Inside the luxurious black limousine, there was a tall, handsome man and a petite woman. Although she was pregnant, her belly was not as big as one would have been seven months into pregnancy.
At this time, the man's eyes were full of affection. He placed his palm on the woman's belly and grinned foolishly. "He moved again!"
Danielle Howell glared at him, and huffed as she turned away from him. He was like this three months ago, but still reacted the same way whenever he caressed her belly. Danielle acted as if she found his reaction irritating, but her eyes were filled with joy, a grin plastered across her face.
"Don't be silly. Hurry up and drive. We have the check-up today!"
The man reluctantly withdrew his hand, pouting pitifully.
Danielle had goosebumps all over her body, and her fingers were trembling as she pointed at him. "You..." Why was he making such an expression again? It had been three months, yet she was still not used to his expressions. At the time, she had been so distant towards him and yet... She had no one to blame but herself.
She shot a glare at the man. "Drive!"
"Yes, my wife!"
Her poker face faltered, and her laughter reverberated through the limousine.
The man's lips curled into a happy smile.
"Euan, what do you think the baby will look like? I hear that babies are ugly when born," Danielle mumbled worriedly.
"Our baby won't be!" The expectant father immediately protected his unborn son's dignity.
"Of course I'd want that too but..." She rubbed her chin with her slender fingers. Her baby's father was attractive; she was sure his genes would do its magic!
"No buts!" Her husband quipped. "The baby will definitely look like you."
"No, he's a boy. He should look like you!" She retorted.
Euan surrendered with a smirk. "All right, let's hope he'll grow to be as handsome as I am!"
Danielle chuckled, immersed in her fantasy. She knew that her precious baby would not be as ugly as other expectant mothers had claimed about their own. Their baby would definitely grow into a handsome man, wanted by all ladies.
The view outside the car window rushed past them. When Danielle noticed the snack stall by the roadside, she immediately felt her stomach rumble. "Euan, I'm hungry. I want something from that stall."
Euan frowned and saw through her tricks at a glance. "The food there isn't the most hygienic."
"Preposterous!" She narrowed her eyes at him fiercely. "I haven't had snacks like that in a long while. Just this once, please?"
There was nothing he could do. She knew that he could not resist her coquetry.
"Honey, you're the best!" She gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
A grin appeared on Euan's face, but in the next second, his foot jutted on the brake. His jubilant expression turned gloomy.
Danielle leaned against the window and drooled as she stared at the roadside snacks. However, when they drove past it, she felt betrayed. "You went back on your word!"
Euan sighed deeply and assured her, "Don't you need to be on time for the check-up? I'll bring you here after the check-up, okay?"
She pouted and pondered for a moment. "Right, I guess the baby is the most important thing."
After a while, she leaned back into the seat and fell asleep.
Euan stared at her and at her belly. A hint of tenderness flashed across his black orbs, and soon, it turned into weariness. He would not allow Danielle and his son to get hurt.
However, things did not go according to his wishes. How could those people let him go?
He watched helplessly as the large truck headed toward them from the opposite direction. His conflicting feelings made him reluctant to keep his foot on the brake. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Danielle was about to wake up from her nap. Sweat was dripping from the sides of his forehead, but his voice was soft as he comforted her, "Danielle, keep your eyes shut. Sleep for a while longer."
Danielle's vision was blurry, but her sixth sense informed her something was amiss. Her eyes opened, and she caught sight of a truck heading toward them. She covered her belly out of instinct. "Euan?"
"Don't be afraid. You and the child will be fine."
As soon as he reassured her, the two cars collided with a deafening bang. Euan quickly threw himself over the woman to protect her and the child.
The limousine crashed into the ground after flipping a few times across the road. It skidded against the gravel, spitting sparks as it did before erupting into flames. Thick smoke billowed into air. The truck that had caused the accident disappeared from sight.
In the crushed car, Euan could not care less about his burned, injured back. He was anxious and distressed. When his vision came to, his eyes widened with sorrow. His voice trembled as he cried out, "Danielle... wake up, please... Open your eyes!" He patted her face hard and yelled, "You can't fall asleep. Do you hear me? Wake up!"
Danielle slowly opened her eyes. Her lips had turned pale, which was in stark contrast with the oozing blood from her body.
"The child... Our child!"
"I know, I know. Don't talk!"
A tear fell on her wound.
It was painful, but her heart ached even more, and it felt as if it was shattering into pieces.
She reached out to touch him, but she had no strength left in her arm. They hung weakly on her sides. "I..."
"Don't say anything!" It was the first time he had raised his voice against her. His terrified eyes were full of grief. "You'll be fine... You'll be fine. You won't die. Do you hear me?"
