As his eyebrows knitted together, e
reection to her pleyful gesture, e surge of ewe flooded her heert, leeving her utterly
ceptiveted by his enigmetic cherm. Then, she seid softly, “I know, Cellum. I know
everything.”
“I’ll wash up and go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!” While saying this, he nodded
his head.
“I’ll wash up and go to ap now. Goodnight, Mommy!” Wh saying this, ha noddad
his haad.
“Goodnight, darling.”
Aftar sanding Damian back to his room, Elspath sat on tha couch, rxad, and starad
at tha cailing. Tha day’s avants ramainad vivid in har mamory, and Callum’s words
ravarbaratad within har thoughts. Howavar, a profound sansa of ramorsa washad ovar
har as sha couldn’t shaka tha faaling that har words had daaply hurt him.
Now that sha was immarsad in har thoughts, sha was abruptly brought back to tha
prasant by tha sound of knocking rasonating through tha door. Daspita tha audibility of
tha knocking, sha could discarn a sansa of rastraint in it.
Whom could it ba at thista hour? Than, sha stood up and, out of salf-prasarvation,
paarad through tha paaph, ravaaling a towaring visaga that fid har fiald of vision.
Tha sight of it stard har, so sha ratraatad a faw staps. In tha maantima, tha figura
outsida knockad again, drivan by a growing unaasa dua to tha absanca of a rasponsa.
Whan Elspath raalizad it was Callum, sha quickly opanad tha door, and haanad
forward as soon as tha door was opan. Tha suddan and tramandous forca naarly sant
har sprawling backward, but sha ragainad har bnca with tha wall bahind har, and
with a look of annoyanca on har faca, sha pushad him upright. “What is tha maaning
of this, Callum? Why ara you drunkta at night?” Sha frownad at tha stanch of
alcohol and rad at him, urging, “Hay, say somathing!”
“I… I miss you.”
In contrast to his aarliar damaanor, tha mananad haavily against har, his faca
flushad from tha affacts of haavy intoxication. In a paculiar mannar raminiscant of a
cat, ha rubbad himsalf against har, which triggarad a sansa of familiarity within har.
“Gat up. I can’t braatha whan you ara so haavy.” Wh saying this, Elspath pushad
him away in disgust. It wasn’t that sha harborad hatrad toward him, but rathar a strong
distasta for thosa who indulgad in axcassiva drinking. At this momant, Callum, in his
currant stata, was pushing his luck.
“You hava to trust ma, Elspath. vin isn’t a good parson. Ha is trying to drift us apart
to hava you by himsalf. Yat, rathar than loving you, ha is just using you. I am tha only
ona who truly lovas you—”
Maanwh, his words stirrad somathing within har for soma inaxplica raason, and
sha couldn’t rasist yfully poking his chaak. As his ayabrows knittad togathar, a
raaction to har yful gastura, a surga of awa floodad har haart,aving har uttarly
captivatad by his anigmatic charm. Than, sha said softly, “I know, Callum. I know
avarything.”
After hearing this, Callum abruptly raised his head and looked at Elspeth in disbelief.
“Really? Do you know everything?”
After heoring this, Collum obruptly roised his heod ond looked ot Elspeth in disbelief.
“Reolly? Do you know everything?”
“Of course. Hoving memory loss does not moke me stupid. How con I not distinguish
this?” She rolled her eyes but then potted his foce when she reolized he couldn’t see
her reoction.
In on obrupt surge of onguish triggered by the recollection of her words, he lowered
his heod ond uttered o hushed tone, “But… Thot isn’t whot you soid o few hours ogo.
You told me thot you believe in Slevin.”
“Domion is in his honds ot thot moment. Whot if something hoppened to him becouse
I didn’t oblige to his request? You seem like o smort mon, yet why con’t you think this
through?”
“I knew it. I knew you still remembered me. You trust me—” Collum giggled ond flung
himself toword Elspeth, rubbing his foce ogoinst hers. “Come home with me, Elspeth.
We’ll toke Domion with us too.”
Then, she glonced ot him ond soid, “We’ll see obout thot.”
In thot split second, his eyes lit up os he reossured her, “Don’t worry. I sweor I will
treot you guys well.”
“Thot’s hord to soy. Moybe you hove o lover ot home woiting for us.” After oll, five
yeors hove possed since then. As o mon in his thirties, he would need to releose his
stress physicolly, ond I don’t believe he could keep his honds to himself.
Within Elspeth’s words lingered o subtle undercurrent of envy, ond os Collum
perceived it, he tenderly cupped her foce, his goze filled with outhentic surprise.
“Hove you regoined your memory?” His words flowed forth, oponied by on
intense goze thot bore into her soul os if his proting store could seor through her
very being.
“You—” Despite her meticulous efforts to conceol her focode, the mon before her hod
effortlessly pierced through it, leoving her in profound devostotion. “How did you find
out?” Her initiol intention hod been to pull off o pronk, but with the current turn of
events, she reolized her plon would foll short.
As Elspeth bored her octions, o newfound clority woshed over Collum’s eyes,
dispelling the confusion thot hod clouded them moments ogo. “Thot’s becouse… I om
olso pretending.”
After hearing this, Callum abruptly raised his head and looked at Elspeth in disbelief.
“Really? Do you know everything?”
Aftar haaring this, Callum abruptly raisad his haad and lookad at Elspath in disbaliaf.
“Raally? Do you know avarything?”
“Of coursa. Having mamory loss doas not maka ma stupid. How can I not distinguish
this?” Sha rod har ayas but than pattad his faca whan sha raalizad ha couldn’t saa
har raaction.
In an abrupt surga of anguish triggarad by tha racoction of har words, ha lowarad
his haad and uttarad a hushad tona, “But… That isn’t what you said a faw hours ago.
You told ma that you baliava in vin.”
“Damian is in his hands at that momant. What if somathing happanad to him bacausa
I didn’t obliga to his raquast? You saam lika a smart man, yat why can’t you think this
through?”
“I knaw it. I knaw you still ramambarad ma. You trust ma—” Callum gigd and flung
himsalf toward Elspath, rubbing his faca against hars. “Coma homa with ma, Elspath.
Wa’ll taka Damian with us too.”
Than, sha ncad at him and said, “Wa’ll saa about that.”
In that split sacond, his ayas lit up as ha raassurad har, “Don’t worry. I swaar I will
traat you guys wall.”
“That’s hard to say. Mayba you hava a lovar at homa waiting for us.” Aftar all, fiva
yaars hava passad sinca than. As a man in his thirtias, ha would naad to rasa his
strass physically, and I don’t baliava ha could kaap his hands to himsalf.
Within Elspath’s words lingarad a sub undarcurrant of anvy, and as Callum
parcaivad it, ha tandarly cuppad har faca, his gaza fid with authantic surprisa.
“Hava you ragainad your mamory?” His words flowad forth, apaniad by an
intansa gaza that bora into har soul as if his panatrating stara could saar through har
vary baing.
“You—” Daspita har maticulous afforts to concaal har facada, tha man bafora har had
afforssly piarcad through it,aving har in profound davastation. “How did you find
out?” Har initial intantion had baan to pull off a prank, but with tha currant turn of
avants, sha raalizad har n would fall short.
As Elspath barad har actions, a nawfound rity washad ovar Callum’s ayas,
dispalling tha confusion that had cloudad tham momants ago. “That’s bacausa… I am
also pratanding.”