Chapter 49
Looking at the black card in her hand, Emily frowned slightly.
"There's money in this card - it's payment for taking care of me during this time."
William spoke seriously, but Emily shoved the black card back into his hand the next second.
"I can't accept this money. When you gave me the black card before, you already paid me what I deserved. If I take this card now, what does that make me?"
Faced with her refusal, William's brows knitted together. "I don't mean anything by it, I just want to thank you. Besides, this money means nothing to me."
His thin lips pressed together slightly, his face showing he wouldn't take no for an answer.
But Emily just smiled and shook her head, clearly refusing.
"I said before that our relationship is a fair transaction. That being the case, I can't accept this card again. Taking care of you was my own choice, and it's also a kind of fate between us."
Her voice was gentle, but her tone firm.
"Besides, what do you take me for?" At this, she blinked, looking a bit playful.
William's eyes flickered with helplessness. "This card is a gift for you, and I won't take it back later. So you don't need to have any concerns."
He believed Emily's words were sincere, but this card was also something he genuinely wanted to give.
"No need, you should keep it." Emily was well aware of what a black card represented.
The deposit in it was definitely substantial, but she couldn't accept it.
When poor people suddenly became wealthy, the first thing they wanted to do was let themselves go.
Emily considered herself just an ordinary person, and she was no exception. If she really accepted this card and did let herself go, what would happen to her two children in the future?
Her current teaching to her children was that they couldn't just take other people's things.
Practice what she preached - Emily should do the same herself.
Moreover, she had another layer of worry in her heart.
The value of this card was immeasurable, and it was enough for the three of them to live a wealthy and stable life.
Over time, she would unconsciously develop a dependency.
But if that really happened, what if one day William just canceled the card?
A person who had lost their self-worth and only knew how to reach out for money - how would such a person survive in society with two children in the future?
She didn't want to become a parasitic vine that could only depend on others to live, and she didn't want to be someone controlled by money.
Though life before was a bit tiring, she and her two children were still happy.
That was enough.
"Put the card away; it would be a real loss if you lost it." Emily joked with a smile, but her attitude had already made things clear to William.
He sighed softly and took the card back.
Emily smiled at him, said nothing more, and turned to go inside.
But lying on her own soft bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, William's handsome face appeared in her mind.
In the next room, William had also packed up his things.
When he came to this small courtyard, he was unconscious and hadn't brought many belongings. Saying he was packing was really just organizing the things Emily had bought for him during this time.
He lay on the bed, one hand pillowed under his head.
When he was organizing things earlier, apart from feeling sentimental, he didn't feel much else. But now lying here quietly, scenes of his time with Emily kept floating through his mind.
Her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness - every expression was vivid and clear.
In the blink of an eye, dawn broke, and William got straight out of bed.
He took out his phone and called Robert.
"Bring Aiden over." He gave the brief instruction.
Robert on the other end was somewhat puzzled, but agreed immediately.
When Robert went in, he saw "Aiden" still sleeping, so he didn't wake him and just carried him away.
When "Aiden" woke up again, he felt the surroundings looked familiar.
Children sleep a lot - he woke up groggily once, then fell asleep groggily again.
William reached out and touched "Aiden's" cheek.
Looking at this face that was almost identical to Aiden's, he already had some guesses in his mind.
"Give him to me; you wait outside."
Robert handed "Aiden" to William, looked at him deeply, and turned to leave.
William looked at "Aiden," his expression softening a bit.
Without hesitation, he walked gently into the two children's room.
Nina was sleeping sprawled out, having kicked off her blanket.
On the other side, "Oscar" was sleeping properly, his face peaceful.
William switched Aiden and Oscar's positions and picked up Aiden.
Aiden opened his eyes, looking a bit confused.
"Daddy..." He called out softly, then fell back asleep.
William looked at Aiden, then at the sleeping Oscar and Nina, and carried Aiden out the door.
Standing in the courtyard, William looked at Emily's closed door.
He took two steps toward Emily's room, but finally stopped.
Once he left, who knew when he'd have another chance to see Emily.
William took a deep breath and walked to her door, hearing rustling sounds from inside.
She wasn't asleep yet?
The thought flashed by, and William finally stepped back two paces. He looked deeply at the closed door but didn't see her one last time.
"Mr. Brown, it's getting late, we should go." Robert came in again, his expression calm.
"Let's go."
William handed Aiden to Robert and turned to leave the small courtyard.
But he seemed to remember something and returned to the courtyard once more before getting in the car.
In Emily's room, she pressed her lips tightly together, her brows furrowed.
She hadn't slept all night and heard the sounds outside clearly, but she didn't get up.
Going out would mean seeing William.
Their meeting would be a goodbye.
They had already said goodbye yesterday - she didn't want to say it again.
It wasn't until the sounds outside completely disappeared that Emily's eyes flew open.
She went out in her slippers and saw the courtyard was completely quiet.
Wind stirred the fallen leaves, and the morning sun hung on the horizon.
A breeze gently pushed open the door of the room William had stayed in. The bedding on the bed was neatly folded, but there was no longer anyone there.
He really had left.
Emily bit her lip as an unnamed emotion welled up in her heart.
She looked at every corner of the courtyard, and every place seemed to hold memories they had made together.
Emily's gaze finally fell on the stone table in the courtyard - something seemed to be placed on it.
She walked over somewhat puzzled and saw a black card lying quietly on the stone table.
It was the black card William had given her last night, the one she hadn't accepted.
Besides the black card, there were two other cards.
Her hanging hand clenched into a fist, and her eyes reddened slightly.