Chapter 254


    He remembered distinctly that a sketch of a ne was tucked away in his mother''s drawer. It


    was identical in design, from the shape and number of diamonds to everyst detail.


    At the time, he was captivated by the ne, thinking it was stunningly beautiful. He was sure


    that it would look amazing on his little sister''s neck.


    His mother watched him, engrossed, and with a smile, she tousled his hair gently. She said softly,


    "This is a design I made for Aunt May''s little girl, a sort of betrothal gift from you to her. Do you think


    it''s pretty?"


    He felt a bit shy then, but he still nodded with a smile.


    Later, when May met with tragedy, no one spoke of the ne again. Perhaps it was a private


    pact between his mother and May. Others might not have been privy to it.


    So when May sped that ne tightly in her final moments, what was she trying to say?


    Ian felt a choking sensation in his chest, and he abruptly stood up to step out onto the balcony,


    flinging open the window to take deep breaths of the outside air.


    The token of his and ra''s affection was designed by his mother''s own hands. She had been so


    hopeful for their union, so why was she now so adamantly opposed?


    Was she unaware of ra''s background, or had something happened between her and May?


    Ian gripped the ne tightly in his hand, his voice hoarse. "I''ll keep the ne with me for


    now. I''m going to trace its origins—there might be a clue."


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, ra stepped out of the hospital room and made her way to the gynecology


    department. A few days ago, she underwent a check-up here, and today, the results were in.


    Sitting nervously in the doctor''s office, she asked, "Doctor, is there any improvement in my


    condition?"


    The doctor nced at theb report and frowned deeply. "Premature ovarian failure isn''t easily


    remedied. Some patients take medication for years without any effect. You''ve only been on


    treatment for three months. It''s still the same."


    ra bit her lip in disappointment. "Isn''t there anything else that can be done? Or am I never going


    to be able to conceive?"


    "Don''t lose hope," the doctor advised. "The chances may be slim, but as long as there''s a glimmer,


    you can''t give up. However, I must remind you that if you n to marry, you should be upfront with


    your partner. In the case you can''t have children, it could lead toplicationster on."


    The doctor''s words pierced ra like a knife. She had an eighty percent chance of being infertile.


    The remaining twenty percent wasplicated by a retroverted uterus. So, the odds of her being


    able to conceive were almost nil.


    ra walked out of the office, her eyes brimming with tears, clutching theb report as if it were the


    sum of all her bittersweet emotions.


    She had promised Ian she wouldn''t leave him, but what if she couldn''t bear children? What would


    Ian do?


    He was the sole heir to the Hayes family, and Rose dreamt of cradling great-grandchildren. She had


    been so kind to ra. How could ra bear to deceive her?


    As sweet asst night with Ian had been, now her heart tasted just as bitter. She felt life was unfairly


    harsh on her.


    Despite her hard work and kindness, why was she burdened with such a mother, and why must she


    endure all this? Just as she sought to reconcile with Ian and mend what was broken, the issues


    before her seemed insurmountable.


    Lost in thought, ra sat alone on a bench in the hallway. At that moment, Christy, carrying her


    child, and Roger came by. "ra, why are you sitting here all by yourself?" Christy inquired.


    Hearing her name called, ra quickly pulled herself from sorrow. She looked up to see De


    smiling at her. She stood up and waved. "De, have you missed your godmother?"