Chapter 197 If She Couldn't Conceive, Extract His Bone Marrow
At night, Grace drove Oliver back.
He was crashing at the apartment where Grace used to live. The spot was prime, and the place had everything, but it was just a temporary setup.
In the dim night, the car pulled up below the apartment building. Oliver had an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. He gently took Grace's hand.
Even after six years apart, even though Grace was now a mom, their feelings hadn't changed. To Oliver, Grace was still the little girl who used to tag along with him.
"Oliver!" Grace called out softly.
Right now, it was just the two of them, and they could spill all their secrets, even the ones about Henry and Dylan.
Oliver stared ahead, his face blank. "Back then, Dad bought a company without thinking, which led to its bankruptcy. The owner, drowning in debt, jumped off a building, and his kids ended up homeless. Dad felt guilty and secretly supported the siblings. Later, the brother became a top lawyer in the country!"
Grace was floored. "It's Dylan!"
Oliver lowered his head and took the cigarette from his lips, his fingers shaking.
History had a funny way of repeating itself. He and Grace were also leaning on each other now.
After a bit, he turned to look at Grace. "Even though I've been locked up all these years, I never stopped digging for the truth. Recently, Henry got solid info that Dad's secretary back then was actually Dylan's assistant!"
Grace leaned back in her seat, struggling to wrap her head around it.
The person who wrecked the Windsor family was Dylan, the very guy Grace had trusted all these years.
Every time he went on a business trip to Vesper City, he'd bring toys for Taylor. He even invited her for coffee when she got back from Vesper City.
In her heart, Dylan was a friend.
Grace's world was falling apart. She leaned on Oliver's shoulder like she did when she was a kid and murmured, "I once thought my love for Henry would last forever, but it turned out to be a joke. And I thought Dylan was straight-up and trustworthy, but he was the one who wrecked the Windsor family! Oliver, what's real?"
"I don't know!" Oliver whispered softly, "Grace, I don't know what's real, but I know that what you hold in your hand is real! The one who gives the most loses!"
Grace didn't say anything more. She leaned on Oliver's shoulder, silently crying. Today was her birthday, the day she reunited with Oliver, but so much had happened over the years. Their reunion was a whirlwind of emotions.
They chatted for ages, almost till nine. Oliver gave Grace a gentle pat and said, "The kid's still at Tranquil Heights. Head back early, and we'll catch up another time."
Grace didn't want to leave. She called out, tears in her eyes.
Oliver felt a stab of sorrow. He wanted to be with her too, but life had thrown too many curveballs their way.
Finally, he hugged her and said in a low voice, "Take care of the kid. Leave Dylan to me!"
With that, Oliver got out of the car.
The night wind blew, sending a chill through Grace. She sensed something and quickly followed him out of the car. She clung to the car door and called out again, "Oliver!"
Oliver paused and slowly turned around, his eyes full of mixed emotions.
The night wind was harsh. Oliver looked at Grace, the girl he had always cared for. There were some dark matters he didn't want her tangled up in, so he left her with Henry.
Grace got back into the car. She didn't head home right away but sat quietly, processing everything that had happened.
Late at night, just as she was about to leave, a familiar figure appeared in front of her car. It was Dylan, the guy they'd been talking about.
Even this late, Dylan was dressed to the nines, looking every bit the gentleman.
Through the car window, Dylan quietly watched Grace. At that moment, he dropped his act. Their eyes met, and there was an unspoken understanding.
Grace stared into his eyes, a hint of tears in her own.
Then, she hit the gas.
Dylan didn't move. He watched as the white sports car sped towards him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
No one knew the struggles Dylan had endured over the years. He had developed feelings for Grace, a married woman.
Many times, he could have completely destroyed the Windsor family, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Because he had fallen for Grace, a woman he shouldn't have loved.
Dylan made a rookie mistake. After Nathan's death, he should have disappeared from Grace's life, but he didn't.
With a screech of brakes, the car stopped!
Grace sat inside, her slender fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. Her whole body trembled, her legs weak. She stared at Dylan in front of the car, her eyes filled with nothing but unfamiliarity.
At that moment, she realized Dylan's feelings.
But for Grace, there was nothing but hatred for Dylan.
Grace returned to Tranquil Heights, and it was almost ten.
Clara, worried, was still waiting for her. Seeing her return safely, she said softly, "Taylor wouldn't go to sleep. Henry is upstairs trying to soothe her. You should go check on them."
Grace nodded. As she headed upstairs, she hesitated but decided not to tell Clara about Dylan for now, not wanting to upset her.
