Chapter 179: A New Life Begins

Chapter 180: Leave Everything to Fate

Sean also spoke gently, "Keira, you and the kids are safe here. Rest well and take care of yourself first. As for everything else, we can figure it out slowly later."

Keira nodded, "Thank you both. Having you here makes me feel at ease."

Just then, her phone on the side rang.

The name "Jessica" flashed on the screen.

Keira picked up her phone, "I'll take this call, it's Jessica."

She got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, answering the call.

"Jessica?"

"Keira! You've arrived in Westerland, right? Is everything okay?" Jessica's concerned voice came through.

"Yes, we're here. Ella is much better. How are things on your end?" Keira asked, her voice unconsciously softening.

"I'm fine, just busy with work." Jessica's tone was relaxed, but soon she changed the subject,

"The baby in your belly—what are you planning to do? If you wait much longer, it'll be harder to make a decision."

On this end of the phone, there was a brief silence.

The laughter from the dining area seemed to be shut out,

Outside the window was Westerland's peaceful night.

Keira's hand unconsciously moved to her lower abdomen, "I've decided. I'm getting an abortion."

As the words fell, both ends of the phone sank into deeper silence.

Jessica let out a heavy sigh on the other end, her voice full of heartache and helplessness,

"Keira, are you sure about this? This is a life, after all. But if you've decided, I support you."

After hanging up, Keira stood there, looking at the pitch-black night sky outside, feeling inexplicably unsettled.

In the living room, the aroma of food and the children's laughter drifted over faintly.

It formed a stark contrast with the melancholy in her heart at this moment.

She slowly walked back to the dining table.

Apollo was looking up at her with his little face, "Mommy, whose call was it?"

"It was Jessica, asking if Ella was feeling better." Keira forced a smile, touched Apollo's head, and sat back down.

Sean keenly noticed the fleeting darkness in her eyes after she finished the call.

He didn't ask questions, just silently put some vegetables in her bowl, saying gently, "Eat more vegetables."

Keira nodded, lowered her head, and quietly ate the food in her bowl.

No matter what, this child absolutely could not be kept.

She told Sean about this, and he immediately arranged surgery for her.

The next day, the two went to the hospital.

The doctor doing her pre-surgery examination was a woman who looked gentle and capable, named Elise Sinclair.

However, fate's coincidences can sometimes be so ironic.

Elise happened to be a friend of a friend of Aiden's, and she recognized Keira the moment she saw her.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally walked to a corner and dialed Aiden's number, "Aiden, your wife is here getting an abortion. What's going on with you two?"

On the other end of the phone was deathly silence.

Aiden held his phone, as if he had turned into a statue.

His ears were buzzing, and every word Elise said hit his eardrums hard.

Keira was preparing to get an abortion!

In other words, the child must be his—otherwise, why would she abort it?

His vision went dark, and he could barely hold onto his phone.

His heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand, the pain making it impossible to breathe.

He wanted to fly over immediately and stop her at all costs!

Wanted to tell her to keep the child, and he would agree to anything.

He could give her everything, as long as she kept their child.

But,

Just as that violent impulse was about to burst from his throat,

The image of her straight back as she left suddenly flashed through his mind.

He suddenly closed his eyes, all his muscles tensed, as if enduring some kind of torture.

What right did he have? What position was he in?

After a long while,

Aiden slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with desolation and defeat.

He heard his own voice, hoarse beyond measure, each word seeming to be squeezed from a bleeding throat,

"Elise, do me a favor."

"Go ahead."

"Make sure the surgery is done by the best doctor, and minimize her pain as much as possible."

Elise fell silent on the other end.

Several seconds later, she said, "Are you sure? This is your child, after all."

"I'm sure." Aiden interrupted, "That's it."

After saying this, as if all his strength was exhausted, he hung up without waiting for Elise's response.

He threw his phone on the desk and slumped into his chair.

His child.

A child whose gender he might never know.

Just like that, about to disappear from this world.