A tear rolled from the corner of her eye. She tried her best to raise the corners of her mouth into a smile. "You..." Before she could finish her words, she passed out in pain.
"No!" A shrill scream echoed through the calamity.
......
......
They were rushed to the hospital. After a few hours, the doctor pushed the door open and walked out. The nurse behind him held the newborn baby and asked, "Who is the patient's family?"
There was a streak of dried bloodstain on Euan's forehead, and his whole body was battered up. He stepped forward and uttered drily but with hope nonetheless, "I am."
"My condolences. The mother had lost all vital signs upon arrival and could not give birth to the baby naturally. I performed a caesarean surgery on her to deliver the baby."
"Lost all vital signs?" There was a loud ring in his ears, and he could not hear the doctor's words any longer.
This was impossible. Danielle was fine. How could she lose all vital signs? They must be lying. They must be!
How could Danielle leave him? They must be lying to him; they were trying to separate him from Danielle.
His body turned stiff, and his eyes were dull. He kept muttering to himself absent-mindedly.
Immediately, he grabbed the doctor's collar, and his gaze was fierce. "No, no! You must be lying. Danielle's fine. Everything's okay. She promised me that she would grow old with me. How could this be possible... I don't believe it!"
The doctor's expression was stern and indifferent. "My condolences."
A miserable scream echoed through the corridor. His baby was seven-month-old, and yet, he did not cry when he was born. But his loud cries were finally heard along with his father's heartbreaking howl.
The passing doctors and nurses saw how devastated Euan was. They could not help but shake their heads as they looked at the tall, handsome man. Tragedy must have struck again.
This was a scene not out of the ordinary at the hospital, so they were all used to it.
Not far away, a man with an evil look and an amorous gaze hurried over. He first snatched the child from the nurse's hand and held it in his arms. "Euan, don't..."
Before he could say anything else to comfort him, Euan looked up as if he had just crawled out of hell, terrifying everyone else. It was just a woman... was she that important to him? It was as if Euan had lost his soul.
......
Three days later, everyone in Country H was in a state of shock. A family with a history of a hundred years was destroyed overnight. A handsome man, with injuries all over his body, was lying in a coma on the hospital bed. Only his weak breathing proved that he was still alive.
He suddenly opened his eyes and scanned the room sharply.
"Euan, you're awake!" A man gasped in surprise, holding a baby in his arms.
Euan's eyes were lifeless; he could not utter a single word.
The unknown man assumed that Euan was still devastated, so he tried to persuade him out of his grief, "Euan, she's no longer her, but you have to keep going!"
Euan narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about? Who are you talking about?"
The man was stunned and his eyes widened. "Euan, you don't... you don't remember anything?"
"Remember what?" Euan glanced at him coldly, lifted the quilt, and got out of bed. "Bring me a set of clothes!"
The stranger was shocked to see Euan get out of bed. "You haven't recovered yet. You need more rest!"
"I'm fine!" Euan did not care about his condition at all. It was as if he had lost his sense of pain.
At this time, the baby suddenly burst into tears, attracting the attention of the two men.
The man next to Euan's bed rolled his eyes and forced the baby into Euan's arms. "This is your son!"
The handsome Euan took the baby into his arms in a daze. When did he have a child? However, when he scrutinized the baby's eyes and brows that were similar to his, he felt warmth spreading through his heart. His eyes became gloomy when he looked at the man. "Who gave birth to the baby?" He could not believe that a woman had given birth to his child.
"I don't know!" The man spread out his hands. Euan knew nothing about that woman, nor did he know her name or appearance. Euan tried to urge his memories to return, but his mind was blank.
He frowned and strode away with the child in his arms.
When the man saw Euan leave, he quickly grabbed the president of the hospital's sleeve and asked coldly, "What's wrong with Euan?"
"He... He..." The president's legs trembled; he was so fearful that he did not dare to speak any more.
"Say it. Quickly!" He grabbed the president's collar.
"The incident scarred him greatly and his memories seem to have been repressed..."
The man was stunned and loosened his grip. "When will he recover?"
"I don't know. Tomorrow, maybe. Perhaps in a few years, or..."
"A lifetime?" The man muttered. "Forget it. It's good that he can't remember anything about the incident." Euan should not allow a dead woman to steer his life, but what the man did not expect was that Euan, who was always heartless, would fall in love with a woman who had been engraved so deeply into his heart.
......
Three years passed, and it was the month of June in City A, Country C.
It was eight in the evening in City A.
After finishing a call, Danielle came out of the convenience store. She stared at the starry sky, tightened her grip over her phone, and hesitated for a moment. Finally, she sighed and dialed a number.
......
A automated voice sounded through the speaker, indicating that the call went unanswered.
