Chapter 161 161

Chapter 161 161
Chapter 161

…

Winter was beginning to fade. The wind that once felt biting cold had turned gentle, plants were growing green again, and flowers were starting to bloom.

Right now, Ana and Alexander were in the car. Ana was wearing a pale yellow casual dress with floral patterns, making her look bright and fresh.

She sat quietly with her hands folded on her lap, gazing at the road. She didn’t know where Alexander was taking her, but simply being beside him like this already made her happy.

“Hmmm…” Alexander glanced at his lover, his gaze always softening when he looked at Ana’s beauty.

After a fairly long drive, they finally arrived. Alexander held Ana’s hand and led her into a mansion and the remains of a building that had once burned down.

Ana’s eyes widened. Over the ruins of the burned building, many flowering plants had grown, as if showing that the darkness and bitterness that once happened there had found peace and bloomed again.

“Hm…” Alexander stood in front of the vast yard of his family’s residence. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the gentle breeze brush against his hair, then smiled faintly.
“I’m home, Dad… Mom… Anya…” he whispered softly, as if the breeze itself was welcoming him.

“Hm? Where are we?” Ana asked, confused, tilting her head as she studied Alexander’s relieved expression.

Alexander opened his eyes, his deep blue gaze resting on the woman who looked at him so adorably.

“Baby, do you remember? I once promised I would bring you to my family’s place…”

“This is it. Come with me.”

He didn’t let go of her hand. When he said that, Ana’s chest trembled for some reason.

The atmosphere turned solemn. Ana followed his steps quietly, as if she was sinking into the bitterness in Alexander’s heart — bitterness he was about to release.

Until they stopped.

On the hillside behind the Kingston family residence stood several gravestones, well maintained — Freddie had always assigned someone to take care of them.

“Abraham Kingston…”
“Maria Selene…”
“Anya Kingston…”

The names engraved there belonged to Alexander’s parents and his younger sister.

“Dad… Mom… Anya…” Alexander’s voice trembled. His breathing grew heavy, and his grip on Ana’s hand tightened.

“I’m home. I’m sorry I didn’t come back for years. At that time, I felt I didn’t deserve to — I survived alone…”

“But now I truly have to let go of all my revenge and hatred. I have to accept everything that happen, so I can move forward with my life…”

“Now, I want to protect someone. I want to become the best man for her. I don’t want my deeply rooted hatred to hurt her one day…”

“So I’ve come back to let everything go — all the wounds and pain I’ve buried. And I believe that Dad… Mom… Anya… and my unborn little sister…”
He pressed his lips together, unable to continue for a moment.

The wind seemed to blow stronger, as if responding to the confession in his heart.

Ana, hearing his words, couldn’t hold back her emotions. She squeezed his hand tightly and kissed it, staying silent so she wouldn’t interrupt him.

Alexander smiled faintly and continued.

“I believe you’re all happy there. And you wouldn’t want me to live in hatred and darkness forever. So today, I’m letting go of all my anger and accepting your departure.”

“I’ve cleared your name, Dad. You must be proud of me, right?”
“I’ve also found the woman I love so much, Mom — and I will love her forever.”
“And for my little sister, Anya… if there’s a second life, I want you to be my little sister again. I’ll play with you and never ignore you.”

His words were deep — a farewell not only to his family, but to his hatred.

Alexander fell silent for a few moments, closing his eyes. His heart felt lighter than it had in years.

After several minutes...

“Baby…”

He smiled at Ana, who was pressing her lips together, holding back tears.

“Hm?” Ana blinked repeatedly, trying to stop her tears, but they still fell.

“Pfftt…”

“Are you crying because of me?” Alexander whispered, wiping her tears as she began to sob softly.

“Mmm…” Ana nodded.

“I promise, for the rest of your life, you will never be lonely again. I’ll stay by your side and never make you regret loving me…”

“Let’s have many children so our family will be lively… Hmmm…” she said between sobs.

Alexander chuckled softly, wiping her tears and kissing her forehead.

“You said that, baby. You’d better prepare yourself. Having children means working hard in bed…”

“I’ll collect every night,” he whispered mischievously.

Ana froze, swallowing hard, her eyes widening.

Alexander couldn’t help but feel amused by her expression.

Before returning to the city, Alexander brought Ana to another grave.

“Camelia Anastasya…”

Anastasya’s biological mother — whose tragic story had ended in the flames of the fire long ago.

Before the fire, Camelia had asked her older sister and her sister’s husband to escape with baby Anastasya, because she believed Morgan would come to kill her newborn daughter.

As a mother who once resented her pregnancy, that was the only thing she could do for her child.

But no one expected that decision would save Anastasya from the devastating fire decades ago.

Ana already knew the truth. Alexander had told her about her origins, and the diary she once read had belonged to her biological mother.

Ana stood quietly in front of the grave. Her heart beat fast, yet she felt no hatred. As a fellow woman, she only felt sorrow for Camelia.

“Hm, speak, baby. I know you want to say something,” Alexander said gently.

Ana clenched her hands.

“I already know everything — that you are my biological mother. I just want to say that I don’t hate you at all. As a fellow woman, my heart aches for you…”

“I grew up well. Even though my childhood wasn’t smooth, my dad raised me with so much love, and I still consider him my true parent…”

“Now I’m an adult, and I believe you are at peace there. Thank you for giving birth to me even though you were suffering…”

“And thank you for naming me Anastasya — your name of luck…”

“I will live happily now, and I hope you are happy there too.”

Ana spoke firmly. She smiled, finally at peace.

Just like Alexander, Ana wanted to begin her life with a calm heart — without hatred or pain.

“Hmmm…” Alexander smiled and held her hand again. It was time to go home.

As they walked, memories long forgotten passed through Alexander’s mind — childhood laughter, moments of pure happiness in this mansion.

Alexander had truly made peace with his heart.

And now, what he remembered was no longer only the tragedy of the fire, but also the happy memories with his family and friends.

…