This was probably the cruelest retribution for all his past obsession and harm.

But he had no choice.

...

In the operating room, everything was ready.

Keira took one last look at the pale ceiling and closed her eyes.

Before her consciousness sank into darkness, she seemed to feel cool moisture sliding from the corner of her eye, but soon, she knew nothing.

The surgery went smoothly. She didn't feel much pain.

Over an hour later, she was wheeled out of the operating room and sent to the observation room.

Sean immediately went up to her, looking at her pale, sleeping face, his eyes full of heartache.

The nurse told him in a low voice that the surgery was successful and Keira's condition was stable.

She could go home after waking from anesthesia and being observed for a while.

The observation room was very quiet, with only the regular sounds of the equipment.

Keira slept under the influence of medication, her brow slightly furrowed, as if she couldn't find peace even in her dreams.

Sean sat by the bed, gently holding her cool hand, his gaze tender and full of pity.

A few hours later, Keira slowly woke up.

After the anesthesia wore off, real physical pain and weakness hit her, with clear pulling pains like a sinking feeling coming from her lower abdomen.

She opened her eyes, saw Sean's concerned face, and felt warmth in her heart.

"You're awake. How do you feel? Does it still hurt?" Sean quickly asked.

Keira shook her head, her voice weak, "I'm okay, it hurts a bit, but I can bear it."

She paused, looking at the ceiling with somewhat empty eyes, and asked softly, "Is it over?"

Sean understood what she was asking and held her hand tighter,

"It's all over. The doctor said it went smoothly. Keira, don't think about it anymore; it's all in the past. Take care of yourself, things will get better."

Keira didn't answer, just slowly closed her eyes.

From now on, she and Aiden were truly even and truly had nothing more to do with each other.

Several days had passed since the surgery, and under Sean's attentive care, Keira's body was recovering faster than expected.

At night, Ella and Apollo slept with her.

Ella suddenly moved in her arms, lifted her fuzzy little head, and asked quietly, "Mommy, are you asleep?"

"Not yet, Ella. What's wrong?" Keira responded softly.

On the other side, Apollo also opened his eyes.

He looked at Ella, then looked up at Keira, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, asked,

"Mommy, will it really just be the three of us from now on?"

Keira's heart trembled slightly.

She knew that although Ella and Apollo were young, having experienced so many changes, from home to abroad, they must have many questions and insecurities in their hearts.

"It won't be just the three of us." She comforted them gently, "There's still Luke, Jessica, and Sean. We're a family."

Ella bit her lip, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation,

"Will Mr. O'Neill become our daddy?"

Ella's words made Apollo beside her nod vigorously, with the same hope in his eyes.

Keira was stunned.

She hadn't expected the children to ask so directly.

Even more unexpected was that their acceptance and affection for Sean had grown so deep that they hoped he could become their "daddy."

Sean was indeed impeccable.

But she wasn't worthy of him.

If she didn't have so much complicated past in her heart, perhaps she really would consider giving Ella and Apollo a complete family.

"Mommy, do you like Mr. O'Neill?" Apollo asked, seeing she didn't answer.

Did she like Sean?

Keira asked herself. Gratitude was without question.

But like? That kind of heartbeat acceleration, mixed with sweetness and bitterness between a man and woman?

Another face unconsciously flashed through her mind.

She knew she didn't have romantic love for Sean.

"Mommy?" Seeing her silence for so long, Ella gently shook her arm.

Keira came back to her senses, looked into the children's eyes, and felt a wave of guilt.

She couldn't deceive them, nor could she deceive herself.

She sighed softly and hugged Ella and Apollo tighter.

"Let's not think about this for now, okay? Let's just live well and be happy.

As for what happens later, we'll leave it to later, leave it to fate, okay?"

Regarding the future, regarding feelings, she had neither the strength nor the intention to force or plan.

She just wanted to protect Ella and Apollo and live each day well.

As for everything else, let nature take its course.