Chapter 296


    Following ra closely, Ian''s face was a mask of concern. He rubbed her back gently as they made


    their way to the bathroom. He asked, "What''s wrong, love? Have you been overworking yourself


    lately? Skipping meals? Maybe we should head to the hospital, just to be safe?"


    Hunched over the toilet, ra heaved a few times, but nothing came up. Her eyes were bloodshot


    from the effort. She gave her head a slight shake. "I''m okay. I just need some Pepto-Bismol, and I''ll


    be fine."


    Ian wasn''t convinced. Hisrge hand came to rest on her forehead, feeling for a fever. "I''m calling


    the doctor over. I can''t rx seeing you like this."


    "It''s just an old stomach issue, nothing new. A bowl of hot chicken noodle soup should set me right,"


    ra insisted.


    From the doorway, Casey appeared, drawn by themotion. "ra, what''s all this about? You''re


    not—"


    He almost voiced his suspicion of pregnancy, but the words died in his throat. He knew his


    daughter''s health all too well. There was little chance she''d conceive even after three months with


    Ian, let alone a year. He didn''t want to voice a possibility that might only bring her pain.


    ra emerged from the bathroom with a pale face, forcing a smile for her father''s sake. "Dad, I''m


    really fine."


    "Sweetie, I made your favorite soup. Come have some. Ian, could you grab the bowls and


    utensils?"


    "Sure thing. Let me just help ra get seated first."


    Ian helped ra to the dining chair before heading to the kitchen. He was busy fetching tes,


    ladling soup, and serving with a diligence that made ra feel almost guilty for his fussing.


    After the meal, Ian recounted Reed''s cause of death to Casey, along with the Hayes family''s


    compensation to the Bells and the punishment for Leonora. He looked at Casey with a face full of


    guilt, his voice tinged with an unspoken sorrow. "I''m so sorry for the hurt this has caused you and


    ra. It''s all on me. I promise to do everything in my power to protect you both from now on, but I


    can''t bear the thought of leaving ra. After everything we''ve been through, we''ve finallye


    together. I can''t let her go."


    Casey eyed the normallyposed and proud man sitting before him, humbly apologizing and


    pleading. It twisted his heart. He liked Ian and believed he was the right match for his daughter. Yet,


    with recent events, he feltpelled to reassess their rtionship.


    He sighed deeply. "Reed meant the world to ra. Even if your mother hadn''t provoked him, his


    time was short. But him dying this way... it''s different. ra must be ming herself, thinking Reed


    could have lived longer. Your mother''s words caused him pain in his final moments, and that''s


    probably the hardest thing for ra to bear. Give her time to process this. Your birth mother was the


    perpetrator, Reed was the victim, and he cherished ra. It''s an impossible situation."


    Casey''s words carried weight and sadness. He couldn''t bear to see the young couple part. He also


    knew that if ra left Ian, it would break her heart. Yet, faced with family hurt, retreating was her


    only way to shield them.


    Feeling unwell, ra headed upstairs early, alone. She wasn''t privy to the conversation between


    her father and Ian, but whatever was said, Ian stayedte.


    As she watched his car pull away from the house, tears gathered in ra''s eyes. Memories of her


    and Ian''s happier times shed through her mind. Each memory was a stab of pain, leaving her


    breathless.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    She picked up the calendar from the table and circled the date Ian had proposed and the day they


    nned to get their marriage certificate. Just as she was about to make a note, she realized she''d


    forgotten a very important date.