Danielle frowned, looking depressed. The wedding was about to begin, but Louie Ferguson had been missing for three months and could not be contacted. It was impossible that there would only be a bride at the wedding. After thinking for a while, she decided to make a last call. If no one answered, then she would forget it for the day, and she would continue the next day.
Unexpectedly, the call went through.
Danielle heaved a sigh of relief. She no longer had to worry about being a lone bride. "Louie, you've finally picked up the phone." Her sweet voice was filled with obvious joy.
Unfortunately, the person on the other end of the phone was full of impatience. "What's the matter?"
Danielle stuttered, "I... The wedding's coming up soon... When will you be back?"
"I just wanted to ask where you've been these days. I couldn't get in touch with you, so I'm a little worried."
"You don't have to worry." The man's tone silenced her. "If there's anything urgent, hurry and say it. I have other important things to attend to."
Danielle squeezed her fingers and mumbled, "Well, don't, don't hang up..." It was not easy to get him to pick up the phone. If she did not ask right away, she would regret it later.
"Out with it."
"Oh, I just wanted to ask you, when will you..."
Before she could finish her words, she heard another voice coming from the phone. "Ooh... Oh..."
The woman's low voice caused Danielle's words to hitch in her throat before she started choking uncontrollably.
Danielle gulped. "I think I heard something... What's going on?"
"You heard wrong. Tell me what you wanted to say." The man was extremely irritable.
Danielle was in a trance. "No..."
Suddenly, the man hung up the phone. He did not even have the patience to listen to whatever she had to say.
As Danielle stared at the darkened screen of her phone, she forced a smile and shoved her insecurities from the phone call aside. However, her breathing started to pick up.
That... That was an inexplicably familiar voice. Danielle did not want to even think about it. She was grief-stricken and did not notice the traffic light.
In front of her, a black luxury car suddenly rushed over from the road junction. She instinctively raised her head and was so shocked that she could not react in time.
The tires skidded against the ground and barely stopped right in front of her.
Danielle fell to the ground, still in a state of shock.
"What happened?" Euan frowned and panicked.
"Someone appeared in front of us," the driver explained.
"Go and have a look. Offer her compensation," Euan said coldly as he rolled his eyes. His perfect face indicated that he could care less about what had happened.
"Yes, Mr. Smith."
The driver opened the door and walked up to Danielle.
"Miss, are you all right?"
"Oh, I'm fine..." Danielle replied reflexively, but she was still sitting on the ground, clearly terrified out of her mind.
The driver thought that she had been hit by the car, so he took out a sum of money and handed it over to her. "This is for your medical expenses. Why don't you get your injuries looked at at the hospital?"
The stack of bills brought her back to reality. There was a trace of helplessness in her eyes. The man in front of her seemed so kind-hearted, but why was he offering her cash as if she had done this on purpose? She got up and patted the dust off her pants. "Do I look like a blackmailer?"
The driver smiled. "I don't mean anything else with the money. After all, the car almost hit you. This is what my boss wants. Take it and do a medical check-up."
Danielle looked at the thick chunk of cash. She did not expect to be handed so much money this casually. No matter how rich a person was, this was way over the top!
Danielle looked as if she did not want to accept the money and kept reaching out her hand to stop him. She had to get out of this stalemate.
After thinking for a moment, the man took it helplessly and said, "Fine, I'll hold onto the money first. You can settle this matter with my boss."
With that, Danielle took the money. Before the man could say anything more, she quickly limped to the car, her ankle slightly sprained.
She knocked on the window and waited for someone in the car to respond. However, the window was still shut. Danielle scoffed. "Is he pretending to not hear me?"
Though she had little of everything else, what she did have was a bad temper. Upon realizing that the person was refusing to wind the window down, she kept on knocking.
The man in the car finally gave in. "What's wrong? Is the money not enough for you?" Although the woman in front of him had delicate facial features, he barely had the patience for a greedy woman.
Danielle was speechless. She stuffed the money into the man's hands. "Hey, I'm not injured, so I'll return the money to you. Also, just because you're handsome, it doesn't give you a pass to act so arrogantly." After that, she turned around and limped away.
The man was slightly stunned. No one had ever dared to speak to him like this before. He narrowed his domineering eyes at her figure that was gradually getting further and further away. He smirked as he kept his gaze on her.
The driver stood by the side of the road quietly. Suddenly, he heard the rare laughter of his boss, which shocked him so much that he started sweating profusely.
"Okay, let's go," the man said quietly. That woman was not worth his attention. However, there was a subtle strange, piercing ache that was manifesting from the bottom of his heart. She had only appeared in front of him for less than a minute, so why was he feeling this way?
