Chapter 269 Were You Having A Nightmare?

Katherine's POV

Darkness swirled around me as I struggled through my fever-induced nightmare.

I was back in that moment five years ago, my hand resting protectively over my still-flat stomach, watching as Alexander stood beside Sarah.

His cold eyes assessed me without emotion, while Sarah's lips curved into a mocking smile, her gaze dripping with contempt.

"Katherine, how dare you betray me?!"

"Child? Is it really my child? Do you have the guts to swear on your conscience that you're carrying my baby?!"

"Katherine, why? Why did you lie to me?"

"Speak! Fucking answer me!"

"......"

I tried to run after him, but my feet wouldn't move. I screamed his name as he walked away, but no sound came out.

"Alexander!" I finally managed to cry out, my eyes flying open as I jolted upright.

The sterile white walls of a hospital room came into focus. My heart was racing, and I felt the lingering heat of fever on my skin, though not as intense as before. A familiar hand immediately caught mine.

"Katherine, you're awake! Were you having a nightmare?"

Alexander's voice pulled me fully into consciousness. He sat beside my bed, his usually immaculate appearance completely disheveled.

Several days' worth of stubble darkened his jaw, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

He gently squeezed my hand, bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss on my knuckles. "Don't be afraid. I'm right here. Everything will be okay."

I sank back against the pillows as Alexander shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, carefully gathering me into his arms.

The solid warmth of his chest against my cheek grounded me in reality, chasing away the last wisps of the nightmare.

"I'm right here," he whispered, his lips brushing against my temple. "Don't be scared. Everything will be fine."

As my mind cleared, I took in Alexander's appearance more closely. His suit was wrinkled beyond recognition, his hair disheveled from running his fingers through it countless times.

This wasn't the polished, powerful businessman Seattle knew. This was just a man, terrified and exhausted, who'd been keeping vigil at my bedside.

"You've been here the whole time, haven't you?" I asked, my voice raspy from disuse. "Taking care of me?"

He nodded, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "The kids and Kevin are outside too."

I reached up to touch his stubbled cheek. "You're being silly. I know you're worried about me being sick, but your health matters too. Don't forget your concussion hasn't fully healed yet..."

He smiled tiredly, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Your fever has broken, but you still need to rest properly. Are you hungry? I can get you something right away."

I shook my head. "I can't eat anything right now."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, his hand gently stroking my hair. The nightmare still lingered at the edges of my consciousness, making me acutely aware of everything we'd been through.

Yet through the pain, I realized how deeply, truly in love I was with Alexander.

"Alexander, I had a dream just now," I said softly.

His hand paused in my hair. "What did you dream about?"

I swallowed hard. "I dreamed about five years ago, when I'd just found out I was pregnant. But you..."

Pain flashed across his face. "I'm so sorry, Katherine. I'm truly sorry for everything."

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" I said, suddenly agitated, grabbing his arm. My voice trembled with emotion. "Alexander, I just wanted to tell you that I realized how much I love you."

His eyes widened with surprise.

"After having that dream, I've been thinking," I continued, the words tumbling out. "Why haven't we truly started over after everything we've been through? We've already weathered the worst storms, we're back together, so why are we still letting the past hold us hostage?"

I took a deep breath. "Alexander, I understand now. We're actually the same, you and I. If our positions had been reversed, if I'd received intimate photos of you with another woman, I might have reacted even worse than you did. I would've wanted to make you feel the most painful emotions possible, to torture you to your limits."

His grip on my hand tightened as I continued.

"But you didn't do that. You never wanted to give up on me, never wanted to abandon what we had together. There were so many misunderstandings and obstacles between us back then, and we've overcome so much. We've cleared up all those misunderstandings, so why keep dwelling on them?"

Tears filled my eyes, but I was smiling through them. "Alexander, I need to apologize too. I was too stubborn. If I had seen through everything sooner, if I had understood the truth earlier, we wouldn't have suffered so much pain. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Alexander's composure cracked. Tears spilled down his cheeks as his hands trembled, pulling me tightly against his chest.

"Katherine," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "When you suddenly got sick, I was terrified. I kept thinking, what if something happened to you? I wouldn't want to live anymore."

"But then I realized," he continued shakily, "if we were both gone, what would happen to our children? Without you, they would never forgive me. I wouldn't forgive myself, and you wouldn't forgive me either..."

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears. "Listen to yourself. What are you even saying?"

"I just mean," he said earnestly, "that if I reached the end of my life and you still hadn't forgiven me, I couldn't face myself. I wouldn't even be able to face you after death."

I smiled, wiping away a tear from his cheek. "Alexander, I forgave you long ago. Or maybe I should never have blamed you in the first place."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really," I nodded. "Before, my thoughts were jumbled. I couldn't sort through my feelings properly. But now, I finally understand. I just want to be with you and our children, never to be separated again."

I sighed, resting my forehead against his. "I was selfish too. Even though I completely understand your insecurities and fears, I still couldn't help blaming you, wondering why you couldn't trust me more back then. But I know it was because you loved me, because of jealousy, because you lacked security, right?"

Alexander nodded, relief washing over his features. "Yes. I was wrong too. I should have trusted you, should never have questioned your every word. You were the one who was hurt, yet I still blamed you..."

I cupped his face in my hands. "Enough. Let's stop blaming each other."

My thumbs traced the dark circles under his eyes. "Alexander, I promise you, in this lifetime, you'll be the only man for me. I chose you, and I will always be faithful to you, cherish you, love you, and protect our home."

He covered my hands with his own, gazing deeply into my eyes. "And I promise you, from now on, I'll never doubt anything about you again. I won't stubbornly try to keep you by my side. I'll be faithful to you, protect you, and give you all my love."

We held each other tightly, and when our lips met, it felt like the first time all over again. All those knots that had tangled our hearts for years finally unraveled, transforming into the red thread that bound us together.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close. Our kiss deepened with raw emotion, our tongues meeting in a gentle dance as tears spilled down both our cheeks, leaving a salty taste on our lips. His hands cupped my face with such tenderness, like he was holding something irreplaceable—as if I were his entire world.

We were so lost in each other that neither of us heard the door open. It wasn't until Kevin's voice shattered the moment that we broke apart.

"Katherine—oh my God!"