Chapter 11
I sat in the CEO office, trying to bury myself in work to forget everything, but my mind kept conjuring up images of Lysander looking so heartbroken and wronged.
Frustrated, I slammed the folder shut and headed outside. Just as I walked out of the building, I saw this morning’s guest-Lysander’s mother.
She stood outside the building with bodyguards holding umbrellas to shade her.
When she saw me, she walked over. “Kristine, could we talk?”
I nodded. “Auntie, in this heat, you’re…”
She smiled. “I heard today was your first day as CEO. I figured you’d be busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I could see you from here.”
I pointed to a nearby coffee shop. “Auntie, let’s sit over there and talk.”
We entered the café and took a window seat overlooking the busy street.
She handed me an extremely thick notebook.
When I looked puzzled, she said, “Open it.”
[ flipped to the first page and saw a childhood photo of me with writing underneath.
Today is the first day I met Kristine. She’s so adorable-I love hearing her call me brother.]
Today Kristine got bullied. I beat up the bullies until they were crying for their mommies. I have to protect Kristine forever. Uncle Sterling said Kristine should learn martial arts so she won’t get bullied anymore. I need to get stronger too, so I can always protect her.]
Flipping through, there were many more photos and notes.
There was even a photo from when Doria confessed to me, with the note:
[Kristine has grown up. The first day I returned from abroad, I flew straight to Haicheng to find her, but I was too late-she’d already accepted someone else’s confession. But I won’t give up.]
[I deliberately got close to Kristine’s boyfriend Doria. If he dares hurt Kristine, I’ll be the first to make him pay.]
[I saw Kristine today, but I’m so sad. I deliberately told her my name, but she doesn’t remember me at all… sob sob…]
[Kristine has night blindness and can’t see after dark. That bastard Doria actually abandoned her outside because of a phone call from his white moonlight. He just found some random person to take her home, not even worried about her safety. I had to volunteer to take her home myself.]
[That scumbag Doria has his white moonlight in his heart but still wants to string Kristine along with marriage just because she’s an executive at Sterling Group and can bring him business! I have to make Kristine see his true face.]
There was even a photo of me in a wedding dress with the note: [Kristine looks so beautiful, but that cheap wedding dress doesn’t deserve her. How dare Doria humiliate her like this! Taking advantage of her night blindness, he actually wanted someone else to take his place on their wedding night! I absolutely won’t let anyone hurt Kristine! Kristine’s groom can only be me, will only be me.]
The notebook was thick, filled with photos of me and records of everything Lysander had done in secret.
Tears blurred my vision without me realizing it.
Long-forgotten memories kept flooding back into my mind. I closed the notebook and choked out, “Auntie, where is he?”
“He should be at the place where you two first met.”
I immediately headed for the door. The place we first met-that would be the neighborhood where my grandfather used to live!
I drove with my foot on the gas, feeling like today’s red lights were endless. Finally reaching my grandfather’s old neighborhood, the only difference from my memories was that the roadside trees had grown bigger. I could see Lysander under the shade of the trees from my car.
1 got out and called to his back: “Lysander!”
Lysander turned around, saw me, and froze in surprise.
I ran toward him and threw myself into his arms. He stood there stunned, not knowing what to do.
“Kristine? I’m not… dreaming, am I?”
Looking at his dazed expression, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips. “Not a dream. It’s me, Kristine.”
His pupils contracted. Before he could react, I said again: “Lysander, thank you. You walked ninety-nine steps toward me. Let me take the last step toward you.”
He finally snapped out of it, one arm around my waist, one hand on the back of my head, kissing me passionately until I could barely breathe.
Only then did he release me, holding me tightly again.
“Kristine, I thought you never wanted to see me again.” His voice was choked with emotion.
I patted his back soothingly. “Since you love me this much, let me tell you a secret.”
He loosened his hold on me. I pulled out my pregnancy test results from my bag and handed them to him. He took one look and his eyes lit up with wild joy.
I smiled and said, “Congratulations, Mr. Pierce. You’re going to be a daddy.”
He swept me up by the waist and spun me around several times, drawing stares from passersby.
Lysander and I had a grand wedding. We’ll be happy forever.

Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.

 
	 
 
		 
		 
		 
		 
		