Chapter 186 Zachary is in Trouble
In Zachary's entire life, he'd never been this consumed by another person.
For a man of his caliber, winning a woman's affection should've been the easiest thing in the world.
But Quinley had shattered all his rules. With her, he wanted something more—a bond for life and death.
Late that night, Elise woke.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Quinley asleep at her bedside, head resting on folded arms.
This love, lost and found again, stirred something bittersweet in her chest. She slowly reached out, her thin fingers gently stroking Quinley's hair.
Just then, Quinley stirred awake.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Elise's eyes were still red-rimmed as she apologized hastily.
Quinley grabbed her hand. "Mom, you didn't."
That word—Mom—didn't feel awkward at all. After twenty-five years, it carried extraordinary weight.
"Mom, can you hold me?"
"Of course."
Elise opened her arms. Quinley pressed her head against her mother's chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of her heartbeat. It filled her with an indescribable sense of safety.
"We'll never be separated again."
"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you back then." Elise's voice broke.
"It's not your fault. You were a victim too."
Elise nodded heavily. Now reunited with Quinley, her thoughts turned to the other child. The thought of her being sent to an orphanage, whereabouts unknown, made fresh tears well up.
"Cindy, no matter what it takes, I have to find her. Only then will our family truly be whole again."
Quinley hadn't told Elise a single word about Susan.
"We will. I'm sure we'll find her."
After a pause, Elise asked suddenly, "You and Mr. Jennings—are you planning to marry? Cindy, you're not getting any younger. If he truly loves you, I want you to have a family of your own."
"Mom, I'm tired. I want to sleep a little more."
Quinley acted coy, nestling into Elise's embrace and pretending to drift off.
"You seem so smart, but sometimes you're such a fool." Elise's tone was affectionate. She didn't push for an answer.
Eventually, Quinley really did fall asleep.
And then morning came.
Just after dawn, people arrived at the hospital room carrying armfuls of expensive gifts.
"What's all this?" Quinley was baffled.
They answered as instructed. "Mr. Jennings had these sent over. We're just following orders."
Quinley texted Zachary. He didn't respond.
At the time, she had no idea what he was planning.
But half an hour later, Zachary appeared at the door holding an enormous bouquet of roses. What Quinley felt wasn't delight—it was alarm.
"Zachary, what are you doing?"
She rushed forward and grabbed his arm, trying to push him back toward the door.
"Wait." He set down the flowers and walked toward Elise.
"Mrs. Ginger, hello. I'd like to ask for your daughter's hand in—"
Before he could finish, Quinley forcibly dragged him toward the door.
"Zachary, get out here!"
Elise leaned against her pillows, smiling at the scene. "Go on, go on!"
And just like that, Zachary's marriage proposal died in the cradle before it even began.
"Zachary, this is way too impulsive." Quinley didn't stop until she'd shoved him into the elevator.
"I'm not being impulsive. I've thought about this for a long time."
"No. You're very impulsive."
Quinley cut him off firmly.
"Quinley, please stop running away. I don't want us to exist in this constant state of uncertainty anymore. I love you. You love me too, don't you? If we love each other, why not get married?"
Zachary looked at her with visible distress. He desperately needed to define this relationship.
Quinley fell silent. She felt like a caged animal, throwing herself against invisible bars.
Why not marry him?
She couldn't give a reason.
But why did they have to marry?
"I need time to think about it."
Once again, she chose to be an ostrich, burying her head in the sand.
She couldn't tell Zachary that after losing their child, she'd become terrified of any relationship.
"What do you need to think about?" He pressed.
He didn't want to force her, but if he didn't push her forward, he feared they'd drift apart again.
Alicia's appearance had triggered a profound sense of crisis in him. Her decision to surgically alter herself to look like Quinley was no joke.
Before, when Quinley had been hurt, he hadn't stood firmly by her side to protect her. But this time, he wanted to use marriage as a way to offer her complete shelter.
"I need to consider a lot of things. Mr. Jennings, please give me some time. Please?"
Even now, Quinley resisted.
Finally, Zachary relented.
"Fine. I'll give you time. But Quinley, I'll be waiting right here. For the rest of my life, I won't marry anyone but you."
He took a deep breath and left, defeated.
Quinley stood there for a long time, her heart anything but calm. Self-reproach and frustration piled up inside her like sediment.
"He came to propose. Why did you stop him?"
The moment Quinley returned to the room, Elise couldn't help interrogating her.
Zachary had come thoroughly prepared with all the traditional gifts. They were still sitting there, even though his proposal had ended almost as soon as it began—cut off forcibly by Quinley.
"Mom, I'm scared."
In front of Elise, Quinley revealed her vulnerable side.
"Silly child." Elise gently patted her back. Her hands were thin, but her touch was tender, almost magical in the way it soothed all of Quinley's wounds.
"You blame him because of the baby, don't you? Cindy, listen to me. Life is full of unavoidable accidents. Don't fixate only on what you've lost—look at what you still have."
"Back then, after I lost you both, I was so consumed by grief I couldn't pull myself out. I hurt your father terribly. Eventually, he chose to leave, and honestly, I don't blame him at all. Cindy, I'm telling you this because I want you to cherish the person in front of you."
It was the first time Elise had mentioned Quinley's father.
"Do you regret it?" Quinley asked quietly.
Elise exhaled deeply. "Of course I regret it. He was a wonderful man—warm, steady. If those things hadn't happened, the four of us would've been so happy together."
"Was your second husband good to you?"
A bitter smile crossed Elise's face. "In marriage, there's no good or bad, really. I made my choice, and I had to take responsibility for it."
Elise's words struck Quinley deeply.
But even now, she couldn't make a decision. The past was past, but the pain and wounds had never left her. In the dead of night, those events, those people, replayed themselves over and over.
Time passed quietly, and several days went by.
Elise's condition improved, and she wanted to be discharged.
Zachary volunteered to handle the pickup.
Quinley had just finished the discharge paperwork when rain began to fall. A curtain of water obscured everything, turning the world into a blur of mist.
Lucas drove at a crawl through the downpour.
"Mr. Jennings, maybe we should pull over for a bit. It's too dangerous right now."
"No, keep going. We're almost there."
Zachary glanced at the time. They were only ten minutes from the hospital. He didn't want to keep Quinley waiting.
Lucas continued driving.
But the weather that day was truly terrible. Just as they reached an intersection, an out-of-control SUV came barreling toward them from the opposite direction.
Lucas spotted it and jerked the wheel to avoid it.
But it was already too late.
A deafening crash—the SUV slammed into the Maybach with brutal force.