She went upstairs and pushed open the door to the master bedroom.
In the living room, the light was a warm yellow.
Henry was leaning on the sofa, and Taylor, freshly bathed and wearing a white towel robe, was lying obediently in Henry's arms.
Henry was drying her hair while telling her a story. He was handsome and gentle, and Taylor adored him.
When Grace came in, Taylor was already drowsy. Henry gestured for her not to disturb Taylor, so Grace quietly sat down beside him.
Taylor lifted her eyelids slightly, softly called out "Mommy," and then fell asleep.
Henry continued to dry Taylor's hair, gently patting her. Finally, he carried Taylor to the bed, looking at her with eyes softer than the night sky.
Once Taylor was sound asleep, Henry leaned over to turn off the light, leaving only a reading lamp on.
He walked back to the living room. Today was Grace's birthday, but it wasn't until the night had quieted down that he could be alone with her.
Grace was still sitting there, lost in thought. Henry guessed what was on her mind. He sat beside her and asked softly, "Is it because of Dylan?"
Grace looked up and unexpectedly saw the wound on the corner of his mouth.
She didn't ask, knowing it was from a fight with Oliver.
She didn't talk to him about Dylan either. She only said she was tired and wanted to take a bath and go to bed. As she got up, Henry caught her hand, his voice low and gentle. "No more sharing your thoughts? Grace, you used to love telling me everything."
Grace felt a pang in her heart.
Henry pulled her closer. She stood while he sat, his face buried in her abdomen. He hugged her quietly, his posture humble.
Grace felt bad too. She lowered her head, her slender fingers gently running through his hair, her voice tight. "Henry, we are just temporary spouses! We can take care of the child together, we can even be intimate, but the broken feelings can't be pieced back together. This morning you gave me a ring, I know what you mean, but Henry, I don't want to lie to you. Up until now, my thoughts haven't changed. I will still leave!"
Henry had waited all day, only to be rejected.
He felt disappointed but didn't say more because today was her birthday. He told her there were many gifts in the walk-in closet, all sent by friends and family.
Grace didn't want to spoil the mood. She forced a smile. "I'll look at them after I take a bath."
Henry pulled her down a bit, teasing her through her clothes, his voice slightly hoarse, "Let's bathe together."
Grace softly refused, "I'm on my period."
Henry's gaze deepened, then he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. He wouldn't force her to have sex during her period; he just wanted to make her happy on her birthday.
But the better he treated her, the more regret Grace felt.
Yet she didn't regret her decision. Some people, once missed, were missed for a lifetime.
After her bath, Grace still couldn't sleep, so she started unwrapping the gifts in the walk-in closet. Some were very much to her liking, like a silk scarf from Amara.
The last one was an expensive bracelet.
Grace instantly recognized the sender, as such a precious gift could only be from Aurora, a place cherished by all in Evergreen City.Grace was stunned. Henry walked in and saw the bracelet.
He picked it up, looked at it, and also guessed who it was from. He put it back and tossed it aside, saying softly, "If you don't want it, I'll return it tomorrow!"
Grace looked up at him, and they both remembered that night when she waited hopelessly in that sanatorium. She waited for him to come and take her home, waiting for half a month. When he finally came, she was barely alive. This was Grace's eternal pain.
Henry didn't avoid it. He knelt down, gently touched her face, and sincerely apologized. His heart was filled with sorrow because he realized that even if Grace fell in love with him again one day, she would never forgive him.
Love and hate were never truly mutually exclusive, were they?In the early morning, Henry sat up, quietly watching Grace and Taylor, whom he cherished.
After a while, he got up and went to the study. On the desk was a medical document.
Besides the umbilical cord blood of a newborn, there was another way to cure Taylor: reprogramming the bone marrow gene sequence of a blood relative and then infusing the reprogrammed bone marrow into Taylor's body.
But extracting too much bone marrow could be fatal or cause disability. The only ones who could do it were him and Grace.
Henry wouldn't let Grace do it, nor would he let her know. He thought if they couldn't conceive a child, he would use his bone marrow.
He used to think fate was unfair and his upbringing was so rough. Later, he regretted missing out with Grace. But now, he felt fortunate.
He had once been loved so passionately by Grace. Even if she now hated and blamed him, he could feel that she still had feelings for him. That was enough!
Henry slowly came to understand that loving someone didn't necessarily mean possessing them; it meant wanting them to be happy.
He gazed silently at the document. Taking up a pen, he signed his name on it, dating it two months ahead.